Can You List Symptoms Of Bird Flu Pandemic?

Bird flu is creating a wide spread pandemic in the South East Asian countries. More so, the possibility of it being spread to other parts of the world cannot be neglected. The virus responsible for more than hundreds of deaths has been detected as the H5N1 virus, a subtype of Influenza-A virus. This has been the most deadly bird flu virus till date, since the bird flu generally doesn't attack human beings.

The reports of the symptoms of the avian flu have been submitted to WHO (World Health Organization) and CDC (Center Disease Control). They are similar to SARS but not completely similar. And the interesting fact is that the symptoms sometimes vary from person to person and its totally different in birds. The onset of the virus attack is mostly ignored. So You need to be extra cautious with it. For it never alarms before an outbreak. It's possible to reach any corner of the world since the migratory birds are main carriers of the pathogen.

Before the virus infests the humans, there is the possibility of it raging the poultry. If you observe any of the following symptoms among the poultry folks, there might be the possibility of the H5N1 virus being in action.

If the attack of the virus is less pathogenic then there will be no visible signs and the attack is not fatal enough. The high pathogenic attack has clear symptoms and is quite destructive:

1. Depression in some of the birds. 2. Cessation in laying eggs. 3. Loss of appetite and nervousness. 4. The combs and wattles turn blue in color due to altercation of blood circulation. 5. Coughing and frequent nasal discharge and diarrhea. 6. Sudden death of a number of them without any signs may also be the symptom of bird flu.

The reports based on the observations of the human beings attacked by bird flu have established that the human symptoms are somewhat similar to normal human flu but the impact is more rigorous. The symptoms of bird flu reported in humans are:

1) Sudden attack of suspicious coughing. Generally, we can trace why we catch a cold and cough when the reasons are like exposure to too much cold or taking lot of ice cream and alike. But, here it won't have such particular reason. 2) Mild fever prolonging for hours. 3) Having soreness of throat. 4) Gradual shift to pneumonia. 5) Feeling moderate or severe malaise and fatigue. 6) Muscle pain. 7) Sometimes, conjunctivitis may also occur. 8) Respiratory problems like difficulty in breathing. 9) Very frequent sneezing with lot of mucous coming out.

If you find some of these symptoms in you, don't waste time and visit a doctor, the sooner you start with the treatment, the faster you relieve! Don't break down if you have positive results. It's easy to treat. Thats why, be extra cautious of these symptoms.

To read more articles on bird flu, bird flu symptoms and bird flu vaccine visit http://www.isitbirdflu.com/

The author writes articles on different topics. To get more bird flu articles visit http://www.isitbirdflu.com/

Bird Flu Stocks - Is the Opportunity Real?

Everyone seems to be talking about the Avian Flu, otherwise known as the H5N1 virus. We believe the virus and danger is real, but are the investment opporunities for real?

Watching the public market clamor for "Bird Flu Stocks" reminds us of the "Internet Stock" bubble.

We challenge investors to carefully think about whether the bird flu is a great threat or just a great media story. With all the media coverage, would you be surprised to learn that in the entire world, the virus has only infected a total of 194 people and killed a total of 110 people?

The current strain of the virus is not spread among humans. Every person previously infected with the virus had direct contact with sick birds (mainly chickens). However, experts seem to agree that if the virus mutates into a contagious form, it is possible that it will kill millions of people.

Big problems always present tremendous investment opportunities. Investors in companies who develop the products and services that truly solve any large problem can make millions. In anticipation of large profits, it should come as no surprise that many investors have driven the market value of "bird flu stocks" to very high levels. The combined market value of these stocks now exceeds several billion dollars. Investors are assuming these companies will generate large profits.

Well, what if investors are wrong? What if the fancy solutions being touted by many of the bird flu stocks are not as important as we are led to believe?

Recently, a company in England announced that initial tests prove that a simple hand spray (which is already sold in major department stores) is more than 99.8% efficient in killing H5N1. The product was originally developed several years ago to prevent the spread of certain germs and is entirely safe for use by humans.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, avoiding close contact with others, covering your mouth and nose, cleaning your hands and avoiding to touch your eyes, nose or mouth - are the primary ways to prevent getting germs.

When you take a step back from all the hype, the reality is that simply wearing a medical mask and washing hands frequently, will virtually assure that a person will not get infected.

Sometimes, the simple answers provide the best solutions. If medical masks and soap are the most effective defense, what becomes of all these "bird flu stocks"?

Joel Arberman is the Managing Member of Stock Aware, LLC. We publish a free investment research and analysis newsletter and offer investor awareness services. Learn more at www.StockAware.com

Bird Flu: The Threat of Animal to Human Transmission

When bird flu hit most Asian countries, it prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to urge China to test its wild birds, particularly geese that migrate from its waters during the harsh winter. The disease spread so fast from one bird to another that about 5,000 birds were killed in one season. People who have close or direct contact to infected poultry can contract the disease after coming in contact with bird secretions or feces.

Although many are divided on the possibility of direct human to human transmission of the virus, this possibility has not been ruled out. Viruses, in general, are known to mutate. In the case of bird flu, family members infected with it may show different severity of symptoms, prompting a misdiagnosis. Also, if a person who has the common flu becomes infected with bird flu at the same time, it can lead to the mutation of the bird flu virus.

At the University of Leicester in Great Britain, it was discovered that a full-blown bird flu pandemic could cause an 80% mortality rate. A team led by Karl Nicholson is developing the bird flu vaccine with the goal of decreasing the fatality should a fourth major pandemic occur. In the last century, there have been three recorded major pandemics: the Spanish Flu in 1918, the Asian Flu in 1957 and the Hong Kong Flu in 1968. In total, the three pandemics claimed at least 20 million people.

The bird flu virus, which can be transmitted through direct contact with a bird's infected saliva, nasal secretions and feces, can survive for up to a week at 22 degrees Celsius. At freezing temperatures, the virus can survive indefinitely. It is no surprise that the bird flu virus tends to last in colder climates and is pronounced to be almost as deadly as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). In addition to the transmission of the disease from the migration of wild birds traveling great distances, the disease is also spread when contaminated birds are exported and imported in the international market.

In terms of safety in food handling and preparation, a cooking temperature of about 70 degrees Celsius is enough to kill the bird flu virus. It is important, however, to avoid raw birds and other raw markets meats from being contaminated. Cook eggs properly and check that the yolks are not runny. The simple act of washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling raw meats could spell the difference. Keep in mind that transmission of the bird flu virus to humans usually happens during the slaughtering process and handling of infected bird fluids. After slaughtering infected poultry, the virus typically stays in the intestinal and respiratory tracts, not in the meat itself. Cooking at right temperatures can help avoid the virus from spreading.

The symptoms of bird flu are very similar to human flu. However, the severity of a disease can sometimes give way to announcements of a pandemic, which can cause political issues. In Asia where the incidence and actual cases of human transmission of bird flu occurred, WHO and the United States immediately took precautionary measures. The British Medical Journal, on the other hand, declared that a pandemic is still far from happening.

No travel advisory has been issued restricting anyone from going to countries affected by bird flu although WHO has issued a warning to travelers. Travelers are advised against going to live poultry markets, getting close contact to any farms and having direct exposure to feathers, feces or droppings, eggs and poultry meat products. Travelers coming from afflicted countries are also not being screened. However, precautionary measures are in place, particularly in the media. Information is being disseminated in order to make people aware of the bird flu, its effects and what to do to avoid getting infected.

Viruses are constantly mutating and evolving. Health watchers, practitioners and scientists are concerned about this because if a pandemic occurs, there won't be enough time to prepare and develop a vaccine. They fear that we are once again on the brink of another major pandemic threat. However, with the strides being made by technology every day, hopefully the casualty won't be nearly as high as the casualty of the past three major pandemics that claimed at least 20 million lives worldwide.

Niall Cinneide publishes a news site, with reports and articles, about avian flu at http://www.bird-flu-alert.info

This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. All rights reserved.

Bird Flu: A Historical Perspective

Recent outbreaks have put avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu disease, at the center stage of the global health community. From relative anonymity, the disease acquired notoriety for itself when it claimed more than fifty human lives. The deaths from bird flu disease are relatively small when compared to the number of deaths from other diseases. However, the possibility of a global pandemic is serious enough that deaths caused by bird flu warrant a closer examination and alarm.

Another pandemic waiting to happen

Officials at the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the world is ripe for another influenza pandemic. An influenza pandemic occurs roughly every 30-40 years. The last influenza pandemic, which originated in Hong Kong in 1969, claimed 34,000 lives in the United States and even more in the Asian region. Although the viral subtype of the disease is still in circulation, the human body has already developed antibodies for it.

Historical precedence is not enough of a basis towards setting off global alarm bells. However, the patterns seen in the outbreaks point to the possibility of another influenza pandemic. There are an increasing number of cases wherein humans have been infected with the bird flu virus and the death toll from the disease is now more than 50.

One of the first signs of an impending pandemic is the crossing over of the disease from birds to humans. WHO is closely keeping its eye on the occurrence of a first case of human to human transmission of the bird flu virus. The human to human transmission of the disease will pose greater risks of infection to humans, which would effectively signal the start of a pandemic. To date, there are no recorded cases of bird flu being transmitted from an infected human to another.

To date, all human cases of bird flu were contracted by victims after having direct contact with infected animals and their secretions. However, the global health community is very much concerned because the bird flu virus mutates easily and is constantly evolving, and the first human to human transmission of the virus may just be around the corner.

Three global influenza pandemics: a brief history

Three major influenza pandemics have occurred: in 1918, 1957 and 1968. The first pandemic, the Spanish Flu of 1918-1919, had the highest mortality among the three pandemics. In less than a year, 20 to 40 million people died from the Spanish Flu, with over 50,000 lives claimed in the United States alone. Simultaneous outbreaks of the Spanish Flu were first detected in Europe and some parts of the United States. The infection spread to more areas through ships that traveled between the United States and Europe. Asia and Africa were eventually affected. The first wave of the pandemic was highly contagious although it was not deadly. The second wave, however, was deadly and occurred shortly in France, Sierra Leona and United States. It registered a ten-fold increase in mortality.

In 1957, a second pandemic occurred. Called the Asian Flu because it was first detected in Hong Kong and Singapore, it was much milder than the Spanish Flu, claiming between one and four million lives. When the second pandemic hit, the people were more prepared and knew what to expect. This was due largely to the world's experience with the first pandemic. The Asian Flu virus was soon isolated in Japanese and Singaporean laboratories. The findings helped the World Health Organization alert the world about the onset of a pandemic and vaccines were immediately produced and distributed.

The most recent influenza pandemic happened in 1968 and lasted for a year. Dubbed as the Hong Kong Flu, it was first detected in China and later spread to Hong Kong where it escalated at an alarming rate. Like the Asian Flu, the Hong Kong Flu claimed between one and four million lives. It reached Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, particularly California.

Niall Cinneide publishes a news site, with reports and articles, about bird flu at http://www.bird-flu-alert.info may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. Bird-Flu-Alert.info

Bird Flu Spreading Rapidly In Europe ? EU Nations Take Precautions

H5N1 bird flu struck another country today as Hungary became the latest European nation to discover the deadly disease in migrating swans. Over the past seven days, H5N1 has been in seven new countries; five of them being in Europe. The results of this rapid spread are causing European nations to take a variety of actions to protect both their poultry industry and their citizens.

Yesterday, Albania banned the importation of poultry products from any country that is known to have had occurrences of H5N1. At the same time, Germany has ordered that domestic poultry be confined to indoor pens as of February 17. Today, France also ordered that all domestic poultry be kept in indoor pens, where it can not be exposed to migratory wild birds.

As of last week, Bulgaria banned the hunting of wild birds by sportsmen. Bulgaria discovered H5N1 is several dead swans found in the wetlands of the Danube River.

The spread of H5N1 is having immediate economic consequences. In Italy, where the disease was discovered over the weekend, sales of chicken dropped by 50% in the three days following the government announcement that the disease was present in the country. Layoffs have already started to occur.

On the other hand, Ireland is reporting that due to H5N1 in other areas of Europe, high demand for Irish beef and lamb is actually forcing prices higher.

The economic impacts of a full scale bird flu pandemic should not be underestimated. The Australian government is releasing a study today which estimates the cost to global economy from a pandemic could be as high as $4.4 Trillion dollars. This is significantly higher than previous estimates by the World Bank, but even the Australian numbers may be conservative.

The study estimated that in a worst case scenario, there would be 142 million deaths worldwide. Some scientists believe that the actual death count could be significantly higher; with up to 1 Billion people dying. Undeveloped third world nations would be significantly harder hit than other areas of the world.

The Australian estimates were put together by Professor Warwick McKibbin, one of the world's leading economic modelers and a member of the Australian Reserve Bank board, and Dr Alexandra Sidorenko, a health expert at the Australian National University. According to their study, the overall world economy could shrink by as much as 12.6% and would lead to a global depression.

The study, in combination with the rapid spread of the disease, is disturbing. It has been 38 years since the last pandemic flu outbreak. Since the 19th century, pandemics have occurred at maximum intervals of 40 years. This means that we are due. All of the flu pandemics that have occurred in that time frame have originated from China and Southeast Asia. This is exactly the point of origination for H5N1. And while a number of pharmaceutical companies are working on, and testing bird flu vaccines, there is a growing body of evidence that these may be ineffectual.

The bottom line is that there may not be enough time left to head off a bird flu pandemic. This means that individuals and companies need to start making their own preparations to deal with the bird flu. Yesterday, Health and Human Services Secretary, Mike Leavitt told reporters that he has been hammering home a message to the states that they can expect little or no assistance from the federal government in the event of a pandemic. This means that we are probably all on our own.

Jim Malmberg is the founder of fluFactor, a blog that is tracking the progression of human avian flu infections. fluFactor can be found at http://flufactor.blogspot.com

Bird Flu Spreading Rapidly In Europe ? EU Nations Take Precautions

H5N1 bird flu struck another country today as Hungary became the latest European nation to discover the deadly disease in migrating swans. Over the past seven days, H5N1 has been in seven new countries; five of them being in Europe. The results of this rapid spread are causing European nations to take a variety of actions to protect both their poultry industry and their citizens.

Yesterday, Albania banned the importation of poultry products from any country that is known to have had occurrences of H5N1. At the same time, Germany has ordered that domestic poultry be confined to indoor pens as of February 17. Today, France also ordered that all domestic poultry be kept in indoor pens, where it can not be exposed to migratory wild birds.

As of last week, Bulgaria banned the hunting of wild birds by sportsmen. Bulgaria discovered H5N1 is several dead swans found in the wetlands of the Danube River.

The spread of H5N1 is having immediate economic consequences. In Italy, where the disease was discovered over the weekend, sales of chicken dropped by 50% in the three days following the government announcement that the disease was present in the country. Layoffs have already started to occur.

On the other hand, Ireland is reporting that due to H5N1 in other areas of Europe, high demand for Irish beef and lamb is actually forcing prices higher.

The economic impacts of a full scale bird flu pandemic should not be underestimated. The Australian government is releasing a study today which estimates the cost to global economy from a pandemic could be as high as $4.4 Trillion dollars. This is significantly higher than previous estimates by the World Bank, but even the Australian numbers may be conservative.

The study estimated that in a worst case scenario, there would be 142 million deaths worldwide. Some scientists believe that the actual death count could be significantly higher; with up to 1 Billion people dying. Undeveloped third world nations would be significantly harder hit than other areas of the world.

The Australian estimates were put together by Professor Warwick McKibbin, one of the world's leading economic modelers and a member of the Australian Reserve Bank board, and Dr Alexandra Sidorenko, a health expert at the Australian National University. According to their study, the overall world economy could shrink by as much as 12.6% and would lead to a global depression.

The study, in combination with the rapid spread of the disease, is disturbing. It has been 38 years since the last pandemic flu outbreak. Since the 19th century, pandemics have occurred at maximum intervals of 40 years. This means that we are due. All of the flu pandemics that have occurred in that time frame have originated from China and Southeast Asia. This is exactly the point of origination for H5N1. And while a number of pharmaceutical companies are working on, and testing bird flu vaccines, there is a growing body of evidence that these may be ineffectual.

The bottom line is that there may not be enough time left to head off a bird flu pandemic. This means that individuals and companies need to start making their own preparations to deal with the bird flu. Yesterday, Health and Human Services Secretary, Mike Leavitt told reporters that he has been hammering home a message to the states that they can expect little or no assistance from the federal government in the event of a pandemic. This means that we are probably all on our own.

Jim Malmberg is the founder of fluFactor, a blog that is tracking the progression of human avian flu infections. fluFactor can be found at http://flufactor.blogspot.com

Avian Influenza - Bird Flu FAQ

As more and more cases of bird flu are reported, the world faces an immediate threat of a deadly pandemic. Pandemics (Global Disease Outbreaks) are known to be like flash floods. They start abruptly, spread fast and cause a lot of damage all over the world.

A few facts that everyone should know:

What is Avian Influenza?

As the name suggests, avian influenza refers to the infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses. These viruses are commonly found in intestines of wild birds and these birds can carry the viruses without getting sick. However the viruses can be pathogenic to domesticated birds like chickens, ducks and turkeys. Domesticated birds become infected through exposure to other birds or through surfaces contaminated by secretions and faeces of the infected birds.

These viruses are classified as Low Pathogenicity and High Pathogenicity. Most strains of Avian Influenza come under Low Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (LPAI) Group and produce mild symptoms in the infected birds. Common symptoms are ruffled feathers, decreased food appetite, decreased egg production, sneezing and coughing. Many times LPAI may go undetected.

High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) has more severe symptoms which include sudden death, loss of energy and appetite, decreased egg production, respiratory problems, facial oedema (swelling), poorly formed eggs and diarrhoea. HPAI can reach a mortality rate of nearly 100%.

What Is H5N1 strain of Bird Flu?

All flu viruses are classified as type A, B or C depending on their structural arrangement. Type A is responsible for lethal pandemics and is found in both animals and humans. Type B causes local outbreaks of flu. Type C is the most stable of the three and infected people show only mild symptoms of flu. Type B and C are usually found only in humans. Type B and C are more stable than type A and are not classified according to their subtypes.

Influenza viruses of type A are divided into subtypes and the naming is done on the basis of two proteins (antigens) found on their surface - Hemagglutinin (HA) and Neuraminidase (NA). Sixteen types of HA and nine types of NA exist. Thus a total 144 combinations are possible.

Thus H5N1 is a type A virus and gets its name from HA 5 protein and NA 1 protein present on its surface.

How Do Type A Viruses Cause A Pandemic?

Type A viruses are further classified into strains. These strains can continuously evolve into different strains. Their ability to exchange genetic material with other viruses and create new influenza viruses makes them unpredictable and difficult to fight with. Humans have to develop new immunity (antibodies) every time new strains are created.

Viruses cannot repair genetic damage, small changes known as "Antigen Drift", are continuously creating new strains of viruses. However when genetic material from Type A viruses from different species - say a bird and a human, comes together and merges, an entirely new strain is created. This is known as "Antigen Shift" Humans have no immunity to such a strain and the strain can spread rapidly causing a Pandemic.

How Is The Virus Transmitted To Humans From Birds?

Usually Avian Influenza viruses do not infect humans. Migratory birds act as carriers of these viruses and do not get affected by them. These birds then come in contact with domesticated birds such as chickens and turkeys and spread the infection to them. Domesticated birds may get the virus from contact with contaminated surfaces too. Once a virus infects domesticated birds, it can cause severe epidemic among the birds. Humans come in contact with infected birds or contaminated surfaces and pick up the virus.

In the human body, this avian flu virus then undergoes an antigenic shift, combines with genetic material of a human strain of influenza virus and creates an entirely new strain of virus against which humans have little or no immunity. These genetic reassortments may also take place is the body of a third species (susceptible to both avian and human viruses) like the pig, where an avian influenza A virus and human influenza virus mix their genetic information and produce a new virus which might be able to infect humans.

Why is H5N1 dangerous?

The first reported cases of H5N1 infections were detected in geese in 1997 in Southern China. A total of 18 human infections were reported and six of them succumbed to it. The infection spread quickly to poultry in Hong Kong. At that time a million and half chickens were culled in Hong Kong to keep the virus under control. The virus disappeared for a few years, but resurfaced in 2002 in Hong Kong again. Since then it has killed millions of birds in Asia and many cases of human infections have been reported.

The persistence of this H5N1 strain of virus is a great concern for humans. Although the virus does not spread from birds to humans easily, the severity of the infection of H5N1 in humans is frightening. The virus has killed every second person infected by it. These cases were reported in perfectly healthy individuals who had no past history of infections. However the greater concern for the world is the POSSIBILITY THAT THE VIRUS MAY MUTATE (UNDERGO ANTIGENIC SHIFT) AND CREATE A FORM THAT MAY SPREAD FROM HUMAN TO HUMAN. Such a strain of virus may result in a pandemic, killing millions of people worldwide.

Is Consumption Of Poultry Birds Safe?

Yes, it is safe to consume THOROUGHLY COOKED poultry products. The H5N1 virus is sensitive to heat and gets destroyed by normal cooking temperatures of 70- 100 degree Celsius. If meat from poultry birds and eggs are cooked properly, the virus will be destroyed. Just make sure that no part of the meat remains raw or uncooked.

How Big Is The Risk Of A Pandemic Breaking Out?

The world had to face a Bird Flu Pandemic, thrice in the twentieth century. In 1918-1919, "Spanish Flu" killed anywhere between 20 million to 50 million people (exact figures not known), including half a million in the United States alone. The "Asian flu" in 1957-58 killed 70,000 in the United States and in 1968-1969, the "Hong Kong flu" killed 34,000 in the USA.

Currently the risk of H5N1 strain leading to a Pandemic is high. The virus is spreading fast to new areas and the efforts made to curtail it have proved inadequate.

Domestic ducks have now become a "reservoir" for the virus. They are acting like a carrier for the virus - their bodies carry the virus without showing signs of any infection. Infected ducks then release large quantities of the virus in pathogenic form in their excretions spreading the virus to other birds or humans. This has made detection of the virus difficult especially in rural areas.

According to health experts, the virus has already met the first two prerequisites for starting a pandemic. First it has attained a form, for which humans have no inbuilt immunity; and second, it has proved pathogenic enough to cause serious illness and death in humans.

The present risk of a pandemic is very high. The only factor that has prevented a pandemic so far is that the virus has not mutated into a form that would allow it to transmit efficiently from one human to another. Once such a genetic change takes place for the virus, a pandemic will be inevitable. The first signs of such a reassortment will be presence of the clusters of patients with flu symptoms, closely related - both in time and space. This would be a clear indication of virus having the ability to transmit from human-to-human.

Currently no vaccine has been developed for fighting H5N1 strain. Simultaneous work is being done in many countries for developing a vaccine, but no success has been achieved. The exact virus that may cause the pandemic cannot be predetermined. Thus mass production of vaccine before the pandemic starts is ruled out. The worldwide manufacturing capacity is inadequate to match the sudden demand surge during a pandemic. The best that scientists can do is to carry out a study and determine the smallest amount of antigen per dose that will provide sufficient protection and thus maximise the number of vaccines produced.

What Are The Precautions Necessary To Prevent A Pandemic?

The logical first step is to control the disease from spreading among birds, but this seems a difficult task now. Bird Flu has become a bird epidemic in many parts of Asia and is spreading fast.

The Next step is to prevent the disease from getting passed on to humans. People who come in close contact with birds (like poultry farmers) are advised to keep a close watch on the health of birds, notify any sort of sickness in birds to the health authorities and avoid direct contact with sick birds in all cases. (Ducks have become a reservoir for the virus and may not exhibit signs of sickness even if they are carrying the virus.)

In case the flu becomes a pandemic, most countries of the world will be affected. In such a scenario, the best preventive measures would be personal hygiene, avoiding crowded places and staying away from raw meat and eggs.

A flu shot does not prevent bird flu, but it can protect a person from other forms of flu and avoid complications. Persons above 65 years of age, children, health services workers, people with chronic respiratory disorders, travellers to flu affected countries and pregnant women may consult a doctor regarding flu vaccination.

What Are The Symptoms In Humans and Treatment Options For Bird Flu?

A person infected by bird flu may have all symptoms of common flu like fever, persistent cough, sore throat and body ache. Moreover, there is a high risk of complications such as pneumonia, bronchitis, eye and ear infections and severe breathing problems.

Presently four drugs are used to combat influenza.

The most effective drugs known for seasonal flu are Oseltamivir (commercial name Tamiflu) and Zanamavir (Commercial name Relenza). Both of these are known to reduce severity and duration of seasonal flu, but they may prove ineffective if the virus is allowed to stay in the body for too long. Health professionals advise that TREATMENT OF FLU WITH THESE DRUGS SHOULD START WITHIN 48 HOURS OF FIRST APPEARANCE FLU SYMPTOMS.

Oseltamivir and Zanamavir fall in the Neuraminidase inhibitors class. The surface protein Neuraminidase breaks bonds between new viruses and infected cells. By blocking the activity of Neuraminidase, these two drugs prevent the new viruses from being released.

Another class of drugs - the M2 inhibitors is also available, but viruses develop resistance to these drugs quickly and thus these drugs may prove ineffective in controlling pandemics. Amantadine and Rimantadine are two drugs from this class. These drugs inhibit the activity of M2 protein, which forms a channel in membranes of viruses and thereby preventing the viruses from replicating.

One should consult a doctor before taking any of these drugs as THESE DRUGS ARE KNOWN TO HAVE SIDE EFFECTS IN SOME CASES. For example, Zanamavir is not recommended to people having chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma.

(This article was written on 25th January 2006 and may not contain developments that took place after this date.)

Sachin A. is a Freelance Writer and specializes in articles that require extensive research. Check out his work at http://www.rightarticle.com

How The Bird Flu Virus Lives And Spreads

Bird flu is a serious and dangerous virus. With so much controversy over this deadly disease, it is a good idea to have some kind of idea what you are up against. Knowing how the virus lives and spreads makes it easier to protect yourself from infection.

First, it should be understood that bird flu is much like the other strains of influenza. Like the flu that goes around every year, bird flu is transmitted from the exchange of the virus through droplets of saliva, mucus, or other excretions. However, bird flu is not transmitted from human contact, but through the handling or ingestion of infected poultry. It is more common for people to be impacted by bird flu that handle birds for agricultural purposes or eat infected fowl that is not properly handled.

The virus lives within poultry and survives in the feces of the animal for several days, if not weeks. Therefore, regular contact with birds, especially in dense populations, increases the possibility of contracting the disease. To avoid infection, limit contact with potentially dangerous poultry.

It should also be clear that this particular virus was not always a threat to humans. Prior to 1997, there were no known cases of H5N1, the deadly strain of bird flu, infecting humans. Since the virus first came to pass in the early 1900's, it has mutated and transformed into a different form. This mutation is vital to the ongoing vitality of influenza and is the primary source for the concern surrounding H5N1. The virus continually manipulates itself to bypass treatment techniques and survive in varying environments.

Once the virus is transmitted to a person, it is incredibly interesting what takes place. There are two factors within the immune system that contribute to the devastation of the virus. First, the virus causes an exaggerated response in cytokines, hormones that regulate the immune system. This increase makes the immune system unstable and actually has a negative effect on the body itself, as well as making fighting infection difficult. Secondly, other aspects of the immune system are suppressed, allowing the virus to run rampant within the body.

Since the virus is not bacterial in nature, antibiotics are ineffective in treating the disease. In many illnesses, antibiotics are administered, which suppress the immune system and fight the infection; however, this is not an option due to the nature of bird flu; therefore, the most effective treatment is prevention.

Sarah is an acclaimed writer on medical matters, and has written extensively on the subjects of Attention Deficit Disorder, Bird Flu and Cohn's Disease. For more of her articles, go to http://www.imedicalvillage.com now.