Monday, November 19, 2007

Don't ignore the threat of bird flu!

 

In the midst of all the commotion that is being created in the world today, yet another bolt of lightning has struck man kind recently. And this time, it has fallen straight from the sky. Thanks to our feathered friends, bird flu or avian influenza is slowly and steadily claiming human lives. According to statistics, bird flu has spread its wings all across the globe and is soaring fast, subtly preying on poultry and humans alike.

Though bird flu has not reached an epidemic level, it should not be shunned as a timely phenomenon. Everyday, across continents, people are falling victim to it and succumbing to death. Especially, in countries where there are no advance mechanisms and the resources to effectively counter the disease in case of an outbreak, the time to layout immediate action plans and precautionary measures is now.

There is no such thing as a 'possible threat' when millions of lives are at stake. Nobody knows for a fact whether the avian influenza virus is or is not a potential catastrophe waiting to unleash itself. Therefore, at this time, there is no room for complacency. No matter what the experts say, it is best to get into the defensive mode and do everything possible to fight back in this battle to stay alive.

The logic is simple. Why wait for something bad to happen and then get into the safety drive? Instead, why not start now and stay ahead of the threat? Hence, the only saving grace right now is vaccination and drugs like Tamiflu, which fortunately has the ability to control or even cure the raging flu that is hovering close.

It is an open canvas. And the catch is what you want the picture to be. It could either be a gory painting of death everywhere or a painting with happy smiling faces, as it should be. The choice is definitely yours and the truth, however blatant, is that there can only be one result when this is all over, you have either won or you have either lost the battle.

As a conclusion, let us believe that the bird flu is a deadly threat. Because if it is, it is not going to be pretty and the only thing protecting us from being infected would be our preparedness that instigated us to stack life saving drugs like Tamiflu. So, why take chances?

Hayley Stubbs an associated editor to eupharma.co.uk, is a contributing author to the http://www.eupharma.co.uk for distinct article sites/journals. Please feel free to visit http://www.eupharma.co.uk for more information on General Health related issues. Or write to him AT hayley.stubbs@gmail.com. Any comments and /or suggestions will be highly appreciated. Please note that this article is not a substitute for medical advice

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