Bird Flue An Infectious Threat

The World Health Organization has long been spearheading the information drive for the awareness and prevention of the spread of Bird Flu. Avian influenza, otherwise knows as bird flu is an infectious disease. The World Health Organization (2005) explained that the Avian Flu is a kind of bird disease caused by type A strain of the influenza virus. WHO further explained that

The infection can cause a wide spectrum of symptoms in birds, ranging from mild illness, which may pass unnoticed, to a rapidly fatal disease that can cause severe epidemics. Avian influenza viruses do not normally infect humans. However, there have been instances of certain highly pathogenic strains causing severe respiratory disease in humans. In most cases, the people infected had been in close contact with infected poultry or with objects contaminated by their feces.

Many countries took safety measures in ensuring that the virus strain would not further take the lives of many vulnerable people. International organizations also exerted their effort in the prevention and control of the spread of such threat. The Asian Development Bank for instance has launched updates and information drive on the severity as well as updates on the avian influenza situation given the fact that most people affected by the virus are Asians. According to the Asian Development Bank (2009)

Mutations of the bird flu virus into new strains occur regularly and may cause avian flu outbreaks among birds, sometimes severe, that may also affect and kill humans sometimes. Experts are particularly concerned with the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1, which has been responsible for many outbreaks spreading across Asia, Europe and Africa since 2005 and has killed at least 246 persons.

The extent of the effects of avian flu is alarming as it may pose threats to a global influenza pandemic. More human population is at risk as new of flu outbreaks spreads.

The avian influenza, knows as bird flu is knows as avian influenza A (H5N1) infection in humans. H5N1 influenza is transmitted through different instances. According to the New England Journal of Medicine (2010), transmission of the strain virus happens through the inhalation of infectious droplets and droplet nuclei, by direct contact, by indirect (fomite) contact, with self-inoculation onto the upper respiratory tract or conjunctival mucosa.

An animal to human transmission is also possible through the exposure to live birds and other poultry infected by the virus through there has yet no evidence of transmission related to eating or preparing poultry products. However, the New England Journal of Medicine (2010), explained that plucking and preparing of diseased birds handling fighting cocks playing with poultry, particularly asymptomatic infected ducks and consumption of ducks blood or possibly undercooked poultry have all been implicated to have caused viral transmission to humans.

Data from the New England Journal of Medicine (2010) indicates that the virus strain can also be transmitted through human to human interaction, particularly through intimate contacts without proper precautions. Transmission of the viral strain from environment to humans was also noted, stating reasons as follows
Oral ingestion of contaminated water during swimming and direct intranasal or conjunctival inoculation during exposure to water are other potential modes, as is contamination of hands from infected fomites and subsequent self-inoculation.

Patients with confirmed cases of Avian Influenza usually experience fever in which temperature is higher that 38 degrees Celsius headache and vomiting diarrhea and abdominal pain myalgia cough and sputum accompanied by sore throat.

Sever symptoms of the viral infection include shortness of breath rhinorrhea pulmonary infiltrates lymphopenia increased aminotransferase levels thrombocytopenia respiratory failure cardiac failure and renal dysfunction.

Based on the report from the New England Journal of Medicine (2010), most hospitalized patients with avian influenza A (H5N1) were given immediate ventilator support within 48 hours after admission, as well as intensive care for multi-organ failure and sometimes hypotension (www.nejm.org). In addition to immediate empirical treatments being made from the time a patient was admitted in the hospital, antibiotics antiviral medicines are also used such as Amantadine, Ribavirin and Oseltamivir.

The best prevention for avian flu up to date is more of precautionary measures given the fact that there are not vaccines available for humans up to date. To minimize if not stop the spread of the avian influenza, patients confirmed of having the virus must be treated with careful isolation precautions. On the part of health workers, they must undergo a pre-exposure prophylaxis if they are often exposed to patients infected with the flu.

At the household level, each member of the family should have proper hand hygiene, should not have close contact with members of the family suspected or confirmed to be having H5N1 flu. In case of out-of-the-country visits, travelers must be immunized with available trivalent vaccine and should avoid direct contact with live poultry.

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