Bird
flu, Human Infection...?
With over 100 cases of human infection documented since
1997, some of them fatal, I again found another page of
CDC on this topic excellently informative.
Extract: Although avian influenza A viruses
usually do not infect humans, more than 100 confirmed
cases of human infection with avian influenza viruses
have been reported since 1997. For example, the World
Health Organization (WHO) maintains
situation updates and
cumulative reports of human cases of avian influenza
A (H5N1). Most cases of avian influenza infection in
humans are thought to have resulted from direct contact
with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces. However,
there is still a lot to learn about how different
subtypes and strains of avian influenza virus might
affect humans. For example, it is not known how the
distinction between low pathogenic and highly pathogenic
strains might impact the health risk to humans...More
You may also check up the publication by Wong & Yuen
(Chest.
2006 Jan;129(1):156-68.) on avian
influenza virus infection to humans.
Coming Events of Importance to Otolaryngologists in
Africa...
-
Association of Paediatric Otolaryngologists of
India 12th Annual Conference and CME in Paediatric
Otolaryngology
February 25-26, 2006; New Delhi, India
-
8th International Otology Course of the Jean Causse
Ear Clinic
June 22-24, 2006; Béziers, France
-
110th American Academy of ORL,Head & Neck Surgery
Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO
September 17-20, 2006;
Toronto, Canada.
-
42nd South African ENT Congress joint meeting with
the British Association of Otolaryngology - Head &
Neck Surgery
October 29-November 1, 2006;
Cape Town, South Africa.
For more Worldwide otolaryngological events and conferences....Click
Here
Bird Flu, Medical Issues.....?
A ravaging worldwide pandemic like avian influenza is
likely to generate plethora of information, some facts,
some fictions, some out rightly ridiculous in a poorly
regulated medium like the Internet. As such I have
provided what I consider reliable online information for
medical professionals on this pandemic.
1.
Pathogenesis and immunology of Avian influenza.
(Editors George Behrens & Matthias Stoll).
Extract:
The influenza virus is notoriously known for its unique
ability to cause recurrent epidemics and global
pandemics during which acute febrile respiratory illness
occurs explosively in all age groups. Two qualities of
influenza account for much of the epidemiological spread
of the virus. First, is the ability to emerge and
circulate in avian or porcine reservoirs by either
genetic reassortment or direct transmission and
subsequently spread to humans at irregular intervals.
Second, is the fast and unpredictable antigenic change
of important immune targets once the virus has become
established in a human...
More
2. Clinical Presentation: A well researched piece
by Christian Hoffman & Bernd Sebastian Kamps is
recommended for clinicians seeking detail information on
this pandemic. Extract:
After a short incubation period of 1-2(-4) days, onset
of the disease is usually abrupt with typical systemic
symptoms: high fever and chills, severe malaise, extreme
fatigue and weakness, headache or myalgia, as well as
respiratory tract signs such as non-productive cough,
sore throat, and rhinitis (CDC
2005)
(Tables 1 and 2). Among children, otitis media, nausea,
and vomiting are also common (Peltola
2003).
In rare cases, the initial presentation may be atypical
(febrile seizures,
Ryan-Poirier 1995;
bacterial sepsis,
Dagan 1984)....More
3. Vaccines: The
issue of vaccines especially for human infection by the
avian flu is still topical and not generally agreed upon
as most of the vaccines for human infection are still
evolving. However this report by Stephen Korsman
is worth reading. Extract:
Vaccines are apathogenic entities that cause the
immune system to respond in such a way that, when it
encounters the specific pathogen represented by the
vaccine, it is able to recognise it - and mount a
protective immune response, even though the body may not
have encountered that particular pathogen before.
Influenza viruses have been with
mankind for at least 300 years, and cause epidemics
every few years, and pandemics every few decades. It
results in 250.000 - 500.000 deaths, and about 3-5
million cases of severe illness each year worldwide,
with 5-15% of the total population infected (WHO 2003).
Today, we have the capability to produce 300 million
doses of trivalent vaccine per year - enough for current
epidemics in the Western world, but insufficient for
coping with a pandemic (Fedson 2005).
Influenza vaccine is effective in
preventing disease and death, especially in high risk
groups, and in the context of routine vaccination, the
World Health Organisation says, "Influenza vaccine is
the most effective preventive measure available" (WHO
2005e). For the present fear of an imminent influenza
pandemic, they say "Vaccination and the use of antiviral
drugs are two of the most important response measures
for reducing morbidity and mortality during a pandemic."
(WHO 2005d)....More
