How
Do Humans Become Infected With Bird Flu
by Sarah Jenkins
The infection process with bird flu is not
particularly complicated. As with other strains of influenza, the virus
itself is passed from host to host, although bird flu is not
transmitted from human contact like other strains of the flu. However,
people should still be knowledgeable of how bird flu is contracted to
avoid it as much as possible.
Currently, the primary way humans become
infected with the disease is through contact with infected animals or
their feces. The virus is transmitted through bodily excretions, such
as saliva, nasal secretions, and feces or through contact with
contaminated surfaces. In many of the regions where outbreaks have
occurred, people, poultry and pigs live in very close contact,
therefore, increasing the likelihood of transmitting the disease.
Especially in agricultural arenas, virus
transmission occurs more frequently to humans. The reason for this is
the necessity of handling fowl for feeding, medical care, and
slaughter. People will often handle birds and not properly sanitize
their hands and clothing afterward. Also, because fowl are usually kept
in small areas for farming purposes, the disease spreads easily and
feces accumulates quickly, also increasing human contact with
potentially dangerous excretions. The virus lives on contaminated
surfaces for several days, which also increases infection probability.
Another way of infection is by ingesting
infected poultry that was not cooked properly. It is always suggested
to fully cook any meat you are preparing for yourself or your family to
eliminate bacteria and harmful viruses. When cooking poultry, you
should cook the meat to a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit or 74
degrees Celsius to ensure its safety. Especially in the cases of
infection in children, ingesting contaminated food is believed to be
the primary cause because children handling fowl is considerably less
common in the areas where outbreaks have occurred. This is of
particular concern as children have a higher mortality rate than
adults. As with most infectious diseases, it has more of a negative
effect of the weak: the very young and very old.
With time, people fear the virus will mutate
to a form transmittable from human to human. If this occurs, infection
will occur as with the regular flu strain. The virus will spread
through saliva and mucus contact through sneezing, coughing, or
breathing in close vicinity of others. With mutation, the virus will
spread with much more ease through human populations, possibly causes
massive illness and death.
Sarah is an acclaimed writer on medical
matters, and has written extensively on the subjects of Attention
Deficit Disorder, Bird Flu and Cohn’s Disease. For more of her
articles, go to http://www.imedicalvillage.com now.
How
To Continue To Eat Poultry Safely Without Catching Bird Flu
by Sarah Jenkins
If you are one of the many turning your nose
at poultry due to the threat of bird flu, you may be interested to know
there are measures you can take in order to continue to eat your
favorite foods. There have been contradictory reports on whether the
virus has been spread from the consumption of undercooked poultry, but
you should err on the side of safety in this regard to avoid becoming
infected.
Interestingly enough, many of the bird flu
precautions are the same precautions you should already be taking to
avoid bacteria such as salmonella. A little common sense and good
hygiene will go a long way in preventing infection.
The first and most obvious tip is – DO NOT
EAT RAW POULTRY! Aside from being disgusting, it is also dangerous. You
should fully cook all meat you ingest. How do you tell if the meat is
fully cooked? It should not retain any pink color, the juice should run
clear, and the meat should reach a temperature of at least 70 to 75
degrees Celsius or roughly 165 degrees Fahrenheit. While freezing will
not kill the disease, heat will - but only at sufficient temperatures.
Therefore, you should be sure to thoroughly cook all poultry.
Other tips from the World Health
Organization (WHO) include a few more of the basics. You should not
handle raw meat without washing your hands thoroughly before and after
(with antibacterial soap, preferably); you should take special care not
to cross contaminate cooked food and raw meat by allowing the two to
come in contact, using the same knife or other utensils, or handling
food without properly washing your hands; and do not place cooked food
back on the same plate or dish it was on when it was raw. Each of these
is basic information that applies to, not only poultry, but all meat.
Also, thoroughly wash all surfaces and
dishes that come in contact with raw meat (with antibacterial cleanser
or soap). You should also avoid using raw or undercooked eggs in food
preparation and cook eggs thoroughly (they suggest cooking until yolks
are no longer runny).
In handling meat, you should also remember
that the bird flu virus is not killed by freezing; therefore, all
precautions should also be taken in handling frozen poultry as though
it had just come from the market. With these simple steps, you can feel
comfortable ingesting poultry, free from worry about bird flu.
Sarah is an acclaimed writer on medical
matters, and has written extensively on the subjects of Attention
Deficit Disorder, Bird Flu and Cohn’s Disease. For more of her
articles, go to http://www.imedicalvillage.com now.
How
The Bird Flu Virus Lives And Spreads
by Sarah Jenkins
Bird flu is a serious and dangerous virus.
With so much controversy over this deadly disease, it is a good idea to
have some kind of idea what you are up against. Knowing how the virus
lives and spreads makes it easier to protect yourself from infection.
First, it should be understood that bird flu
is much like the other strains of influenza. Like the flu that goes
around every year, bird flu is transmitted from the exchange of the
virus through droplets of saliva, mucus, or other excretions. However,
bird flu is not transmitted from human contact, but through the
handling or ingestion of infected poultry. It is more common for people
to be impacted by bird flu that handle birds for agricultural purposes
or eat infected fowl that is not properly handled.
The virus lives within poultry and survives
in the feces of the animal for several days, if not weeks. Therefore,
regular contact with birds, especially in dense populations, increases
the possibility of contracting the disease. To avoid infection, limit
contact with potentially dangerous poultry.
It should also be clear that this particular
virus was not always a threat to humans. Prior to 1997, there were no
known cases of H5N1, the deadly strain of bird flu, infecting humans.
Since the virus first came to pass in the early 1900’s, it has mutated
and transformed into a different form. This mutation is vital to the
ongoing vitality of influenza and is the primary source for the concern
surrounding H5N1. The virus continually manipulates itself to bypass
treatment techniques and survive in varying environments.
Once the virus is transmitted to a person,
it is incredibly interesting what takes place. There are two factors
within the immune system that contribute to the devastation of the
virus. First, the virus causes an exaggerated response in cytokines,
hormones that regulate the immune system. This increase makes the
immune system unstable and actually has a negative effect on the body
itself, as well as making fighting infection difficult. Secondly, other
aspects of the immune system are suppressed, allowing the virus to run
rampant within the body.
Since the virus is not bacterial in nature,
antibiotics are ineffective in treating the disease. In many illnesses,
antibiotics are administered, which suppress the immune system and
fight the infection; however, this is not an option due to the nature
of bird flu; therefore, the most effective treatment is prevention.
Sarah is an acclaimed writer on medical
matters, and has written extensively on the subjects of Attention
Deficit Disorder, Bird Flu and Cohn’s Disease. For more of her
articles, go to http://www.imedicalvillage.com now.
Most people are aware of the threat of bird
flu and the possibility of it creating a pandemic, a worldwide epidemic
of an infectious disease breaking out and affecting a large geographic
region. Although the virus affects an extensive geographic region, this
virus has not yet reached pandemic proportions.
According to the World Health Organization,
in order for a pandemic to occur, three conditions must be met: the
emergence of a disease new to a population, the agent affects humans
and causes serious illness, and the agent spreads easily and
sustainably among humans.
The first of these three, “the emergence of
a disease new to a population” has occurred. Although bird flu is in no
way a new disease, as it was first identified in the early 1900’s, it
was not infectious to humans until the late 1990’s. Therefore, this
particular strain has emerged “new to a population”, being the human
population, which was previously unaffected by the disease.
Likewise, the second criterion has been met,
“the agent affects humans and causes serious illness”. The virus has
infected 131 people and killed 68. Therefore, the severity of the
disease is apparent. H5N1 causes an exaggerated response in cytokines,
hormones that regulate the immune system, therefore, limiting the
effectiveness of the body’s ability to fight the infection. This virus
is also partially resistant to other cells of the immune system, making
it especially resilient.
The third condition has not been met,
however. At this point, the virus does not spread easily and
sustainably among humans. Currently, the H5N1 virus is only transmitted
from poultry to humans, and is not able to pass through human contact.
Unfortunately, the virus is mutating and may be able to do so in future
months, increasing the speed and efficiency in which it spreads.
Human to human transmission has been
suspected, though not confirmed. Several isolated cases in which the
cause of infection was not clear have prompted questions of the virus
being passed through human contact. In particular, cases of nurses
becoming infected after treating patients, children being infected with
no poultry contact, and parents being infected after treating children
with the disease. However, until confirmation is attainable that the
virus has mutated to the point human transmission is possible, the
third criterion will not be satisfied and H5N1 will not be classified
as a pandemic. Likewise, the fatality rate will also have to increase
to change the classification of bird flu.
Sarah is an acclaimed writer on medical
matters, and has written extensively on the subjects of Attention
Deficit Disorder, Bird Flu and Cohn’s Disease. For more of her
articles, go to http://www.imedicalvillage.com now.
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