Google Answers Logo
View Question
 
Q: Bird Flu ( No Answer,   5 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Bird Flu
Category: Health
Asked by: esher-ga
List Price: $30.00
Posted: 29 Aug 2005 13:58 PDT
Expires: 28 Sep 2005 13:58 PDT
Question ID: 561901
I have the following questions on bird flu; 

-How is the disease contracted?
-what is the current expected likelihood of the virus reaching Europe
particularly Amsterdam and the UK?
-If the drug hits these territories are there any projections on what
the effect will be? i.e. number of contractions/deaths.
-What effective vaccines, anti virals other combative drugs exist?
-What areas of the globe are not expected to be affacted by the disease?
Answer  
There is no answer at this time.

Comments  
Subject: Re: Bird Flu
From: justaskscott-ga on 30 Aug 2005 01:33 PDT
 
Some (though not all) of these questions are addressed in:

"Avian flu"
Google Answers
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=561916
Subject: Re: Bird Flu
From: oceanx-ga on 02 Sep 2005 22:50 PDT
 
???????????~ ????????????? ?????????????
??? ???????????? ????????????????????70???????????
Subject: Re: Bird Flu
From: oceanx-ga on 02 Sep 2005 22:53 PDT
 
????????? ??????????? 
???????????????????????????????
Subject: Re: Bird Flu
From: adoarns-ga on 06 Sep 2005 19:49 PDT
 
"Avian flu" means any strain of influenza passed on by birds.  This
can be any Type A strain of influenza virus.  I assume from context
you mean the threatening strains of avian flu in East Asia, usually
referred to as H5N1 influenza.

As with any other case of influenza, H5N1 is usually spread by
inhalation of infected droplets, or by touching surfaces contaminated
by infected droplets and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.

So far this strain has been almost entirely limited to waterfowl and
birds sold in open-air markets.  There have been isolated cases of
transmission to humans who live or work around the birds.  There have
been rare cases of people, infected with the H5N1 flu virus,
transmitting it to others.  Most of these have been people involved in
operations culling or killing off infected bird populations, or
medical personnel.

As for likelihood of reaching Europe--there's no firm answer.  So far,
there have been very few transmissions to humans from birds, and even
then fewer still transmissions to other humans.  However, influenza is
a very unstable virus and can mutate very rapidly.  If one strain of
H5N1 virus mutated so as to become easily transmissible to humans and
among humans, it's likely a global pandemic would result.  If the
Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918 is taken as a worst-case scenario,
approximately 2.5% to 5% of all people who get sick could die, which
seems low except that it's much higher than the usual fatality rate
for seasonal flu.

The likelihood of such a mutation appearing is higher if large
outbreaks among birds are not controlled.  Large numbers of infected
birds give the virus a greater opportunity to mutate and potentially
become transmissible to humans.  If a pandemic strain does arise, it's
almost certain to reach every corner of the world.  Again, taking the
Spanish Flu as a worst-case scenario, up to one-fifth of all people
could get sick.

There is no effective vaccine as yet.  Because the influenza virus
mutates so rapidly, new vaccines have to be made for each new strain. 
For seasonal flu--what one usually gets in the winter--a new vaccine
is made each year based on predictions of which strains will be worst.
 In the case of H5N1, the World Health Organization and affiliates are
working on a vaccine for the common strains.

There are two classes of drugs useful for avian flu, one including the
drugs amantadine and rimantidine, and the other including the drugs
oseltamivir and zanimivir.  In seasonal flu outbreaks, these drugs
tend to reduce illness by only one day, but are associated with
reducing the worst effects in people who are especially prone to
getting bad complications from the flu, such as older people,
children, and people with suppressed immune systems.  Some information
from Vietnam, however, indicates H5N1 may be resistant to amantadine
and rimantidine, leaving only two good drugs.

In the event of a pandemic, every place on Earth that has contact
beyond its own village is likely to be affected.  The 1918 Spanish flu
pandemic spread to virtually every country of the world within a year.
 Our world is almost certainly more connected than that.

Most of the information given comes from the following websites. 
Basic information about the flu comes from my memory, as I am a
third-year medical student.  I can supply book citations if need be.

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/avian_faqs/en/index.html
http://consensus.nih.gov/1979/1979Amantadine019html.htm
Subject: Re: Bird Flu
From: bigblue-ga on 17 Oct 2005 11:02 PDT
 
Dr. Grattan Woodson, a professor of internal medicine at Emory
University wrote  a 27 page PDF file entitled "Preparing for the
Coming Influenza Pandemic."   The report is shocking and upsetting but
at the same time offers detailed suggestions for home care, things to
stock up on, and basically giving you the best shot at getting through
an outbreak assuming it becomes serious. As of Oct 2005, Dr. Woodson
gives it a 1/3 chance of a serious global outbreak and a 2/3 chance of
pockets of minor outbreaks.  His free report is highly recommended for
anyone wishing to learn more.
http://fluwikie.com/uploads/Consequences/NewGuideOct5.pdf

BigBlue

Important Disclaimer: Answers and comments provided on Google Answers are general information, and are not intended to substitute for informed professional medical, psychiatric, psychological, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice. Google does not endorse, and expressly disclaims liability for any product, manufacturer, distributor, service or service provider mentioned or any opinion expressed in answers or comments. Please read carefully the Google Answers Terms of Service.

If you feel that you have found inappropriate content, please let us know by emailing us at answers-support@google.com with the question ID listed above. Thank you.
Search Google Answers for
Google Answers  


Google Home - Answers FAQ - Terms of Service - Privacy Policy