Avian Influenza
Avian Influenza is also known as the bird flu. The deadly form was first discovered in Italy in 1878. It is a Type A virus that occurs among wild aquatic birds and can infest domestic poultry and other birds and animal species. Although the virus does not normally infect human beings, there have been rare cases where humans have been infected with the virus. The disease is spread by contact with an infected bird’s feces, or secretion from its nose, mouth, or eyes. (Commission)
What are the causes of avian influenza?
Due to the rare cases of human contact with the virus, humans should avoid the following things to prevent getting infected. They should avoid touching infected birds and secretions from infected birds such as saliva or fluids, de-feathering infected birds, and inhaling dried feces dust from infected birds. Also avoid preparing
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poultry for cooking, if the bird was infested, slaughtering or butchering infected poultry, and going to the market where live birds are sold. As long as poultry is cooked at least to the temperature of 165F and eggs are cooked until both white and yolk are firm you cannot become infected. (Commission) Symptoms Within two to eight days of infection, signs and symptoms may begin and some cases and as long as 17 days. Sign and symptoms that human may experience are a dry cough, having a fever that is over 100.4F (38C), sore throat, muscle aches, headaches, shortness of breath, bleeding from nose, fatigue, stomach upset, and sometimes diarrhea may also occur. (Commission) Exams and tests Any exposure to the virus will require an immediate medical attention.
The first step to receiving a proper diagnosis of the virus is to call the hospital to speak with an on call doctor or nurse to alert them of your concerns. There are tests that is used to confirm avian influenza however, they are not readily available and must be ordered an advance. There are other test that the doctor can do includes Auscultation, chest x-ray, nasopharyngeal culture, throat virus detection by RT-PCR, and white blood cell differential. (Commission)
Treatment options for Avian Influenza
The avian influenza can be treated with antiviral medications, such as Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza). The medications should be taken within 48 hours after symptoms have started to be effective. Oseltamivir is usually given to others who live in the same household with the infected person to prevent the spreading of the disease. Those with severe infection might be placed on a breathing machine. It is recommended to get an influenza (flu) shot to avoid the chance that avian flu virus mixing with a human virus.
Prevention The best prevention is to avoid the source of exposure. One will need to avoid traveling to place affected by the virus, visiting live bird market, use protective clothing and special breathing masks while working with birds and avoid undercooked or uncooked poultry. (Commission) Prognosis This disease can be fatal depending on the type of avian flu virus and how bad the infection is. Complication Avian Influenza may cause complications once the infection occurs. Some of the complications that may occur are organ failure, Pneumonia, sepsis, altered mental status, and possible death. (Commission) The deadly strain was first seen in Hong Kong in 1997. According to WHO there been a total of 846 cases and 447 deaths worldwide of the virus since 2003 (Avian Influenza). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says most cases of the infection that have been detected since 2003 have occurred in people with direct or close contact with poultry and the USDA says that around 30 million birds have been slaughtered due to the confirmed presence of the bird strain. Currently, the state of Iowa is struggling with the bird flu outbreak.
[1, 4, 5, 9, 13] There have been no documented cases where a human has contracted the disease from another human. [4] It appears, based on field and lab data, that infection requires direct contact with the virus through means such as contact with infective bodily secretions, urine, or tissues. [12] It is unknown to scientists how the virus can be maintained in the bat populations and avoids extinction as the host species becomes immune to its presence. [14] The incubation period from time of infection to the onset of symptoms is about 5-14 days in experimentally induced animals [4] and 8-14 days in natural field cases.
It has not taken human to human transmission yet, that we know of. So far all cases of the virus result from people coming into close contact with bird blood or droppings. If the transmission of the virus does take human to human form, it could unleash a global pandemic. This is the first time in history that humans have been able to prepare themselves for an epidemic. The bird flu virus travels with migrating birds.
... without causing an economic crisis as well. History of the evolution of the virus shows origin in Asia among poultry, closing monitoring as well as restricting travel activity and import of poultry in these regions will be highly recommended in the event of a detection of the Avian virus.
the animals and cattle as well. The disease was so contagious that touching even an object that had
A person can prevent the disease. And, there are many ways to do this. One is to put on insect repellent with Deet. Another is to wear long sleeves and long pants. Also, tuck your pants in socks. And, wear a hat. Finally, stay away from wooded areas.
The influenza virus is most commonly spread from person to person by coughing or sneezing. The virus can also be spread by touching an object that was recently contaminated. Then accidently touching their mouth or
Over the past fifteen years H5N1 influenza (also known as Avian Flu or Bird Flu) has become a common topic of speculation and debate worldwide, causing quite a bit of confusion about its possible impacts on our society. At this point in time it is generally recognized by the international medical community that Avian Flu is bound to become a pandemic, most likely within the next ten years. Research on Avian Flu and its effects have led many scholars to make grave predictions of major global turmoil while a small portion of medical scientists remain skeptical, believing we will have enough time to thoroughly prepare for the outbreak. The one thing that nearly all health professionals seem to agree upon is that the avian flu will surely have a large impact on the development of humankind. To truly understand the threat of this disease and what we must do to prepare for it, we need to look at the issue from multiple angles and consider what the spread of a disease so lethal and so prone to mutation would mean for our daily lives, health professionals, laws and government procedures, and of course the continuation of the human race.
Influenza is a major public health problem which has outbreaks all over the world. Resulting in considerable sickness and death rates. Furthermore, it is a highly infectious airborne disease and is caused by the influenza virus. Influenza is transmitted easily from one person to another person, which has a great impact on society. When a member of society becomes sick, it is more prone to spread to other people.
At no time was a search for the cure for influenza more frantic than after the devastating effects of the pandemic of 1918. The pandemic killed somewhere between twenty and a hundred million people, making it twenty five times more deadly than the ordinary cough and sneeze flu. The symptoms of this flu were like something straight out of a horror movie: the victim’s facial complexion changed to a dark, brownish purple, the feet turned black, and they began to cough up blood. Eventually, death was caused, literally by drowning, when the victim’s lungs filled with their own blood. The first scientist to claim to solve the enigma of influenza was Dr. Friedrich Johann Pfeiffer. He isolated a bacterium he named Hemophilus influenzae from the respiratory tract of those who had the flu in the pandemic of 1890. He was believed to be correct in his discovery until the pandemic of 1918, when scientists searched the respiratory tracts of influenza victims and only sometimes found his bacterium. Robert E. Shope and his mentor Paul Lewis were the next to attempt to crack the code of influenza. They chose to study the disease in pigs, a controversial choice because many people believed that the swine influenza pigs were contracting was not the same as the human flu. The first experiment they ran was ba...
Medical officials agree that one of the characteristic features of the influenza is its air-born infectivity. "One case to-day may mean a hundred to-morrow and thousands within a week," according to the chief medical officer of the Local Government Board. To protect oneself against the infectious illness that can spread without direct contact with the sick, it is recommended that people situate themselves in well-ventilated rooms. However, once you have contracted the disease, you are to quarantine yourself in an isolated home.5 Other symptoms of influenza include extreme exhaustion, aching limbs, headaches and sometimes, inflammation of nasal mucous membranes.6
Viruses can be transmitted in many ways. Being in contact with an infected person will most likely transfer the virus. One can also obtain the virus through swallowing, inhaling, and unsafe sex. Poor hygiene and eating habits usually increase the risk of catching a viral infection. Contracting a viral infection is followed by adverse s...
Influenza is a financial burden to society, thus it is extremely important to find a treatment that will alleviate the problems associated with influenza (WHO, 2017). The Baloxavir Marboxil is a newly discovered treatment that is currently in the process of being developed by a Japanese pharmaceutical company called Shionogi. This innovative treatment is a single-dose pill that can potentially eradicate the influenza virus within twenty-four hours, as shown in the diagram below (Refer to figure. 2) the Baloxavir Marboxil prevents the virus from replicating through inhibiting the enzyme that is required for the multiplication of the influenza virus. (Hafner, 2018) & (Grens, 2018).
The Flu was first founded in Seattle September, 1918. The avian flu can also be known as the “Bird Flu”. The bird flu is being passed around by migratory birds. It can be transmitted from birds to mammals and in some limited circumstances to humans. The flu will also be known as the H5N1 virus. The H5N1 virus has raised concerns about a potential human pandemic because its virulent (deadly; extremely dangerous) and it can evolve like other influenza viruses. As many other viruses and illnesses the flu can be a lot more deadlier. When you get the flu the lungs are severely harmed from infected cells called macrophages and T-cells. The virus can spread way beyond the lungs but generally do not. Many people catch the flu and think they have the common cold because of some of the same symptoms. But actually the flu can be more dangerous if you don’t treat it immediately.
It can only be transmitted through feces, mucus or saliva. Birds that are infected with the virus and three or more touches through the facial openings, there is a 90% or more chance that whoever touched it will become infected with H5N1 flu. But, if humans take safety precautions, such as hand washing it should be easy to prevent the spread of this virus. Human to human transmission has only been seen two cases, both outside the United States, one in Indonesia and the other in Thailand. This disease only been transmitted through these people because they did not take safety precaution which was needed to protect themselves. The case in Indonesia was a male poultry worker who was infected with H5N1 flu. He was then contaminated with the rest of his family with whom he close contact with. However the case in Thailand was very similar he was a poultry worker as well, who became very sick after been infected with H5N1 virus. He also infected other family members through close contact. There has similar mutation which led up to dreadful Spanish flu in 1918 that concerns the World Health Organization (WHO) that it could happen again. There is a 99% chance that if the virus mutate, it will be a lot more deadly than the flu of 1918. There have been several reasons to lethality, one of the reasons is that the world has more highly populated and city has become denser.
for which no cure has yet been created. It is important to know however, that methods are currently available which can prevent the transfer of this virus, and even slow down its malicious effects. before they become fatal. It is equally important to know how to avoid getting the virus and also the symptoms in case you might run across them. They are all a lot.