Avian flu???

[DawnCt1]

To quote DH from the front page article in the Hartford Courant on 10/6/05

"Knowing what the virulence determinants are would be a tremendous benefit for us. Even a few months' head start knowing that a lethal new human strain was evolving into a pandemic would be invaluable in helping the world prepare for what could be a medical health castastrophe. I think a pandemic flu strain is the scariest thing biologically that I could dream up. This is a very, very serious risk".
Preparation isn't always easy but this issue has been on the radar screen for a long time.

 

[Christine]

minnie,
I am in total agreement with you. They've known for a long time that the living conditions of the Asian farmers is how this stuff gets going. I've been wondering, for years, why "they" don't do something about it--whoever "they" might be.

And you know, I'm just not buying into the cultural thing. Treating women like dirt is acceptable in some cultures, but we do what we can to save them. This type of flu has the ability to kills billions of humans. We've gone to war for equal/lesser threats. It does seem so easy just to stop the practices that cause this. This is a world threat and they need to make the people who farm in such squallor to stop.

 

[DawnCt1]

minnie,
I am in total agreement with you. They've known for a long time that the living conditions of the Asian farmers is how this stuff gets going. I've been wondering, for years, why "they" don't do something about it--whoever "they" might be.

And you know, I'm just not buying into the cultural thing. Treating women like dirt is acceptable in some cultures, but we do what we can to save them. This type of flu has the ability to kills billions of humans. We've gone to war for equal/lesser threats. It does seem so easy just to stop the practices that cause this. This is a world threat and they need to make the people who farm in such squallor to stop.

You are right Christine; too often "its their culture, we must respect their diversity" is nothing more than an excuse to maintain the status quo.

 

[minnie56]

To my way of thinking, this threat is very little than the threat of nuclear weapons and that was not accepted as the way 'they do things' was it???? Either way, the end result can be catastropic.

And flights from the affected areas with Sars were NOT suspended. The poor employees low on the totem pole seniority wise, were forced to man those aircraft. Canada would not 'god forbid' do that for fear it appear 'politically incorrect'. Let's just run the risk anyway!

 

[LightBurnsBlue]

Chilling.

And what can be done until a Vaccine comes to make change?

The sad thing is that a vaccine can't really be made until the outbreak of avian influenza begins in S.E. Asia. Right now, the real threat to the US is not extremely high, but it is very concerning for Asia. Many scientists feel that the world is due for another flu pandemic (think 1918 avian flu outbreak that killed millions).

Right now, the avian flu is only being spread bird-to-bird in Asia. It has, in several cases, spread to humans. Some humans have died (59 since 2003 to be exact). However, it is not an outbreak yet because the disease can't be easily spread from human to human. One way this could happen is if a person is already infected with an ordinary human influena, then is infected with the avian variety. The current strain of avian influenza mutates easily, and scientists fear that the avian strain could swap genes with the human form and create a very deadly, transmissible disease.

What can be done? Three things. 1) Countries in SE asia need to monitor all poultry farms (the site of most infections). Many are trying to do this, but as others have said, it is hard to change cultural traditions. 2) SE Asian countries need to have a quarntine plan in place and immediately instruct all people with non-necessary jobs to stay home. 3) This is most important. These countries need to have the drug Tamniflu available, and give a series of doses to everyone that is in contact with the outbreak, and ideally, everyone in a given radius. If you take Tamniflu, your chances of getting infected with that flu decrease by 80 percent.

What can the US do? I think we can only encourage SE Asia to carefully monitor the situation, perhaps donate some money to poor countries like Vietnam to better prepare for it, and we are already in the process of stockpiling Tamniflu for ourselves, although we don't have enough yet (or so the scientists say).

 

[Simba's Mom]

This effects me personally, and I can see how it could (and should, IMHO) be an issue here. DH travels to Shanghai at least once a year, usually more. We know he's at risk of getting or carrying Avian Flu, even though Shanghai is relatively clean and "progressive". He (or any other international business traveler) could easily carry it into the US through San Francisco, or whatever US airport they enter into. Recently he stopped in Australia on the way back from China. Because he had a cold, Australia checked him out medically. He still had the cold when he enterred the US, yet no authority here checked him. It scares me to realize how easily the Asian Flu could be carried into the US.