Once again our hypochondriac nation is in panic mode. Thanksgiving is less than a month away and there is a crisis in poultry land… at least in eastern Europe there is. Of course, that doesn’t stop Americans from worrying.
Officials at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention say they have been inundated with anxious calls about the avian flu, commonly known as the bird flu. People are seriously asking whether they should serve something other than turkey for Thanksgiving dinner!
That thought is completely unwarranted. As the CDC explains the bird flu is not even in the United States. It’s just now affecting poultry farms in eastern Europe. Experts say eating properly handled and cooked poultry is safe. The U.S. government has banned imported poultry from countries affected by the bird flu, including H5N1 the deadly, highly pathogenic strain discovered in Asia and Europe. In addition, European health officials say cooking kills the virus.
CDC officials here, explain that so far, it almost never spreads between humans, and in the past two years has infected only 117 people, all in Asia. However, the biggest issue there is that more than 60 of those individuals have died. Health experts believe the bird flu may one day mutate and form a strain that is not only deadly, but also easily spread between people. Such a pandemic could result in hundreds of thousands or even millions of deaths worldwide.
Fortunately both the CDC and the World Health Organization are working hard to prevent the spread of the disease to the United States. The U.S. government has started to stockpile Tamiflu and other medicines that scientists believe might be effective against an outbreak.
Experts are quick to point out that just because the government is stocking up on these necessary medications, individuals should not. Anyone who hoards Tamiflu will reduce supplies for elderly and others at risk of serious illness and death from conventional flu. Taking standard precautions are the steps the general public should follow, such as getting your yearly flu shot, eating right, washing your hands and taking commonsense steps to bolster your health and immune systems.
Media certainly hasn’t helped in calming anyone’s fears by running constant reports of new cases being discovered near Russia, Turkey and Greece. But don’t let this ruin your holiday feast. The CDC and WHO are working around the clock to manage importation of chicken and any infection that may occur, leaving you to enjoy your holiday meals without any worries.
Comparing bird flu to the common flu
The H5N1 bird flu virus has infected at least 117 people in Asia, killing 60 in the last two years. Here are some facts about bird flu and how it differs from common human flu:
BIRD FLU
COMMON FLU
Symtoms
Persistent fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, shortness of breath and acute respiratory distress. Patients can develop viral pneumonia, multiple
organ failure, especially in the lungs and kidneys, and other severe and life-threatening complications in a matter of days. So far the virus is transmitted through direct contact with infected birds.
Fever, cough, running nose, muscle pain
Morality Rate
Up to 50 percent. 117 have become infected with H5N1; with elderly, over 60, mostly young people, have died.
Kills up to 2 percent of people it infects, with elderly, young children and people in developing countries more at risk. Morailty rates in developed countries are much lower but in an average year, influenza still kills 500,000 and a million people globally.
Treatment
Prescription antivirals oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and the a lesser extent zanamivir (Relenza) are the only medications that are effective against avian flu. The drugs can prevent infection up to 80 percent and can treat patients who have had symptoms for 2 days or less. However, flu viruses can become resistant to these drugs, so these medications may not always work.
Some vaccines are available to prevent infection. Prescription antivirals oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) are approved to treat type A and B influenza, the two types most responsible for flu epidempics. In order to lesson severity of the infection, patients needed to start treatment within two days of the onset symtoms.
