The truth about Bird Flu

Avian influenza, more commonly known as ‘bird flu’, is a rising concern among those in the health and science industries. And justifiably so; since 1997, 243 of the 385 confirmed cases have died according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It has become a mainstay among birds in much of Asia and parts of Europe, Africa and the Middle East. What we have seen is only the beginning; many scientists are certain that the next world-wide pandemic is on the horizon and bird flu is the culprit.

Bird flu occurs naturally among wild birds; they carry the disease in their intestines but do not get sick from it. It is spread through saliva, nasal secretions and feces. Transmission to poultry happens when their breeding grounds overlap with those of wild birds. Influenza subtypes and genetic information mix causing it to mutate to another subtype.

When initially introduced in poultry flocks, the subtypes are not highly infectious diseases. Starting out as low pathogenic forms, the disease disperses through the population becoming more and more virulent as it circulates and mutates. Presently, the H5N1 strain has caused the largest and most severe outbreaks in poultry on record since mid-2003 according to the WHO. Since December of that same year, over 100 human cases have been confirmed in Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam with death resulting more than half the time.

Many are saying that the world is not ready for what is being called the next global pandemic. A pandemic occurs when a new influenza subtype emerges that has not previously circulated in humans. The H5N1 strain has major pandemic potential because it may one day adapt into a strain that is contagious.

Human infection occurs when people come into direct contact with infected poultry and surfaces or objects contaminated by their feces. So far, most cases have occurred in rural areas. But according to The Regional Economist, this can and will change. There has always been a positive correlation between flu deaths and population density and this instance is no exception.

According to the Mayo Clinic, common symptoms of bird flu are the same as any other flu: cough, fever, sore throat, muscle aches, etc. Sometimes, the only indication of the disease is the mild eye infection conjunctivitis, more commonly known as pink eye. People with avian flu may develop other, more dangerous symptoms including viral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress, the most common cause of bird flu-related deaths.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), influenza viruses infect humans by attaching to sugar receptor molecules found on cells in the human respiratory tract. The greater the flu virus’ ability to bind to these receptors, the greater the likelihood that the virus can cause illness in humans and be passes from human to human. Though human-to-human spread is sparse, there have been a few cases where the virus has been passed from one human to another.

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that the H7 subtype can more easily invade the human respiratory tract. In 2003, a New York man contracted the H7N2 strain of the infection, although he had no known contact with poultry. Scientists say this man’s virus seemed the most adapted to humans; it bound to the receptors found in the lining of the human upper respiratory tract and had decreased binding to bird receptor cells.

In December 2007, a 52-year-old Chinese man became ill with the virus after caring for his 24-year-old son. The son, who died on December 2, may have contracted the disease at a live animal market a few days before he became ill. A recent article by The Lancet, a British journal, Chinese doctors reported that the virus taken from the father was fully avian. It was virtually identical genetically to that of the son’s with one small mutation on one of the internal genes. Though the change is not thought to be one that gives the virus greater ability to jump from human to human, the concern is the possibility of this kind of transmission continuing and forming more disruptive mutations.

With discoveries such as these taking place, the genuine concern about the level of destruction is warranted. The effect a pandemic could have globally would change the demographics of the planet. And that change would be nothing less than devastating. According to the Sydney, Australia – based Lowry Institute think tank, the worst-case scenario would be 142 million deaths worldwide and $4.4 trillion in economic losses. That is the equivalent of wiping out the Japanese economy’s annual output. A mild pandemic would not be much better with 1.4 million deaths and $330 billion in economic losses.

The collective opinion is that most countries are grossly unprepared for what could possibly cut the work force by 50 percent, the United States included. This should be no surprise with examples like Hurricane Katrina still fresh in our minds. All the blame cannot be placed solely on the government though; the constantly mutating virus changes so often that created a vaccine is nearly impossible. In fact, one will not be produced until the virus emerges. By then, the damage will have already been done.

Bird flu is playing dirty, taking out millions of poultry and claiming the lives of young, otherwise healthy individuals who make up the vast majority of the work force. It will affect all aspects of society and there’s nothing the government can do to stop it. Educating yourself on bird flu now is your first line of defense when it comes to this lethal disease.

Sharon Steed is a media correspondent with Bird-X, Inc., the leader in environmentally friendly, cruelty free bird control since 1964. Talk to our experts at 800-662-5021 or check us out on the web at www.bird-x.com.