Pepper
12-22-2004, 12:34 PM
Why Are Scientists Concerned?
The bird flu virus could evolve into a form that is easily spread between people, resulting in a highly contagious and lethal disease.
This could happen if someone already infected with the human flu virus caught the bird flu. The two viruses could recombine inside the victim's body, producing a hybrid that could readily spread from person to person.
The resulting virus would likely be something humans have never been exposed to before. With no immune defenses, the infection could cause devastating illness, such as occurred in the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic, which killed an estimated 40 million to 50 million people worldwide.
How Do People Catch It?
So far in this outbreak, human cases have been blamed on direct contact with infected chickens and their droppings.
How Is This Outbreak Different?
This outbreak is different than earlier ones because it has spread more rapidly into more countries, increasing its exposure to more people in many locations. An outbreak in 1997 in Hong Kong was the first time that bird flu had spread to people, but it was much more quickly contained.
How Can It Be Stopped?
The chief strategy is to kill infected poultry.
Is There A Vaccine?
No. One is being developed, but it will probably take many months and may not be ready in time to stop a widespread human outbreak, if one occurs.
Flu drugs exist that may be used to both prevent people from catching bird flu and to treat those who have it. The virus appears to be resistant to two older generic flu drugs, amantadine and rimantadine. However, the newer flu drugs Tamiflu and Relenza are expected to work. Supplies could run out quickly if an outbreak occurs.
Is There More Than One Kind?
Yes, at least 15 subtypes of the avian flu exist. The current one is called H5N1.
How Common Is It?
The disease occurs worldwide, but only the H5N1 strain has been shown to be deadly in people. Wild ducks carry flu but often do not get sick from it. All birds are susceptible to the infection. However, chickens and other domestic poultry are especially prone to rapidly fatal epidemics of the virus.
Is It Similar To SARS?
Although the avian flu's symptoms are similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS is caused by completely different viruses. Flu is also more contagious and cannot be as readily contained as SARS through isolating people who have the infection.
http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/health/2799469/detail.html
The bird flu virus could evolve into a form that is easily spread between people, resulting in a highly contagious and lethal disease.
This could happen if someone already infected with the human flu virus caught the bird flu. The two viruses could recombine inside the victim's body, producing a hybrid that could readily spread from person to person.
The resulting virus would likely be something humans have never been exposed to before. With no immune defenses, the infection could cause devastating illness, such as occurred in the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic, which killed an estimated 40 million to 50 million people worldwide.
How Do People Catch It?
So far in this outbreak, human cases have been blamed on direct contact with infected chickens and their droppings.
How Is This Outbreak Different?
This outbreak is different than earlier ones because it has spread more rapidly into more countries, increasing its exposure to more people in many locations. An outbreak in 1997 in Hong Kong was the first time that bird flu had spread to people, but it was much more quickly contained.
How Can It Be Stopped?
The chief strategy is to kill infected poultry.
Is There A Vaccine?
No. One is being developed, but it will probably take many months and may not be ready in time to stop a widespread human outbreak, if one occurs.
Flu drugs exist that may be used to both prevent people from catching bird flu and to treat those who have it. The virus appears to be resistant to two older generic flu drugs, amantadine and rimantadine. However, the newer flu drugs Tamiflu and Relenza are expected to work. Supplies could run out quickly if an outbreak occurs.
Is There More Than One Kind?
Yes, at least 15 subtypes of the avian flu exist. The current one is called H5N1.
How Common Is It?
The disease occurs worldwide, but only the H5N1 strain has been shown to be deadly in people. Wild ducks carry flu but often do not get sick from it. All birds are susceptible to the infection. However, chickens and other domestic poultry are especially prone to rapidly fatal epidemics of the virus.
Is It Similar To SARS?
Although the avian flu's symptoms are similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS is caused by completely different viruses. Flu is also more contagious and cannot be as readily contained as SARS through isolating people who have the infection.
http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/health/2799469/detail.html