H5N1 Influenza Caution
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 recession may be threatening surveillance and prevention measures that are keeping the fatal bird flu virus at bay.
The recorded cases of H5N1 have been dropping in previous years but the H5N1 strain is known to vary in intensity year to year, though the drop is an indicator that efforts to manage the virus have been somewhat successful in domestic poultry birds. There has been better observation of the disease globally and China has instigated a huge poultry inoculation endeavor but China has experienced a cluster of illness from bird flu that felled eight people in one month. Six of those cases were in areas with no reports of outbreaks in their poultry stocks.
Influenza H5N1 is still difficult for humans to contract, it has still claimed two hundred fifty four victims around the world since 2003. Health scientists have been sounding the alarm for a while now that if H5N1 wasn’t under control in the avian population it could well mutate into a modified strain that would infect humans and cause the spread to activate the strain into a pandemic.
The peril is that after years of controlling this H5N1 strain and keeping it from becoming a more serious threat to humans there could be slippage in vigilance due to economic stress and general flu fatigue. After years of pandemic preparedness operations and a recession, would there be a call for financial curbs on funding? A number of less resourceful nations could be the impetus for this to happen.
The World Health Organization still thinks a flu pandemic from H5N1 virus is only a matter of time, there is no IF in the equation. The international community must keep a vigilant eye not only for modification of the H5N1 virus but also for other influenza strains in addition to what has already been identified. We are already a world under threat from a pandemic of H1N1 influenza and if these two viruses were to somehow mutate from mutual contact the result could be catastrophic.
Bird Flu Symptoms And Treatment Protocols
People who contract the H5N1 illness will present with hyperthermia or fever, sore throat, cough, severe respiratory distress and viral pneumonia. People of all ages can be infected and can be in various situations with their health. Today there are tests that can be performed quickly in order to diagnose a particular influenza strain. Antiviral medications like Generic Tamiflu or Oseltamivir are considered effective for treating and preventing the influenza A strains of the virus and this is good since when a new strain of flu develops it can take a good number of months to produce a viable vaccine.
The WHO is recording and posting regular updates concerning any new human infections of H5N1 Bird flu. They must gather information as to how the person was exposed to the virus whether by wild or domestic birds and which species of bird they made contact with. It’s critical to inform the public not to keep wild birds with domestic flocks, not to allow free ranging poultry, to keep the public away from wild birds, or keep in captivity any wild birds’ period and this must be done to aid in preventing a global pandemic. The public must continually wash their hands after coming in contact with poultry stocks or subsequent to handling chicken meat, cooking poultry well and keep domestic bird species separate from each other.