Are You Aware Of The Dangers Of Bird Flu?

By Sharon Stajda,

Scientist are working at an accelerated speed, trying to come up with answer's to the problem's that could occur with an avian ful outbreak.

A well renown virologist, Mr. Robert G. Webster, acclaimed for his work in the development of the routine flu vaccination, recently in an interview for AARP Monthly Magazine. He gave a rather grim out look on the lack of readiness of the United States, to handle a break out of avian flu. "Webster" elaborating on his concerns, claiming that the bird flu is like no other flu stain he has ever studied? He clearly went on to voice his great concerns in regard to the bird flu becoming a potentially serious pandemic. "A pandemic that will kill fast, and kill up th 50 million people across the world... "

In the interview for AARP Webster stated , " I 've been saying that we're bound to have another world wide influenza event," I tell you : this one is the closest we've gotten to that. I hope to God it doesn't occur, because this is the worst influenza I've ever seen in terms of its killing capacity in animals. You put it into chickens this afternoon, they're all dead tomorrow."

The bird flu has been reported to have killed over 100 people, most from rural Asia. Right now the avian virus has the capacity to spread from animal to human. So why could it become a problem that will effect the rest of the world? Mutation— if the virus changes its genetic structure through mutation, and becomes a virus that can be past from human to human, it will have the capacity to spread rapidly, as viruses do, and kill fast.

Should we be concerned that it will mutate? Webster, certainly appears to feel we should be very concerned. Comparing the readiness of the Asia and Canada when the Sars epidemic struck three years ago. A vaccine was ready within months, due to prior studies that were done on the virus that caused Sars. Webster maintains, their readiness through research helped prevented Sars from becoming a pandemic.

Webster feels we have about five years to prepare ourselves for this virulent strain of influenza. He also said it could fizzle out. But do we want to take that chance? Naturally Webster as a man of science expressed we should be ready with a vaccine, and not take any chances.

There's always the concern how much will it cost our country to come up with a vaccine for the bird flu? Well, from what I gleaned from the ARRP article , the costs would be substantial, without actually putting a number out there. But one can surmise that a pandemic of bird flu could, and would cost into the tens of billions. So it would appear we should be spending the money now, to be fully prepared to fight this virulent flu.

You may be wondering, just what is being done in regard to research, and production of a vaccine for the bird flu? The virus that could spread from human to human does not exist as of yet. This poses big problems? St. Jude's, as well as The Center For Disease Control And Prevention have made seed stock of the Indonesian strain of bird flu. Just incase this strain does acquire the ability to transmit to humans, they will be able to make vaccine's from the seed stocks on hand. But as mentioned if the virus becomes mutated, it is apparent that we will be unprepared to fight it. It would take months to produce a vaccine, and many more months until the vaccine would reach the public.

In the case of an out break of bird flu, Webster recommendations included stockpiling food and water, enough for three months. To stay in your home. If drinking tap water, it should be boiled, and Clorox added to it. He also felt that the government could be of no help with this form of pandemic. The smartest thing to do is to depend on yourself as well as your family. He noted that the hospitals would be over run, and a more dangerous place to be than in ones home. He also recommended if you could get your hands on the medications Tamiflu or Relenza , to have them on hand. But warns to take them only when it appears that the influenza has reached your community.

So where is the good news here? Research, research has given use drugs such as Tamiflu, and Relanza, that do help with severe flu symptoms. On the bright side, Congress and the Bush Government have been supplying much needed funds to keep research going at full throttle.