What is Avian Influenza?
It is called avian influenza because the infection is caused by birds [avian] and the virus is an influenza virus passed by birds to birds for the most part in a virulent manner. Wild, feral birds are known to host these viruses in their intestinal tract and are well able to do [...]
H5N1 Avian Influenza History And Disease Characteristics
As a rule, influenza viruses seem to be very specific in terms of which species is affected by which virus strain. This means that a virus that is infecting birds, pigs, horses or even seals, will generally continue to only infect those specific species. Rarely will a virus “leak [...]
H5N1 Influenza May Appear Off The Radar But Vigilance Is Vital
With all eyes seemingly on the H1N1 influenza strain health officials the world over are still monitoring the H5N1 bird flu strain since it has the potential to be far more destructive if it infects humans via humans. There is concern that a global [...]
Nations Face Quandary Over Avian H5N1 Virus
Because of the many questions unanswered regarding the current avian influenza and the risk it poses, nations are faced with a predicament: How can these governments commit their limited community health services financial resources to a latent yet possibly disastrous occurrence. Research clinicians testing a chicken’s blood at a [...]
Don’t Panic – Start Planning For Avian Influenza Pandemic
The H5N1 Avian Influenza, referred to as simply “the bird flu”, is a contagion that is spawned by bird viruses that happen naturally in birds. It is fairly normal for birds to carry a virus but this specific H5N1 virus in exceptionally infectious. The good news is [...]
Emergency Measures for H5N1 Influenza Pandemic
The ongoing pandemic of the extremely contagious H5N1 version of the avian influenza virus has a fatality rate of about fifty eight percent. It is presenting itself as quite relentless in much of southeast Asia, specifically in Thailand and Vietnam. It does seem to be an inefficient virus there has [...]
Bird Flu Virus At Ground Zero – Now What
What would happen if the H5N1 bird flu virus erupted in your community? The following is an account of the reaction to the H5N1 virus when an outbreak was first discovered on an island in Germany, a tourist destination called Rugen.
In January of 2006 there was [...]
Mouse Studies Pits H5N1 Bird Flu Virus Up Against Tamiflu Antiviral Drug
Scientists who conducted an experiment using mice confirm that the antiviral medication generic tamiflu currently being used to combat and control seasonal influenza is also capable of thwarting the deadly H5N1 avian influenza virus. Bird flu, as it is known, has spread from the [...]