Avian Influenza Pandemic
The Strike Of Avian Influenza Pandemic
Pandemics refer to a disease outbreak which affects living
populations globally. An Influenza pandemic among humans will
occur when a new flu virus control large human populations,
the root cause is that there is no immunity among the affected
people against the virus. Avian influenza pandemic, or more
commonly known as a virulent type of flu spread by viruses
that are communicated to humans by infected migratory birds.
The Symptoms of Avian Influenza Pandemic
Avian influenza is typically caused by Type A flu viruses
which are found naturally in wild birds. These birds carry
these viruses in their intestines without getting infected
themselves. However, when passed to domestic birds like chickens,
ducks, and turkeys, the virus causes deadly flu in them that
is communicable to humans. Saliva, nasal secretions, and excreta
of the infected are the body products through which the virus
spreads. Domestic birds might contract the infection not only
by direct contact with the infected birds but also from virus-infected
materials and surfaces, such as water and food, cages, and
dirt etc.
Highly pathogenic flu spreads more rapidly among bird flocks.
This is the form which can affect more than one internal organ
and has a mortality rate as high as 90% to 100%. Death usually
happens within 48 hours of the appearance of symptoms. One
of the most virulent highly pathogenic flu viruses is undoubtedly
the H5N1 virus. It is the highly pathogenic form of flu virus
which carries avian influenza pandemic. On the other hand,
the low pathogenic form of avian flu will not produce any
severe symptoms and may remain undetected in the infected
birds.
Statistics have revealed that flu pandemics will strike human
populations at an average rate of three times every hundred
years. Three avian influenza pandemic events occurred in the
twentieth century.
However, the most severe of these had to be the Spanish bird
flu pandemic of 1918. Then, there was the 1957-58 the Asian
flu, which was a flu pandemic caused by the H2N2 virus. It
took 70,000 human lives in America. The third bird flu pandemic
took place in 1968-69 and is remembered as the Hong Kong flu.
It was caused by the H3N2 influenza A virus and it had claimed
34,000 lives in America.
In December 2003, another pandemic broke out and killed birds
in South Korea and spread to several other countries in Asia,
Europe, Middle East and Africa. The striking virus this time
was the H5N1. While many preventive measures have been attempted
and efforts are still underway to curb this disease, it has
claimed a number of lives in different parts of the world.
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