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Article #269: Bird Flu Explained

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Bird Flu or more correctly, avian flu, is the ability to adapt to humans,
much in the news and causing a lot of increasing their pandemic risk ... there
anxiety. Many people are worried that is a suggestion there may be some
they may get it, and the papers are full parallel evolution going on."
of horror scenarios. Scientists still do not understand
There are over 100 strains of avian flu, completely how a bird virus becomes a
but most of them do not infect humans. human virus, but H5N1 is already showing
The current strain H5N1 can infect some of the mutations necessary for it to
humans, but not easily. The number of become a human flu, but at the moment, in
cases of avian flu in humans in the spite off all the panic, there is no
current outbreak is very small, and pandemic flu strain.
almost all have come about by direct Research in the Netherlands and the USA
contact with infected or dead birds has shown that while human influenza
something that most of us are unlikely to viruses are able to bind with receptors
experience. So far, the spread of H5N1 in the windpipe, H5N1 binds only much
virus from person-to-person has been rare deeper inside the lungs. This makes it
and has not continued beyond one person. more difficult for the virus to infect
In fact according to The Times (London, humans, because the virus is less likely
23rd March 2006) only 184 confirmed cases to reach the inner lungs than the
have been reported worldwide so far from windpipe. The H5N1 virus is also less
this strain, with 103 deaths. These have likely to spread from human to human.
been in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Coughing and sneezing easily transmits
Thailand, Vietnam, and most recently, viruses that have multiplied in the
several cases in Turkey. windpipe, but not those located deep in
What the authorities are much more the lungs. If H5N1 manages to mutate so
concerned about is the strain mutating that it can replicate in the upper
into a variation that can be transmitted respiratory tract, a pandemic becomes
between human beings, rather than just more likely. Scientists are constantly
from bird to human. This has been monitoring the virus for this mutation.
designated as influenza A/H5N1. Humans do So should we be concerned? There have
not have any resistance to this strain, been many scares over the years that have
because these viruses do not commonly not come to anything, and this could turn
infect humans. If a strain developed that out to be one of those too, but it is
could infect the human population, a worth taking some sensible precautions
pandemic would be likely with many people rather than just relying on the
being infected and dying. The 1918 scientists to find a powerful enough
Spanish flu is estimated to have killed solution. Having a strong immune system
50 million people worldwide. At least has to be the first line of defence.
four of the eight genes of H5N1 avian flu Eating a good diet, taking exercise,
now contain mutations seen in that deadly getting plenty of sleep, and reducing
strain. stress can all lead to a stronger immune
Jeffery K. Taubenberger, a molecular system that can fight more effectively
pathologist at the Armed Forces Institute against the bugs of this world and any
of Pathology in Rockville, USA has said: dangerous mutations.
"These H5N1 viruses might be acquiring






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