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Avian Flu As A Global Threat

Amit Pyakurel - 11/29/2005

The people around the globe have not yet forgotten the frighteningly fateful episode of Spanish flu in 1918, which claimed lives of around 40-million people worldwide. The pandemic had caused such a massive death toll without letting people to know the actual occurrence of the disease, which was later believed to have spread from the stem of bird. The virus was overtly contagious and deadly that it didn't gave enough time for the treatment until the patient died bewildered of what they have actually contracted.

The similar-sounding phenomenon known as bird-flu is at its height to become a global threat today which has already killed around 62 people from the Southeast Asia, where most of the poultry industries survives. The concern has elevated also in many countries of Africa regarding the prevention of the disease. The menace of the bird-flu has shaken the hearts of the people worldwide who are one way or the other are connected with the birds, be it the birds kept as a hobby, in zoos, or the chickens and chicken-products which has taken a huge consumer market.

The threat has largely affected the survival of poultry industries' farmers worldwide at the face of the mass destruction and burial of the birds that is being held in some places of the globe.

The H5N1 Avian Influenza describes the virus that is carried, especially by the wild birds in their intestines without actually harming them. The virus carried by these wild birds has a great potential to contract the household birds like chickens, and the humans who gets contact with these household birds are at risk of catching the virus, which is seen mostly fatal.

While talking about flu, we're already familiar with some serious complications of the normal flu virus with bacterial infection or pneumonia that can be as deadly as bird flu, especially for those whose immune power is low or who are over sixty-five years of age. Some symptoms of bird-flu indicate the severe respiratory diseases like acute respiratory distress and pneumonia like symptoms with fever, sore throat, cough, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, chills, nausea, or lack of appetite as its common consequence.

Beside panic, the issue has also raised some speculations that the flu cannot transfer easily to humans from birds. But the human toll of 62 is a boldly evident truth at the other side. Though there is not any definite evidence that the flu has already mutated in the form that a human can contract it from another human, the medical experts have not denied this possibility to occur in future, and if it mutates like that then it's sure to be hugely contagious and cause a global pandemic, which some experts says could be worse than that caused by the Spanish flu.

Further looking, does this panic that the bird flu or H5N1 Avian Influenza has swelled really deserves that significance? Is it moreover a panic than its potential or its good to have panic rather than to bear it in future that would turn out to be beyond the control of modern medical expertise? This question needs to be overhauled wisely because ambiguous ideas on the issue could only spread rumor and panic more than the necessity of preparedness. In order to minimize the fear in public realm it is necessary to disseminate as much accurate information as possible.

Meanwhile, to handle the war against this possible global pandemic, 400 experts and decision-makers gathered at the World Health Organization headquarter in Geneva, Switzerland, for a three-day council, in November 7, 2005. For the similar purpose 30 international health ministers held a meeting in Ottawa to discuss bird flu and its consequences. The Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin stated in the meeting that bad information and public fear could too easily snowball into panic and this would complicate the collective response to a pandemic immeasurably and magnify its impact.

As it's needless to reiterate the popular belief that prevention is better than cure, this theory must be applied significantly for this case also. Experts have not yet been able to specify that actually in what form the virus would develop in future. The so-called mutation could also only be a hypothesis and also the disease could take a toll in other way that we've never thought of.

The finest safety measures are being described as getting away from the proximity of the birds themselves. The nicely cooked meat or eggs can avoid contracting the disease. But there are chances of getting enough contact with these birds for us to contract the disease, while getting it from the marketplace and preparing it to cook. So, the best precaution could be to avoid the birds and their products as consumption.

Many nations have adopted the policy of prohibiting any bird or bird related items to enter their borderline, which could also be conducive to stop spreading it from country to country. At the same time, the migrating birds who know no boundaries is another concern regardless of this prohibition. So, making people aware regarding the treatment of birds and bird products can be seen as a more effective measure.

The availability of the antiviral drug Tamiflu is also considered to become effective measure to fight back the disease in case of the pandemic, but it is also not left with guarantee that the drug will work up to the mark at the time of the real hit of the disease. Moreover, the magnification of the impact in public could result in mass collection of the drugs creating scarcity in the market and un-prescribed treatment by Tamiflu can result in the immunized form of the virus that could be harsher to fight back.

The importance of Tamiflu antiviral cannot be denied at the actual spread of the virus, but the most demanding concern at this moment is to comply with the preventive measures before this pandemic comes to reality. We must me fully prepared to fight this flu pandemic despite the speculations on non-probability of virus to cause that amount of catastrophe. The question is: Can we prevent it from taking a shape of pandemic? Of course! We can. It would be another matter if it was some kind of natural disaster like that caused by Tsunami, Hurricane, or recent earthquake in Kashmir. It would also be another matter if it was some kind of War from Terror or War on Terror which is claiming numerous
innocent lives daily.

Natural disasters are unpreventable and unpredictable and the catastrophes caused by most ferocious enemy of human, that is human itself, could also be a less preventative consequence. But the possible flu pandemic is preventable. And everyone should make a joint effort to fight this disease because it is not going to spare any human or the enemy of its own kind if it starts to take the global toll.