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, ****** 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.)

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Avian flu is caused due to the H5N1 virus which is transmitted from the saliva, fecal matter of the birds. The disease is highly contagious and causes death of birds and poultry population. The virus is lethal and assumes the proportion of pandemic, which can wipe out the entire population of birds and poultry. The virus also spreads to the human beings if they are in contact with the sick bird or poultry. Human beings are also afflicted by the virus which can even be life threatening.

Avian influenza is flu infection in birds. The disease is of concern to humans, who have no immunity against it. The virus that causes this infection in birds can mutate (change) to easily infect humans. Such mutation can start a deadly worldwide epidemic.

Avian’ refers to birds and ‘flu’ is the common name for influenza. Some countries (particularly in Asia) have been affected by bird flu infecting their poultry stocks, and a small number of people have caught the bird flu virus from being in close contact with infected chickens. There have only been a small number of incidents of bird flu in the UK where it has been found in poultry and a couple of wild birds. All cases of bird flu in the UK have been well controlled and there have been no cases of human illness associated with any incidents.

Avian influenza (also referred to as avian flu or bird flu) refers to type A strains of the influenza virus that infect birds. Avian flu occurs worldwide and was first identified over 100 years ago. Normally avian flu viruses don’t infect species other than birds and pigs. In 1997, however, the first documented human case of avian flu occurred in Hong Kong. Avian flu causes severe symptoms and can result in death.

Influenza is contagious. Viruses that cause influenza spread from person to person mainly by airborne droplets of respiratory fluids that are sent through the air when someone infected with the virus coughs or sneezes. Other people inhale the airborne virus and can become infected. In some cases, the flu can be spread when someone touches a surface (e.g., doorknobs, countertops, telephones) that has the virus on it and then touches his or her nose, mouth or eyes. The flu is most easily spread in crowded places such as schools and offices.

Transmission of the virus from birds to humans occurs when birds such as turkeys, geese, and domestic chickens come in contact with the virus from food, water, or particles contaminated with the virus. The virus can be shed in the droppings of migratory birds since they are natural carriers and is able to survive for three months in cool temperatures. It can also survive in water at 0°C for more than 30 days and at 22°C for up to 4 days. If a person working closely with these animals inhales dust particles containing the virus or by other means, they could develop the bird flu.

For now, the primary treatment option remains the flu drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu), which works by preventing the virus from multiplying. It’s not clear how effective Tamiflu will prove against H5N1. Another antiviral flu drug, zanamivir (Relenza), may be an alternative. However, viruses may become resistant to both of these drugs.

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Influenza

Influenza is the most common of all diseases and its virus can strike you anytime, anywhere. If buy Tamiflu online you can prevent and protect yourself from influenza, if not, you might have to take extreme steps like below:

You can shun human beings and other virus-carrying agents entirely

You can shut yourself in a dust resistant house

You can carry an air-filter day or night

Somehow, it seems that you will choose to buy Tamiflu online and not take such drastic steps. As this steps are not only impractical but also impossible.

Nowadays, avian influenza is also posing a big threat and it is possible to catch the virus not only through birds but also their droppings covered in ground. Fellow human beings infected with this virus too can transmit this disease. So you have no protection anywhere unless you buy Tamiflu online.

Influenza Symptoms

Don’t mistaken Influenza for common cold. Many people mistakenly refer to common respiratory diseases and stomach infections as “the flu.” Symptoms of influenza include fever (usually high), headache, extreme exhaustion, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and muscle aches. Stomach symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, are commonly found in children.

Complications of influenza can also include bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma or diabetes. Children may also experience sinus problems and ear infections.

Order Tamiflu online

Order Tamiflu and beat the exasperating influenza symptoms. When you order Tamiflu, it will not only help you to thwart the danger of influenza and reduce symptoms but also to treat it.

If you have already acquired influenza, order Tamiflu and take it twice a day for 5 days; once in the morning and once in the evening. Finish the entire treatment of 10 doses to avoid repercussions. However, if you are taking Tamiflu dosage as a precaution, take Tamiflu once a day for at least 7 days or take it exactly as prescribed by a doctor.

You can order Tamiflu for the treatment of both Influenza virus A and B. People suffering from both these types of influenza can order Tamiflu. It acts as a transition-state analogue inhibitor of influenza neuraminidase, preventing new viruses from budding in contaminated cells.

Each year, approximately 226,000 US citizens are hospitalized with complications from influenza and an average of 36,000 people die from the influenza virus and its complications

So it is viable to keep influenza at bay and buy Tamiflu right away!

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Nature is a fanciful god. Sometimes it donates its entire fortunate thing to mankind and sometime it shows its harshest face. Since times immemorial man has been illuminating nature and converting it according to his personal necessities. There are proofs that every time the humans tries to change the natural cycle, devastation occur which are also the warning from the nature’s side. Every time when trouble occurs, it is because of human’s incorrect actions. But the humans are the only species on this earth that knows how to use their uppermost part of the body i.e. the brain. It is only because of brain that humans courageously faces the consequences and tries to find a solution to the existing problem. This time another creation of god i.e. chickens are creating problems for humans by spreading the disease called bird flu. As per latest information bird flu has taken the lives of almost 50 people in Southeast Asia and resulted in the deaths of millions of poultry. The virus can be a severe threat if it develops the capability of trouble-free diffusion from one person to another. Avian influenza viruses infect wild bird populations, particularly water birds, typically without causing symptoms. The virus spreads through bird ***** and contaminated water or dust. When avian influenza spreads to poultry or other birds, it can cause more severe disease. Outbreaks of avian influenza have been recognized in poultry flocks in most countries of the world for many years. In February 2005, researchers in Vietnam reported human cases of bird flu in which the virus infected the brain and digestive tract of two children. Both ultimately died after a few days of struggle. Hence, this proves that the bird flu may start like any other flu but more often than not is fatal.

Tamiflu is the only effective medicine to fight against bird flu. In the past one year time, it has emerged as one of the most effective drugs against bird flu. More and more doctors in the effected parts of the world are writing prescriptions for Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate), an antiviral medication, for treating flu caused by influenza virus. Tamiflu attacks the influenza virus and stops it from spreading inside your body. You should contact your doctor and begin treatment within 48 hours from the onset of flu symptoms.

Tamiflu has been found to be most effective in treating avian influenza patients as it attacks and destroys the influenza virus rather than just masking the symptoms.

Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) is an antiviral drug marketed by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche. It belongs to a group of drugs called neuraminidase inhibitors and can shorten the duration and lessen the severity of the type a and b strains of the flu, as well as bird flu. Each 75-milligram capsule contains the active chemical oseltamivir, as well as several inactive ingredients. Scientists synthesize oseltamivir from shikimic acid, a naturally occurring substance found in plants like Chinese star anise, ginkgo, spruce, pine and fir trees. Tamiflu targets a protein called neuraminidase that lives on the flu virus cells. This protein helps the flu virus break through the cell walls so it can move on to other cells and replicate itself. Tamiflu inhibits the neuraminidase protein, so that the virus can’t leave the cell to infect other cells. Eventually, the virus dies. Tamiflu can’t stop the flu entirely. Yet, studies have shown that if it is taken within 48 hours of showing symptoms, it can shorten the duration of the flu (strains A and B). Patients with the flu who took it felt better 30 percent (or 1.3 days) faster than people who didn’t take it. The drug also can help protect you from getting the flu if you’re exposed to someone who has it. But Tamiflu can’t prevent the spread of the disease, and it won’t stop illnesses (like the common cold) that resemble the flu.

For the treatment of flu, Tamiflu should be taken twice daily (once in the morning and once in the evening) for five days. Tamiflu can be taken with or without food. As with many medicines, if taken with a light snack, milk, or a meal, the potential for stomach upset may be reduced. One must complete the entire treatment of ten doses, even if he/she is feeling better. Never share Tamiflu with anyone, even if they have the same symptoms. It is important that you begin treatment with Tamiflu as soon as possible or from the first appearance of flu symptoms. If you forget to take your medicine at any time, take the missed dose as soon as you remember, unless it is near the next dose (within 2 hours). You can continue to take Tamiflu at the usual times. You do not need to take a double-dose. If you have missed several doses, inform your doctor and follow the advice given to you. If you develop an allergic reaction or a severe rash while taking Tamiflu, contact your healthcare professional immediately. If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or breastfeeding while taking Tamiflu, talk to your doctor before taking this medication. Tamiflu is normally not recommended for use during pregnancy or nursing, as the effects on the unborn child or nursing infant are unknown.

Tamiflu is generally safe for adults and children ages one and up. The most common side effects are nausea and vomiting, but you can help prevent them by taking the drug with food. Other, less common side effects are bronchitis, insomnia, skin rashes and vertigo.

There is no real cheap Tamiflu available online as this is a very unique product in marketplace. However, there are only a handful of online pharmacies that seem to be managing the demand so that they don’t have a backlog of orders. So it’s a request to buy Tamiflu only from a genuine online pharmacy.

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