Bird Flu Vaccine is Almost Ready to Go on the Market

A spokesman of World Health Organization announced that scientists have finally created a possible effective flu vaccine.

Clinical tests have been carried out with a flu vaccine made by Sanofi Pasteur. The conclusions were that there are needed two shots of the vaccine, administered four weeks apart, to immunize at least 50% of human organisms.

The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony S. Fauci declared to be very enthusiastic about the new vaccine and its immunizing properties, also saying that he considers the tests to be a key step in the world's attempt to stop a possible global pandemic.

Currently the US government stockpiled only four million doses of the H5N1 vaccine, but this quantity is not enough to cover up all the people in case a pandemic starts.

A solution for stretching vaccine stores are administering along with the vaccine an immunity boosting substance (an adjuvant), and so, this will reduce the amount of the vaccine needed for immunizing the human body, and will improve the vaccine's effects.

Now, there are made clinical tests with adjuvant substances to see how the immune response to the vaccine is.

John Treanor, MD, director of the vaccine and treatment evaluation unit at the University of Rochester in New York, said that when it was discovered that it will be needed a higher dose of H5N1 vaccine to stimulate the wanted immunity, than a regular flu shot no one was taken by surprise, scientists suspecting this when first testing the vaccine.

The high-dose of bird flu vaccine stimulated a kind of antibody response that was known to have protected people in 1997 during an outbreak of H5N1 virus in Hong Kong.

Scientists do not know whether this vaccine will be effective in case of a human to human transmission of the virus and they are not willing to expose any study volunteers to potentially lethal bird flu.

In the process of developing much faster new bird flu vaccines, the US government is supporting the producers to move from growing vaccine virus in chicken eggs, to faster cell-culture techniques.

It is very important that producers accelerate the manufacture of new vaccines, because the H5N1 virus is fast mutating to more aggressive forms that might cause a human pandemic.

One good news is the governments are considering stockpiling H5N1 vaccine and that scientists are ready to create new improved vaccines in case of a development of the virus.

So, if you want to find out more about bird flu vaccine or even about asian bird flu please click this link http://www.bird-flu-info-center.com/

Is There Any Vaccination For Fighting Bird Flu

The outbreak of the pandemic flu in the South East Asian countries created a wave of terror through out the world. There were evidences of the bird flu being spread to West and infecting some of the African countries. The possibility of a strike in the western world cannot be neglected since the pathogens or viruses of the bird flu are carried by the migratory birds.

The death of people in certain countries has raised an alarm about the incompetence of science and technology to create a vaccination for bird flu.

The preparation of the bird flu vaccine is not an easy task. The most important fact is that a vaccine for a virus cannot be prepared beforehand since the strain of the virus is not known till it attacks.

The bird flu viruses go on mutating through antigenic shift or drift. The mutation cannot be traced to find out what form it is taking. So, the scientists cannot prepare the vaccine before a pandemic occurs.

Thus, there lies the problem in formulating a vaccination for bird flu. The world is totally unaware of the kind of virus that is going to infest the humankind. Next problem in the line is, the preparation of the vaccination will take a long time after the outbreak. That is, it will take almost six months to prepare a vaccine and a year for its mass distribution.

At present, prototypes of the H5N1 virus vaccination have been prepared by the scientist which are able to provide some kind of protection to the body. The prototype vaccine is not a complete protection against the bird flu. All the health organizations of different countries are still working on it and China has claimed that they have prepared two types of vaccines for the H5N1 bird flu virus.

The vaccination can produce high accentuated antibodies in the immune system that can target the H5N1 virus and remain longer in the immune system. The WHO has acclaimed this effort and will provide China with a prototype vaccine for humans, for developing a more effective vaccine.

It's a good news that vaccines are soon going to be available for the deadly H5N1 virus which is the present threat to the world. The CDC and WHO are providing instruction to the Health Departments of the countries throughout the world to teach people how to prevent the infection of the bird flu.

There are some antiviral medicines like Tami flu, Relenza, and alike that can be taken to reduce the intensity of the attack and help the immune system of your body to fight.

Let's hope for better that the vaccines are made available, as soon as possible. Maintain personal hygiene for preventing the virus, because it cannot attack you if you are clean and healthy to beat it.

To get more information on bird flu, bird flu virus and bird flu vaccine visit www.isitbirdflu.com

Impact Of A Bird Flu Pandemic Hits Home

If the avian flu virus mutates so that the disease can be transmitted from one human to another, we will face a pandemic with the potential to kill a billion people worldwide. It is important for people to educate themselves, their family and their neighbors about bird flu and the concrete steps they can take now can to lessen the spread of the disease.

Waiting to prepare for a pandemic is like waiting for a category five hurricane to come ashore before racing to the lumber yard for plywood. A pandemic is even more dangerous than a localized natural disaster because a virus can be transported by airplane to virtually anywhere in the world within a matter of days.

Pandemic preparation has two integral components. First, you should have a basic 3 day emergency kit, just as you would for an earthquake, storm, hurricane, or other disaster. The only difference in preparing for a pandemic is that you should extend the level of preparation to last much longer. The flu lasts approximately two weeks, but it can conservatively take 6-8 weeks for it to go through a population. During this time you will need to be prepared for disruption of services just as with other large scale emergencies.

Second, is the preparation for "infection control," it involves hygiene and barriers to contamination. Hygiene includes hand washing, covering sneezes and coughs, and daily disinfection of surfaces such as doorknobs, keyboards, and faucets. The "barrier method" of infection control requires that sick individuals be isolated and that others wear protective clothing. Only by wearing the appropriate quality masks, gloves, and goggles can the flu virus be prevented from entering through the mucosal membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Dr. Fenstersheib, the Public Health Officer for Santa Clara County, California, predicted that in the event of a pandemic, 25-35% of the population would become ill. He said, "With the burden this will place on the healthcare system and the government infrastructure, it is clear that each individual and family in our community must take on the responsibility to be prepared to care for sick family members during a pandemic. With proper supplies and instruction, home preparedness will go a long way to lessen illness and save lives."

Tracy Ferea, Ph.D. is a published scientist whose research at Stanford University focused on the evolution of microbial genomes. She writes for BirdFluSmart.com to increase the general publics understanding of the risk of a bird flu pandemic. Bird Flu Smart's mission is to prepare the public for a pandemic by providing both information and products, that increase preparedness.

Are We Ready For Next Asia Bird Flu?

The global health community is simmering in discontent. They are in a dilemma. They are unable to find a proper medication for a simple disease like bird flu. They crossed the moon. They intend to beat the stars. But the simple-looking disease, the bird-flu is causing them much concern. The survival chances of a person afflicted with this disease are less than 50%.

Next to terrorists, it is the hotly debated and discussed topic in the USA administration. There is a rare unanimity among the contending forces world over as to the damaging consequences this pandemic is likely to cause. In the Asian continent, about ten countries have experienced the bitter results of the attack of this disease in minor and major proportions.

From the position of anonymity, it is assuming a status of world importance. The deaths due to the attack of this disease have been relatively small so far. But the coming events, they say cast the shadows before.

Even the apolitical officials of the World Health Organization are the greatly worried. It is estimated by them that the world has to go through the bad influence of pandemic flu once in 30-40 years and the time is ripe now.

They are aware that something tangible needs to be done but how to do it and what to do, they are not aware about.

Many Asian countries including China and India have had the initial taste of the bird flu. Hong Kong had a few deaths on account of this bird flu but they answered it by culling the bird population ruthlessly. The last influenza pandemic that originated in Hong Kong in 1969 took the toll of 34,000 lives in the United States. In the Asian Region, this influenza did the worst job.

The viral sub type of the disease is still in circulation. The most recent beating influenza pandemics wave was felt in 1968 and its influence continued unabated for over a year. It is known as Hong Kong Flu and it was initially detected in China. It worked with full fury in Hong Kong. Put together, it claimed between one to four million lives. It then reached Canada, United Kingdom and United States, particularly California.

The nature, movements and the working of this virus is mysterious. So far, human beings suffered on account of the direct contact with the infected animals and their secretion. But the virus evolves constantly and mutates to inflict punishments on the birds, animals and human beings from different types of attacks.

So, where lies the solution? No one knows for certain. It is darkness of the cave!

Many Bird Flu articles are available at Asia Bird Flu & http://www.isitbirdflu.com/

Many Bird Flu articles are available at http://www.isitbirdflu.com/ for Asia Bird Flu.

Bird Flu Explained

Bird Flu or more correctly, avian flu, is much in the news and causing a lot of anxiety. Many people are worried that they may get it, and the papers are full of horror scenarios.

There are over 100 strains of avian flu, but most of them do not infect humans. The current strain H5N1 can infect humans, but not easily. The number of cases of avian flu in humans in the current outbreak is very small, and almost all have come about by direct contact with infected or dead birds ? something that most of us are unlikely to experience. So far, the spread of H5N1 virus from person-to-person has been rare and has not continued beyond one person. In fact according to The Times (London, 23rd March 2006) only 184 confirmed cases have been reported worldwide so far from this strain, with 103 deaths. These have been in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and most recently, several cases in Turkey.

What the authorities are much more concerned about is the strain mutating into a variation that can be transmitted between human beings, rather than just from bird to human. This has been designated as influenza A/H5N1. Humans do not have any resistance to this strain, because these viruses do not commonly infect humans. If a strain developed that could infect the human population, a pandemic would be likely with many people being infected and dying. The 1918 ?Spanish flu? is estimated to have killed 50 million people worldwide. At least four of the eight genes of H5N1 avian flu now contain mutations seen in that deadly strain.

Jeffery K. Taubenberger, a molecular pathologist at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Rockville, USA has said:

"These H5N1 viruses might be acquiring the ability to adapt to humans, increasing their pandemic risk ... there is a suggestion there may be some parallel evolution going on."

Scientists still do not understand completely how a bird virus becomes a human virus, but H5N1 is already showing some of the mutations necessary for it to become a human flu, but at the moment, in spite off all the panic, there is no pandemic flu strain.

Research in the Netherlands and the USA has shown that while human influenza viruses are able to bind with receptors in the windpipe, H5N1 binds only much deeper inside the lungs. This makes it more difficult for the virus to infect humans, because the virus is less likely to reach the inner lungs than the windpipe. The H5N1 virus is also less likely to spread from human to human. Coughing and sneezing easily transmits viruses that have multiplied in the windpipe, but not those located deep in the lungs. If H5N1 manages to mutate so that it can replicate in the upper respiratory tract, a pandemic becomes more likely. Scientists are constantly monitoring the virus for this mutation.

So should we be concerned? There have been many scares over the years that have not come to anything, and this could turn out to be one of those too, but it is worth taking some sensible precautions rather than just relying on the scientists to find a powerful enough solution. Having a strong immune system has to be the first line of defence. Eating a good diet, taking exercise, getting plenty of sleep, and reducing stress can all lead to a stronger immune system that can fight more effectively against the bugs of this world and any dangerous mutations.

References:
Daily News Central: Bird Flu on Similar Evolutionary Path as 1918 Killer Virus

Centers For Disease Control & Prevention: Key Facts About Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) and Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus

The Times (London) 21 January 2006 and 23 March 2006

The Guardian (London) 1 March 2006

Jane Thurnell-Read delights in making information on health more understandable and accessible. Visit her web site http://www.healthandgoodness.com for more ideas and information.

Get Ready for a Bird Flu Pandemic

Health experts worldwide are concerned the bird flu virus at present affecting mainly birds could change so as to pass from humans to humans, then quickly spread globally. Millions of people would become ill, some seriously so - including health professionals we look to for help.

So far there have been well over 100 cases of human infection from the H5N1 virus in birds, many of whom have died. No instance of infection from human to human has yet been proved. There are pessimists around saying there's nothing we can do if a pandemic starts. These sentiments should be ignored because there are practical steps we can take right now to ready ourselves should a pandemic eventuate. So what can we do?

1. Learn what you can about the virus and what effect it may have on those who catch it. This would include ordinary influenza-like symptoms - sore throat, fever, muscle pains, cough, sweating, lassitude. There could be progression into acute respiratory failure in some people which would be fatal in a high percentage with this complication.

2.Prepare an Emergency Supply Kit. This is similar to kits people already have in some parts of the world in readiness for disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes and floods. A kit for a flu pandemic should contain:
(a)Enough tinned food/dried food to last 2-3 weeks, because it would be wise for many of us to isolate ourselves and our families for that length of time.
(b)Paracetamol. A generous supply of face masks and tissues. Plastic bags for used tissues and face masks. (Antiviral Tamiflu & Antibiotics - watch expiry dates).
(c)Radio and torch with spare batteries in case of power cuts.
(d)Activities such as - games, magazines, books, sports equipment.

3.Planning to Cope in a Pandemic.
(a) Hygiene. Wash hands frequently for half a minute before preparing or eating food, after caring for a sick person or blowing your nose, or wiping the nose of a child. Used tissues and face masks should be disposed of immediately and put into a plastic bag. Keep a distance of at least one arm's length from a sick peson if possible, Both patient and carer should be wearing a face mask.
(b) How might you help a relative or neighbour living on their own?
(c) To whom would you call for help should you yourself become sick?
(d) How would your business cope if you were home for three or four weeks? Do you have insurance cover?
(e) What precautions would you take if you had to go out in public - if you needed to buy necessities, or if you are a health worker for example.

It is not known for certain if the avian bird flu virus will mutate so as to spread from human to human, but at least we can prepare ourselves should it become an eventuality.

 Retired Medical Practioner who is trying to raise funds for TEAR Fund on his website - e-BookWorld.Biz. He is not finding it as easy to raise a buck as some hyper-enthusiasts claim!

Bird Flu - Are You Ready For The Outbreak?

 

The Bird Flu or Avian Flu is creating panick in the world! Here's all the Bird Flu info you need to decide for yourself!

Bird Flu is caused by Avian flu viruses which naturally occur in birds. Birds in the wild, all over the world, carry the virus in their intestines, although they rarely become ill from it.

The Bird Flu however, is very contagious among birds and can spread to domesticated birds such as ducks & chickens and kill them. The Bird Flu is transmitted though saliva, nasal secretions and feces. Usually the Bird Flu is only transmitted from bird to bird, but cases have now been widely reported since 1997 of the flu being transmitted from bird to human, with cases reported of human to human transmission, although the virus has not infected more than one person in those cases. Bird Flu viruses are always changing, and over time may develop into a strain that can be transmitted from human to human to human, in which case we would be faced with a global pandemic of devastating proportions.

Symptoms of Bird Flu in humans can be anywhere from norman flu-like symptoms such as sore throat, cough, fever & muscle aches, to respiratory diseases such as acute respiratory distress, eye infections, pneumonia and other severe life-threatening complications.

As of January, 2006, cases of the Bird Flu in humans have been reported in several countries including China, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, with several cases in Turkey in recent months. Over 140 cases have been reported by the WHO since 2004. Most of the people infected had been in close contact with birds that were infected with the Bird Flu.

Scientists are not able to predict if or when a Bird Flu pandemic will occur, but have been keeping a close eye on the virus in Asia and Europe and are preparing for the worst possible scenario.

If you need more information on the Bird Flu, treatment for the flu with Tamiflu, or where to Buy Tamiflu we have supplied plenty of information links that can help you answer your questions about the Bird Flu.

Writer, author, publisher, Charles Dumont has always written mostly on current affairs and day to day issues affecting human kind. Lately he's been very passionate due to the launch of his Avian Bird Flu blog. http://avian-bird-flu-crisis.blogspot.com

What Is It All About With The Bird Flu?

The humanity is always being challenged yearly. What good is a year if there has been no major threat to our humanity? It may be quite evil to say, but that?s reality. Every year, there are lots and lots of people who die from diseases, natural calamities or terrorist acts.

It is a quite a scare to consider that one day, it might be us who will be the next victims.

The current scare that is making officials all over the world S%$T their pants out is the H5N1 strain. The H5N1 is a strain of bird flu virus that has been found to be very deadly. It has been considered to be deadly because of the rate it has been transferring from one bird to the other.

The scaring thing about it is that once the birds show symptoms of the disease. They have only a few days to live. The virus also spreads rapidly, sometimes spreading the virus to other flocks in just a matter of days.

Another scary thing about it is that a flu virus tends to mutate. If it does mutate and joins with a human flu virus it can be considered deadly for our species. So far the people who have been affected did not contact the disease from other people. They got the disease because they were unhygienic in handling domesticated birds that are infected.

However, recent developments have now got more people scared. The evens in Turkey should be observed more carefully. This is because in the span of only a week, 15 people were infected. Some may think that the virus has now mutated.

If it has now mutated, we have bigger problems than Saddam Hussein. Currently we only have tamiflu to fight it with. Tamiflu is just an antiviral drug that prevents new virus from emerging out of the infected ones. Some experts even claim that Tamiflu does not help. If it does help, there is just nit enough to give to the whole world either.

The problem with the companies being hesitant to produce the tamiflu or any other vaccine for bird flu for that matter; is because they are afraid the threat becomes bust and they might waste a whole lot of money.

The H5N1 strain is really becoming the stuff only movie producers think about. It?s like the movie Outbreak. However, in real life the threat is bigger and we face a scarier situation when we just laugh about it. Thinking like it?s just Colonel Sander?s Big Joke.

The best thing we have to do is just remember to live a healthier and hygienic lifestyle. Because as always prevention has always been the best answer of humanity to any threat that looms.

Michael Colucci is a technical writer for http://www.bird-flu-facts.org - A free site that offers facts on the history, prevention, vaccines and more on the Bird Flu Virus.

Bird Flu Pandemic Planning for Faith Based and Non-Profit Organizations

How would a bird flu pandemic affect your faith-based or non-profit organization? Currently avian influenza has been mainly in Asia but it is spreading rapidly to other countries. Worldwide about 165 people have become ill (mainly from close contact with infected poultry) and about 88 have died. At this time bird flu is not passed from human to human but scientists fear it will mutate into a form or mix with normal influenza viruses that will allow it to pass easily from person to person. When that happens the chance of a world pandemic will greatly increase with catastrophic results. It may not happen in the near future but health experts say it will happen and it is only a matter of time.

A bird flu pandemic lasting a year could cost the global economy $800 billion dollars, leave millions around the world ill and kill anywhere from 5 million to 500 million people world wide. It would have a huge impact on your organization, your members and the community you serve.

It is estimated that 30-60% of the work force would be out sick. People could be housebound under quarantines for months at a time. Public gatherings such as worship services would be reduced or eliminated all together to help prevent the spread of bird flu. How would you continue to serve your members? As with any organization, you need to be aware of the risks and have a 'worst-case scenario" contingency plan in place before you actually need it.

Some of the questions you may need to start asking are:

How would you continue to offer services without contributing to the spread of bird flu? Worship services may need to be reduced or eliminated for several months. Weekly group meetings including bible studies, boy scouts, etc. would also need to be eliminated.

How would you handle a loss of contributions when members are at home sick and not working? How long could your organization last without income?

How would you continue to communicate with your members? What type of communication network between members and staff could you set up?

How would you handle your community outreach programs, such as meals on wheels and other programs where you are dealing with many people? Members of the community, who are elderly, vision impaired, wheelchair bound and those already homebound, would need someone to continue checking on them and help them if they become ill. Members of society who are slipping through the cracks now may be the hardest hit. The need for services could become overwhelming.

Members will be undergoing tremendous stress in relation to illness, loss of work and income, family members illness, being housebound ("cabin fever"), and death. The services you can offer may be stretched to the limit.

There could be food and water shortages, utility outages and social unrest. Members who were not prepared before hand would need help with their daily needs.

There would be an increase in people dying. How would you handle the additional services? How would you administer to those dying at home?

What about key employees? Who can fill in if they are out sick? Can you call upon additional volunteers? How would a bird flu pandemic impact your overseas mission work?

What other community services are you offering that may be affected? Daycare centers along with schools would probably be closed. You may need to open your doors to shelter the sick or take care of the homeless. You may need to help your community with social services that are no longer available.

During a pandemic, everyone's faith, resilience and core beliefs will be put to the test. Your best defense is to stay informed and updated, keep your members informed about the bird flu and by starting to plan now for a possible bird flu pandemic, you will be in a better position to continue to offer your members the services they require and the answers they need.

To stay up to date on avian influenza, bird flu and the h5n1 virus visit The Bird Flu Index http://www.birdfluindex.com Find links to bird flu websites, official medical and government sites and full information about how the bird flu could turn into a global influenza pandemic. Search through the article archive for the latest bird flu articles. For the latest bird flu news visit The Pandemic Zone http://pandemiczone.blogspot.com

Why We Should Be Worried About The Bird Flu

Is the Bird Flu Virus for real? Or is it something the media has blown up once again. Does the bird flu virus really possess a threat to us humans?

The bird flu virus is the current virus that has been scaring people away from eating at KFC. People might think that the bird flu virus might cause them to die.

What the media is doing, is only trying to scare a lot of people from the bird flu virus. This is maybe because of the pandemic that we have experienced before from other flu that have killed millions.

The most famous of all the flu is the pandemic that happened during 1918-19. The Spanish flu killed more people than World War 1. 500 million became ill of this virus and around 40 million died.

That's why for every new flu virus that's been arising, people get worried right away. Scientist will try to prevent viruses from getting a lot worse like the 1918-19 pandemic. The media on the other hand serves to inform the people of the potential threat.

Another thing to worry about is that 36,000 people die everyday of ordinary influenza virus in the United States alone. Can you imagine how much worse a pandemic can cause?

Also every 3 to 4 times in a century there will always be a chance that a flu pandemic may hit. What if the bird flu virus is already among them? That's why people form the media and scientist grow deeply worried.

The flu can basically achieve these things because it has the ability to mutate. It can change quickly and outwit the vaccines that have been created for previous flu strains. Then they take the immune system by storm.

The flu can also grab the genetic material of other viruses and also jump from one species to another. There are times where the transfer needs to be done via an intermediary. Such as the West Nile Fever, this needs a mosquito to be transferred.

The viruses that have transferred from animals to people are not something new. This has been happening since the 1980's. The new virus that ahs been scaring people of that comes from animals is the bird flu.

Bird flu's symptoms usually start out quite simple and the infected person might think that it's just an ordinary flu. The infected person will experience muscle aches, sore throats, colds and cough. However, it may lead to the immediate death of the infected person.

Currently, people who have died form bird flu are still not abundant to call it a pandemic or worry about an outbreak. What worries the health officials is the possibility it becomes an outbreak when it mutates and can transfer from one person to the other. That's why its better the media and the health officials worry about this thing a whole lot before we get another pandemic like that of the Spanish Flu.

Michael Colucci is a technical writer for Bird Flu Facts - A site that offers the latest facts on the bird flu.

How To Continue To Eat Poultry Safely Without Catching Bird Flu

If you are one of the many turning your nose at poultry due to the threat of bird flu, you may be interested to know there are measures you can take in order to continue to eat your favorite foods. There have been contradictory reports on whether the virus has been spread from the consumption of undercooked poultry, but you should err on the side of safety in this regard to avoid becoming infected.

Interestingly enough, many of the bird flu precautions are the same precautions you should already be taking to avoid bacteria such as salmonella. A little common sense and good hygiene will go a long way in preventing infection.

The first and most obvious tip is ? DO NOT EAT RAW POULTRY! Aside from being disgusting, it is also dangerous. You should fully cook all meat you ingest. How do you tell if the meat is fully cooked? It should not retain any pink color, the juice should run clear, and the meat should reach a temperature of at least 70 to 75 degrees Celsius or roughly 165 degrees Fahrenheit. While freezing will not kill the disease, heat will - but only at sufficient temperatures. Therefore, you should be sure to thoroughly cook all poultry.

Other tips from the World Health Organization (WHO) include a few more of the basics. You should not handle raw meat without washing your hands thoroughly before and after (with antibacterial soap, preferably); you should take special care not to cross contaminate cooked food and raw meat by allowing the two to come in contact, using the same knife or other utensils, or handling food without properly washing your hands; and do not place cooked food back on the same plate or dish it was on when it was raw. Each of these is basic information that applies to, not only poultry, but all meat.

Also, thoroughly wash all surfaces and dishes that come in contact with raw meat (with antibacterial cleanser or soap). You should also avoid using raw or undercooked eggs in food preparation and cook eggs thoroughly (they suggest cooking until yolks are no longer runny).

In handling meat, you should also remember that the bird flu virus is not killed by freezing; therefore, all precautions should also be taken in handling frozen poultry as though it had just come from the market. With these simple steps, you can feel comfortable ingesting poultry, free from worry about bird flu.

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

The Situation With Vaccines For Bird Flu and Other Types of Flu

With everyone on the brink of panic regarding a bird flu pandemic, many are wondering if a vaccine has been developed and if not, why it has not. Vaccines have become a common and widely accepted way of dealing with various viral infections. Unfortunately, this is not yet a valid option for bird flu.

The primary reason an effective vaccine has not been developed for the strain of bird flu causing so much concern is simply lack of time. The process of vaccine development is long and arduous. The virus must be researched on a molecular level in order to create an effective vaccine. Although bird flu was first identified in 1997, the real concern for the disease did not come about until 2004, with the first real outbreak of the virus. Therefore, less than two years has been available to research and develop a vaccine. While vaccines have been developed, they are still in trial phases and hope to be complete soon.

To understand the other significant reasoning, you must first understand a little about bird flu and the threat it carries. As of yet, the virus is not a global, imminent concern. The reason for this is that the virus is now only transmittable through poultry and is not passed through human to human contact. Although many people have died, it is still primarily an Asian and European disease and has not reached pandemic proportions. However, that is likely to change soon.

As time goes on, the virus is mutating and is expected to become transmittable through human contact. When this happens, it will very likely spread quickly and devastatingly throughout all regions of the world.

Therefore, the second reason a vaccine has not yet been developed is due to the mutation of the virus. As of yet, the concern regarding the virus is not as drastic as it will be once mutation is complete. If mutation occurs, a vaccine will be essential to control the spread of the virus. However, a vaccine can not be developed to avoid the new version of the virus until it actually mutates. Any vaccine created before then will be useless on the mutated form of the virus as the molecular basis of the disease will change, altering the effectiveness of a vaccine.

It is believed that much of the groundwork has been completed for the mutated virus vaccine, but until mutation occurs, there will be no way of knowing its effectiveness.

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.

Where Are The Greatest Risk Area For Bird Flu?

With Bird Flu in the news, people are wondering where it may be safe to avoid this deadly virus. While the answer to this question may be very simple now, in a few weeks or months, it may be a different story.

The first outbreak of the deadly strain of bird flu in humans was in Hong Kong in 1997. A major outbreak then occurred in January of 2004 in Vietnam and Thailand that resulted in the virus popping up in most of Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Recently, a low pathogenic form of H5N1, the dangerous form of bird flu, surfaced in Canada. From this, it may be assumed that southern parts of North America, South America, and other countries distanced from Asia are safe. However, with the track record of this virus, that may not be the case.

Without a doubt, the area of greatest risk for Bird Flu currently is Vietnam, where the largest number of infections and death has occurred. Any area in Asia with a large poultry population, from farming or agriculture, is at risk, as consuming infected meat has been a primary cause of becoming infected. On the same note, many countries in Asia, Europe, and recently the Middle East, should be concerned with the possibility of ingested infected poultry. As migratory birds may also carry the disease, it may be extend over widespread areas as well as from agricultural sources.

Likewise, considering the rapid spread of bird flu, the case in Canada should be of concern for residents of North America as well; in less than two years, Asia and Europe were consumed with the disease. Although the case in Canada was a low pathogenic form of H5N1, meaning it is less dangerous, the fact that it made its way to the continent should not be taken lightly and the possibility of the virus spreading south is a very serious threat.

As long as bird flu is being transmitted from poultry to humans, and not from human to human contact, the areas of concern will surround large poultry populations, from wild or agricultural birds. However, if the strain mutates and is passed from human to human, the risk area will grow rapidly and be concentrated in places with high or dense populations. Likewise, areas of particular concern will be those with limited medical care. Areas with advanced medicine that may be able to produce a vaccine may not be as devastated by the mutated strain of the virus.

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