SARS Avian influenza Measles Task: A

Essay title: Avian Influenza

( Introduction )

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Since the beginning of time human beings have been plagued with diseases, ranging from the common cold to deadly cancers. There have been severe outbreaks of numerous diseases throughout history, making the risk for another even greater. Scientist have found that an outbreak of Avian Influenza may be on the rise. Now, some of you may be asking yourselves “What is Avian Influenza?” or “What affect will it have on me?” if an outbreak of Avian Influenza were to occur, wouldn’t you feel safer knowing as much as possible about the disease and its history?

( What is Avian Influenza? )

Avian influenza, or “bird flu”, is a contagious virus that traditionally infects only birds and, less frequently, pigs, seldom does it infect humans. It is caused by the influenza strand H5N1. In domesticated poultry, infection with avian influenza viruses causes two main forms of disease, distinguished by low and high extremes of threat. The low pathogenic form causes only mild symptoms: ruffled feathers, a drop in egg production and may easily go undetected. The highly pathogenic form is far more dramatic, it spreads very swiftly through poultry flocks, causing disease that affects multiple internal organs, and has a death rate that can approach 100% — often within 48 hours. Presently, there is no commercial vaccine widely available, making treatment difficult and near impossible. Influenza A viruses have 16 H subtypes and 9 N subtypes.

( History of the Disease )

Only viruses of the H5 and H7 subtypes are known to cause the highly pathogenic form of the disease. However, not all viruses of the H5 and H7 subtypes are highly pathogenic and not all will cause severe disease. It is believed that H5 and H7 viruses are introduced to poultry flocks in their low pathogenic form and when allowed to circulate in poultry populations the virus can mutate within a few month into the highly pathogenic form. Wild waterfowl are considered the natural reservoir of all influenza A viruses. They are known to carry viruses of the H5 and H7 subtypes, but usually in low pathogenic form. Evidence suggests that migratory birds can introduce low pathogenic H5 and H7 viruses to poultry flocks, which then mutate to the highly pathogenic form. Recent events make it likely that some migratory birds are now directly spreading the H5N1 virus in its highly pathogenic form and further spread to new areas is expected. The current outbreaks, which began in South-east Asia in mid-2003, are the largest and most severe on record. Never before in the history of this

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DIAGNOSIS

The symptoms of avian influenza in humans range from typical flu-like symptoms including cough, sore throat and sore muscles, to eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory disease, organ failures, and other severe life threatening complications. Avian influenza can only be detected in humans by a laboratory test. The main risks for human health are the risk of direct infection from bird to human, and the risk that the disease will change into a form that can be passed from human to human.

Treatment

The most recent available influenza vaccines do not protect against avian influenza. In the United States, four antiviral medications are approved for treatment of the influenza. The four are Amantadine, Rimantidine, Oseltamivir, Zanamivir. There is limited data that some of the newer antiviral agents, such as Oseltamivir and Zanamivir, are active against H5N1 influenza viruses. However, a strain of H5N1 virus is resistant to Oseltamivir and was recently identified in a Vietnamese girl. The strain retained susceptibility to Zanamivir. It is not recommended that travelers bring along an antiviral medication or treat themselves.

History

The First avian influenza outbreaks were reported for the first time from Russia and Kazakhstan (starting in July) and from Turkey and Romania (starting in October). Avian Flu was actually first recorded in Italy more than 100 years ago in 1878. Besides its devastating effect on domestic poultry, Avian Flu has received a lot of publicity because of what occurred in Hong Kong in 1997. Before that time, Avian flu was thought to infect birds only, however, a different strain of Avian Flu virus was found in humans, this was the first time that Avian Flu was transmitted to humans. During this outbreak, 18 people were hospitalized and 6 of them died. To control the outbreak, authorities killed about 1.5 million chickens to remove the source of the virus. in Italy in 1878, As the cause of massive poultry epidemics, this disease was then known as “Fowl Plague”. This disease first occurred

in the United States in 1924-25, and then again in 1929. In 1955, it was determined that the virus causing Fowl Plague was one of the influenza viruses.

Transmission

Almost all human cases have occurred in people who had direct contact with live, infected poultry. A small number appear to have been caused by long close contact with a family member who was critically ill with the disease. In general, person-to-person transmission appears to be difficult and infrequent. At present, the World Health Organization does not recommend any travel restrictions for any country as of now that are experiencing outbreaks of avian influenza. However, those

SARS Avian influenza Measles Task: A

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