Bird Flu Center

The difficulty in producing an efficient vaccine is the continuous change in the virus’ structure. The strains affecting the population now will be considerably different from the ones causing infections several months later. And most experts agree that developing a vaccine for a newly found strain of avian influenza can take up to 6 months.

With estimates saying 40% of children and 20% of working adults will contract bird flu, authorities are storing antiviral medicines, in an attempt to treat a greater percentage of the population in the case of a bird flu pandemic. The vaccine shall be distributed to people following an order of priority, in several tiers, with the First Group being given the highest priority in each of them. This list is provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services and it does not include the 1.5 million military personnel essential in ongoing operations and military medicine.

Tier 1 - First Group:

• roughly 40,000 people involved in vaccine manufacturing
• medical personnel in direct patient contact

Tier 1 - Second Group:

• people suffering from two medical conditions, that put them at a higher risk of flu complications
• people with a past record of flu hospitalization

Tier 1 - Third Group:

• pregnant women
• close contacts of people with immune-system deficiencies (e.g. AIDS or transplants) that prevent a vaccination to them

Tier 1 - Fourth Group:

• emergency services workers whose task is critical to pandemic response
• high ranking government officials

Tier 2 - First Group:

• healthy people over the age of 65
• people aged 6 months to 64 years suffering from one medical condition that puts them at higher risk from flu and flu-related complications
• healthy children 6 to 23 months old

Tier 2 - Second Group:

• emergency service workers not critical to pandemic response
• public safety workers (firefighters, police, 911 dispatchers, correctional facility staff)
• utility services personnel needed for maintaining power and water supplies, as well as sewage systems
• transport system workers who transport fuel, water, food, medical supplies
• public ground transportation personnel
• telecommunications and internet personnel which operate and maintain network equipments

Tier 3:

• other important government health decision-makers
• funeral directors and embalmers

Tier 4:

• healthy people 2 to 64 years old who are not included in any of the categories above

 

If the story demands it, relevant pictures of bird flu linked events will be posted to the Bird Flu Center website. Showing microbiological instances of the virus or simply people struggling to cope with the ever-multiplying outbreaks of the disease, we will attempt to create a complete picture of the situation worldwide.

 

Key comprehensive information can be found on www.bird-flu-center.com about bird flu and the way it affects our lives, so visit our website every time you have a query about this very potent threat. The information is structured so that you find the answers to your questions easily.

Bird flu is an infectious disease which is caused by type A influenza virus strains. The disease is in fact historically documented since an outbreak occurred in Italy more than a century ago.

All birds are at risk to become infected with the disease, but some species seem to present a natural resistance to it (these include mainly wild birds, such as wild ducks). The spectrum of symptoms ranges from mild to severe illness eventually causing death and fast spreading of the virus. It is known as a fact that domestic poultry, especially chickens and turkeys, are more susceptible to fatal bird flu epidemics. Direct or indirect contact from domestic flocks with wild migratory birds or waterfowl is the most frequent cause of epidemics, but in fact live bird markets also play a role in the spread of the disease.

Recent study has revealed more worrying facts about the ability of the virus to mutate from a low pathogenic form to a highly pathogenic one, as was the case in the United States during a 1983-84 epidemic and in Italy in 2001, with 30 million birds dying or having to be sacrificed in the two countries. Bird flu is also transmitted from farm to farm via mechanical equipment, so contaminated vehicles, cages or clothing need to be supervised and disinfected. However the main measures of fighting off the virus include quarantine imposed on the locations where the infection has been discovered and culling of all the ill birds and the ones they were exposed to.

The main concern in late years however is the ability of bird flu viruses to directly infect humans. As of 1997 cases of such illness have been found in different countries across Asia, Europe and Africa. The spread of the virus in birds only adds to the chances of human infections so extra caution is manifested towards this issue. The latest facts point towards a high risk that bird flu viruses can mix with human specific flu viruses to form a new subtype of influenza which can easily be transmitted from person to person, thus creating the potential for an influenza pandemic.

Although experts agree such an outbreak of the highly pathogenic virus is inevitable at some point in the near future, there are several measures to help minimize the global risk risen from this. Prevention measures need to be taken, along with research and development of treatments and vaccines effective in dealing with the infection. A bird flu pandemic is not a certain fact as yet, but evidence suggests it will be very difficult to avoid.

Bird flu’s latests stories feature here on a regular basis. Whether it is a new outbreak of the virus half way across the world or precaution measures taken by authorities in your area, you cand find out about it the very next day at the latest.

Regular bird flu updates will be available on Bird Flu Center. Whenever new events shape the course of avian influenza developments new articles will feature with more details. We will update you on new occurrances of the virus, its victims and what is being done to fight it.

Here at Bird Flu Center we will strive to bring the latest news on one of the hottest subjects around. Avian influenza is spreading rapidly and up-to-date information on all the developments is important for keeping you and your family safe.

The latest stories about this worldwide threat will feature on our website and help to give you an inside into the issue.