As more reports of Bird Flu spread, the risk of a World wide epidemic(Pandemic)is quite frightening. Consider the following to get a glimpse as to the complexity:
? Domestic ducks carrying the virus can now excrete huge quantities of highly toxic, contagious virus without even showing signs of sickness. This is acting as a ?silent? transmitter of the virus, to other birds. This is one reason it's difficult to control. The birds spreading it don't seem ill!!
? Bird flu is caused by the H5N1 virus. The strain thats spreading is one of the deadliest versions known. When compared with H5N1 viruses from 1997 and early 2004, H5N1 viruses now spreading are more lethal to experimentally infected mice and to ferrets (a mammalian model) and survive longer in the environment.
? H5N1 virus appears to have expanded its host range, infecting and killing mammals previously considered resistant. People are now coming down with it.
? The behaviour of the virus in its natural reservoir, wild waterfowl, may be changing. The spring 2005 die-off of upwards of 6,000 migratory birds at a nature reserve in central China, caused by highly pathogenic H5N1, was highly unusual and probably unprecedented. In the past, only two large die-offs in migratory birds, caused by highly pathogenic viruses, are known to have occurred: in South Africa in 1961 (H5N3) and in Hong Kong in the winter of 2002?2003 (H5N1).
Why are pandemics such dreaded events?
Influenza pandemics are horrible.That can rapidly infect virtually all countries. Once international spread begins, pandemics are considered unstoppable, caused as they are by a virus that spreads very rapidly by coughing or sneezing. The problem is that when a person is the most contagious and dangerously spreading the virus, there are no symptoms yet. The fact that infected people can shed virus before symptoms appear adds to the risk of international spread via air travellers who don't yet know they are sick.
The severity of disease and the number of deaths caused by a pandemic virus vary greatly, and cannot be known prior to the emergence of the virus. During past pandemics, attack rates reached 25-35% of the total population. Under the best circumstances, assuming that the new virus causes mild disease, the world could still experience an estimated 2 million to 7.4 million deaths (projected from data obtained during the 1957 pandemic). Projections for a more virulent virus are much higher. The 1918 pandemic, which was exceptional, killed at least 40 million people. In the USA, the mortality rate during that pandemic was around 2.5%.
Pandemics can cause large surges in the numbers of people requiring or seeking medical or hospital treatment, temporarily overwhelming health services. High rates of worker absenteeism can also interrupt other essential services, such as law enforcement, transportation, and communications. Because populations will be fully susceptible to an H5N1-like virus, rates of illness could peak fairly rapidly within a given community. This means that local social and economic disruptions may be temporary. They may, however, be amplified in today's closely interrelated and interdependent systems of trade and commerce. Based on past experience, a second wave of global spread should be anticipated within a year.
As all countries are likely to experience emergency conditions during a pandemic, opportunities for inter-country assistance, as seen during natural disasters or localized disease outbreaks, may be curtailed once international spread has begun and governments focus on protecting domestic populations.
What can you do? How can you protect yourself? Well, surprisingly enough you can take herbs! Many herbs are Scientifically documented to Boost the body's ability to withstand and fight viral illness. Some of the herbs that strengthen immunity are Astragalus, Ginseng,Codnopsis, Garlic, Reishi, Spirulina, Shilajit, Suma and many more. Other herbs like Echinacea, GoldenSeal, and Coptis fight infection, when ill.
A wise Herbal protection plan would be to take Astragalus Root as a daily protective tonic. This TCM(Traditional Chinese Medicine)root is well known and researched to dramatically boost Immune Protection and even fight infection.
Known as HuangQi(pronounced "WongChi"), Astragalus is a TCM Herb, prescribed as a tonic, for centuries, for strength and vitality. Taken as a tea or tincture, two to three times daily, Astragalus can boost your ability to protect and fight flu in general.
A TCM botanical that fights viruses is Honeysuckle(Lonicera, in Latin). Yes, the pretty ,sweet smelling yellow, or pink flower is a serious antiviral medicine. The Chinese have used the unopened buds, known as JinYinHua for centuries to combat infection.
Bird flu, also known as avian influenza is a disease which affects the birds, especially the poultry, in different extents. The bird flu is produced by subtypes of influenza A virus and it sheds in the wild birds which transmit the virus to the poultry. The H5N1 subtype is considered to be the most pathogenic virus from all the subtypes of influenza A virus.
Chicken, ducks and turkeys get infected if they get in contact with discharges from infected birds, infected water, and infected vehicles. The eggs can also contaminate the incubator if they are from infected hens.
The birds which survive the infection can spread the virus for another period of at least 10 days through secretions, discharges and feathers.
The virus can easily spread in the area if a contaminated bird is left to roam freely; if it drinks water from the place other birds drink, this way contaminating the water. Cars can spread the virus also from one place to another if they are not disinfected properly. Shoes, cages and clothing are also a way of spreading the virus.
Humans can get infected if they get into close contact with ill birds. People who transport poultry, who feed them and clean the place the birds live in, are exposed to the virus if the birds are infected. Eating cooked chicken meal is not dangerous as the virus gets inactivated at heat.
Until now human to human transmission was not encountered.
The governments are concerned that the virus could mutate and achieve the ability of transmitting itself from one person to another. This could lead to a global pandemic and millions of people might die. Also, if this problem is not solved quickly the poultry industry will suffer and the economy of the country will drop.
In chicken the bird flu gives these symptoms: diarrhea, muscle weakness, breathing problems, sudden deaths, facial swelling, and a decline in the egg production.
In humans the symptoms of bird flu are: fever, muscle pain, sore throat and then cough, breathing problems and multi-organ failure in the last stage of the disease.
As there are so many diseases which manifest very much alike with bird flu the doctors must be very careful when diagnosing bird flu. If the patient got into close contact with a sick bird, or handles bird cages, laboratory tests will be done to see exactly if there is a bird flu infection.
There has not been yet discovered an effective vaccine against bird flu virus. The only thing humans can do is take a shot for a human influenza virus to prevent the recombination between the bird flu virus and human flu virus which could form a more threatening virus.
In order to prevent bird flu people must avoid getting into close contact with birds or their discharges; must not buy any living bird illegally as they are not controlled by the veterinaries, must report any suspect death of a bird to the authorities, and must disinfect properly after handling bird products.
Both Aliza Adar Levine & Groshan Fabiola are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Aliza Adar Levine has sinced written about articles on various topics from Antiques, Recipes and Sleep Disorders. A.LevineRNMH is a Nurse and medical Researcher for over 20 years. Read more about bird flu at . Learn about human influenza at. Aliza Adar Levine's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.
Groshan Fabiola has sinced written about articles on various topics from Woman Menopause, Medical Condition and Health. For more information about or even about. Groshan Fabiola's top article generates over 6120000 views. to your Favourites.