[ 2008-3-29 ]
Uttam Maharjan
Although mankind has made several advances in the medical field, a number of diseases are still bobbing up, threatening the health of people across the world. Avian influenza, popularly known as bird flu, is one such disease that has been harrowing mankind for the last several years.
Symptoms
Bird flu first appeared in humans in Hong Kong in 1997. The strain of virus that has jumped from chickens to humans is dubbed H5N1. The virus is so called after the surface proteins it contains. Since then, the virus has invaded Asia, Africa and Europe.
Bird flu basically infects birds, poultry and wild birds like ducks, swans and geese. Most bird flu viruses can infect only birds but some can infect humans and pigs as well although such an incidence is rare. There exists a variety of bird flu viruses. Some cause mild symptoms in birds, while others give rise to more dangerous, quick-spreading and fatal ones.
Migratory birds like ducks, swans and geese can carry the bird flu virus in their intestines and spread it to other birds. Such 'vector' birds do not get sick from the virus, but the virus can kill those birds such as chickens and turkeys that get infected from such birds.
Bird flu is a highly contagious disease. It can spread from bird to bird through infected materials such as poop and saliva. It can also spread through infected dirt, surfaces and cages. What is more, it can spread from one poultry farm to the other through infected materials stuck on farm equipment or vehicles.
The H5N1 strain of virus cannot infect humans directly, but when it undergoes mutation it can.
This is the most dangerous aspect of bird flu. If such a situation arises, it can lead to a pandemic as has happened in the past.
Health authorities fear that bird flu, if it occurs on a pandemic scale, has the potential to kill billions of people. It may be noted that the common flu virus in humans is believed to have originated from a bird flu virus, but the virus is not so strong and fatal as the H5N1 strain.
People contract bird flu through contact with infected materials - faeces, saliva and other secretions - of the birds carrying the virus. The disease is also contracted through uncooked or underdone meat of the infected birds.
So doctors suggest that avian flesh such as poultry be cooked at least up to 70 degrees Celsius. This high temperature will destroy the virus and prevent the disease from being contracted.
The symptoms of bird flu include those typical of flu such as fever, cough, sore throat and myalgia. The symptoms could also be ocular infections, pneumonia, severe cough and respiratory complaints.
Birds occur in large numbers in the world. They are highly mobile. They tend to migrate from one country or continent to the other. Therefore, the possibility of spreading the bird flu virus is always great.
Human infection from bird flu has been confirmed in Asian and Middle East countries. However, three countries - Japan, Korea and Malaysia - have reportedly controlled the bird flu virus, and, as such, there is no virus in those countries.
Governments around the world are pulling out all the stops to contain bird flu. One of the effective measures being adopted is the avian cull. Millions of infected birds, especially poultry, have been culled across the world for the last few years in order to preclude the outbreaks of the disease from taking place. The other effective measure is to ban the import of birds, especially poultry, from countries known to have an incidence of the disease.
No vaccine has been developed against bird flu yet. However, scientists are working hard on the development of a vaccine. They believe that antiviral medicines may lessen the symptoms of the disease, reduce its fatality and, thus, stop it from spreading. They cannot, however, cure the disease. Bird flu viruses may develop resistance to drugs. As such, better and efficacious drugs need to be in place to fight the disease.
The main drug available today to fight bird flu is Tamiflu. It does not cure the disease but can reduce or allay its symptoms, thus, taking the edge off its severity. It should, however, be administered within 24 hours of the disease diagnosed. Otherwise, its effects will be slim.
Bird flu has become a worldwide concern so much so that the World Health Organisation is closely monitoring the disease across the world. The world body has embarked upon an emergency plan to contain the disease.
In Nepal, no bird flu case has been reported yet. But the country cannot be regarded as a safe haven given the porous borders it has with India, where the disease has been reported and the avian cull has been resorted to. A recent UNICEF study has revealed that in case bird flu enters Nepal in the absence of the usual preventive steps, the infection may intensify. The study was centred on developing habits to inform the concerned bodies of any manifestation of the disease arising from consumption of poultry or related products.
The study was conducted in Kathmandu, Jhapa and Chitwan among the poultry farmers/businessmen. The study has found that necessary alertness has not been adopted even if there is awareness of the disease and the methods to counter it.
A stitch in time
It would be judicious on the part of the government to take effective measures to stop bird flu from entering the country before it is too late.
And other concerned bodies and individuals, especially poultry farmers, should also exercise high alertness. After all, a stitch in time saves nine.
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