Avian Flu update

[gardnmom]

I think we need to keep ourselves informed on this I have a link that will not be available long as it is a news item. please read it.

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http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2005/09/05...l_18514899.html

 

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PANDEMIC RISK: Bird flu at ‘turning point’

Published on September 05, 2005

Human-to-human transmission in four Southeast Asian countries prompts scientists to upgrade danger alert level

The threat of a new bird flu pandemic is looming large as scientists begin to concede that the flu virus has entered the turning-point phase of pandemic development with reports of human-to-human infections in four countries including Thailand.

“It’s apparent to us insiders that [the virus] has already moved from phase 3 to phase 4 [in terms of the World Health Organisations’pandemic alert levels],” said Dr Kamnuan Ungchusak whose work on human-to-human H5N1 strain of avian flu was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in January.

Reports of the infection spreading among humans in four countries including Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam have suggested to scientists that the virus has become more

pathogenic than ever, the doctor said.

“The virus remains virulent enough to sicken or kill another victim who is in close contact with the infected person, said Kamnuan who is the director of the Disease Control Department’s Beureau of Epidemiology.

Reports of human-to-human infection have been most recently documented in a cluster of infections in Indonesia, he said, adding that all of the infected people were in the same family and had not been in contact with any poultry or other sources of disease, aside from infected family members.

All of the group infected with the virus in Indonesia died, said Kamnuan.

“The transition between phase 3 and phase 4 would be a significant shift, any confirmation of human-to-human infection means we are in phase 4,” he explained.

Kamnuan’s revelation contradicts authoroties’ assurances

to the public that there has never been a confirmed case human-to-human transmission of the flu virus.

He encouraged the top health authorities to stop providing the public with false information and said that it was time to revise the country’s strategies to handle the pandemic.

“We (the region) have continued to witness the spread of the epidemic across Vietnam, where cases of infections [of the H5N1 virus] among people belonging to the same family have been constantly reported –and this is not a good trend,” Kamnuan said.

If the H5N1 virus continues to develop at this slow pace it could be beneficial to scientists as they would be able to closely monitor the development of the pandemic and be better prepared for

whatever comes next, said Associate Professor Dr Prasert Auewarakul, a virologist who is familiar with influenza pandemic research.

“However, the chance that the virus will mutate [to become highly contagious among humans] is also possible,” he said.

Arthit Khwankhom

The Nation

 

 

[Homesteader]

Thanks for the info!