Ferrets used for avian influenza are in need of a tissue. Finally, scientists have found a way to test on animals by using ferret sneezes. Yes, they are making them sneeze. It is a very simple process for the ferrets, they put them to sleep and they run salt water up their noses. The result is a great big sneeze into a dish under their nose. This is important. The ferret snot is being used to study the avian influenza virus or 'Bird Flu'. It seems that these little creatures can catch a few of the viruses that humans can. Mice do not have this ability and it makes the ferret sneeze very special.
Freeze Dried Sneeze
These secretions that are captured from a ferret are very secure. The Center For Disease Control takes this little mess seriously. There are precautions and security everywhere. You must wear full protective gear when being around it. This calls for double gloves, scrub gowns, eyewear, and even full air flow masks! You have to go through a fingerprint scan and iris scan just to gain access.
I wonder if the ferrets used for Avian Influenza have any idea how special they really are. Avian Influenza is serious and deadly to birds and humans and possibly mice and ferrets. That is why they are being studied. Scientists are trying to find a link between ferrets and mice carrying and transmitting the flu.
Some Findings
Since ferrets used for Avian influenza first started, a few findings have come to light. The ferrets are known for their ability to catch the same flu viruses that humans do. They are a perfect model. Ferrets used for Avian Influenza seem to not give the influenza to others very easy. As of right now, humans are safe from catching it from ferrets but, if a strain appears that can affect them, we are in serious trouble and need to watch out.
Little Helpers
Ferrets used for Avian Influenza research are our little helpers. They have what it takes in their sneezes to show scientists what amazing creatures they really are and how much like humans they are. All the major precautions are taken when handling the snot from the sneezes.
It can be deadly to the humans but, ferrets have a hard time giving it to others. Ferret mucous is taken in a painless not lethal way from the ferrets. They are put to sleep and made to sneeze with salt water up the nose. What an interesting life they must have. To know that every sneeze is locked away in a freezer and sits in a level 3 security zone is exciting. The excitement builds!
All birds are supposed to be susceptible to the avian influenza, but particularly domestic poultry. The only subtype that can cause severe illness to people is Influenza A /H5N1 virus, initially it affects chickens, ducks and other birds by the process of mutation they can become highly pathogenic. If the bird flu virus recombines with a human flu virus and mutate it may become possible the transmission from human to human as happened in Asia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia Thailand. The disease may affect the birds in two form: a mild one and a highly lethal one.
The lethal form manifests as a severe disease, rapid contagious and a high mortality rate in 48 hours. It has been named"chicken Ebola" because of the massive internal haemorrhaging. All 16 HA and 9 NA subtypes are known to infect waterfowl, but in wild birds routine testing will always find new viruses those are inactive viruses. Highly pathogenic viruses have a genetic mark which distinguishes them from other viruses, by combining sets of amino acids the low pathogenic viruses transform in highly pathogenic ones.
Avian influenza viruses are easily transported from farm to farm even to new geographical areas by migratory birds and by contaminated people, vehicles, equipment, feed, and cages. Viruses survive for quite long in low temperatures, in high temperatures viruses have been shown to survive fewer days. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) recommends vaccination against outbreaks. Control measures are of all infected or exposed birds, proper disposal of carcasses, the quarantining and rigorous disinfection of farms, and the implementation of strict sanitary, or biosecurity, measures.
Outbreaks are difficult to control and present a high risk of infection, poverty is a determining factor for transmission of bird flu when butchering and preparation of poultry meat for cooking. Restrictions on the movement of live poultry, both within and between countries, are another important control measure. In small rural areas an outbreak is hard to be detected because usually people are disinformed and tend to think that thing aren't so bad and that it could only be a natural death, not even thinking of avian influenza so they do not alert the authorities. The owners may even want to protect their birds when culling because if the avian influenza virus is found the birds will be killed and the farmers won???t be recompensated. Control is far more difficult under poultry production systems in which most birds are raised in small backyard flocks scattered throughout rural or periurban areas.
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