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Bird Flu- Likely to
occur again and again
There are three types of Influenza
– Pandemic flu, Bird flu or avian flue and Seasonal
flu...
Date : March 13, 2006
There are three types of Influenza
– Pandemic flu, Bird flu or avian flue and Seasonal
flu.
Among them Bird Flu or Avian Flu is our present topic of discussions.
The recent Bird Flu pandemic in different
parts of this planet is causing concern to every one. Let
us see what Bird Flu is and what their origin is.
Like humans, birds are also susceptible to
Influenza. Migratory wild fowls, notably wild ducks, are natural
carriers of this disease. The disease is caused by the virus
of type H5 and H7. The present day concern is about the strain
H5N1 which is deadly and may be fatal to humans who come in
close contacts with the live and infected bird.
It is astonishing that, although the wild
migratory birds carry the virus, this seldom attacks them.
But they can easily transmit the disease by their droppings
and other secretion to the domestic birds like chickens, fowls
and even other domestic animals like pigs causing them ill
with avian influenza.
Global concern is that the bird
flu virus, if transmitted from the ailing bird to humans,
may mutate and become fatal to the person affected by it.
For the last few years, considerable number of human deaths
occurred due to the infection from the ailing birds.
Bird flu out breaks and their subsequent
effects on humans are not uncommon in history. In 1918, outbreak
of human flu pandemic was recorded. This, as well as flu pandemics
of 1957 and 1968 are believed to have been the results of
Bird flu.
In recent years of 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2003,
bird flu pandemics occurred and affected the humans also causing
a few deaths in Hong Kong and other far east countries.
As migratory birds carry the virus, there
is no way of preventing the disease from spreading. The bird
flu pandemics can be expected to occur three or four times
in hundred years, according to WHO experts.
So we should protect the domestic birds such
that they are not fallen into contacts with the droppings
and other secretions of the wild virus carrying birds.
Appropriate medicine for bird flu is generic
Tamiflu whose medical name is Oseltamivir Phosphate
which attacks the influenza virus and stops it spreading
inside the body. It is an oral anti viral medicine.
Here we are providing
some Tamiflu information below
The recommended dose of Tamiflu is one 75 mg capsule to
be taken two times daily. The medicine is to be taken for
five days.
The medicine can be taken with or without food.
The drug has its side effects too. The most frequently reported
side effects are nausea, vomiting, bronchitis, trouble sleeping
and dizziness.
The drug has not been approved to be used by children under
the age of 18.
Its effectiveness to prevent the flu or to decrease the
risk of transmitting the virus to others has not been established.
Probably we cannot check the pandemic of
bird flu. Its nature is such that it will occur again and
again. But we can take measures to save domestic birds as
well as mankind at large by proper protection against it.
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