We have been face to face with this life threatening pandemic from the last few years, however, the battle still seems invincible. A virus that might mutate to a deadly nature, because of which the air we breathe might itself become the lethal carrier. Scientists predict that within two years the virus will be able to spread from an infected human to another. While certain people stock up on Tami flu, more become aware that the governments world over are not ready to deal with such endemics if it suddenly erupts.

High biosafety standards failed to protect the UK from the global spread of H5N1 as nature takes its course. The English outbreak is the first known instance of H5N1 in Britain since an infected wild swan was found in Scotland in March. Britain’s £3.4bn poultry industry, which produces 800 million birds a year, is braced for a lost of export orders last night.

Is the so-called Pandemic, all talk and not real?

A lot of us might sit back thinking that the deadly disease has not started, beware the threat is very real indeed. The pandemic to be is a sleeping volcano ready to erupt anytime. Fourteen EU countries have been hit by avian flu since the beginning of last year. Starting in 1997 until date it has touched over 55 countries in Asia Europe and Africa, leaving over 500 humans dead. Because migratory birds are among the carriers of the H5N1 virus, it may spread to all parts of the world. The biggest fear remains that it is likely to mutate into a form that more easily infects humans, making the global spread of this new strain unprecedented.

What is this Avian Influenza?

Bird flu; avian influenza; bird influenza means flu from viruses adapted to birds, but the one we are concerned about is the H5N1flu caused by a specific virus. It is a contagious disease of birds, caused by influenza ‘A’ viruses that can cause a range of symptoms, from mild illness and low mortality to a highly contagious disease with a near 100% fatality rate.

When it affects humans, they experience high temperatures, cough, body ache, symptoms you might mistake for simple influenza. Nevertheless one finds oneself sick in three days and if not treated initially with the right medication, it leaves you with very little time. They have not yet discovered a medicine to cure it. Sickness aside, corporate patents restrict access to critical medicines, which can stop the fatal disease initially.

The necessary slaughter of birds we are witnessing the world over has sent home the fact that the infected birds pass on H5N1 through their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. Culling them at the source remains the best answer. To protect other birds, vaccination of all poultry flocks is required. Turkeys and chickens are more susceptible to H5N1 than wild birds, who can carry the virus over long distances without showing symptoms.

What can we do?

• Reduce intensive livestock farming. Since mammals are likely to be infected by contact with saliva, nasal secretions, and feces of the birds infected with H5N1 strain.
• Put in more finances into research to develop a cure for the H5N1 virus.
• Develop better surveillance systems for birds likely to be infected by the same.
• Countries should not try to hide the numbers infected for economic gains.
• Minimize contact of live birds with wild birds, migratory ducks and wildfowl is known to carry the strain of the virus.
• Stock up antiviral drugs nationally for use at the start of a pandemic
• Or we could all just turn vegetarian

The worst affected will of course be small-scale livestock farmers, whose livelihood is slaughtered in front of their eyes. People might stop eating eggs and chicken. This will create not only loss of food sources but great damage to those dependant on the industry. The poultry industry might suffer a drop in demand and also real problems of import and export controls. People already suffering from aids will be very vulnerable to this situation. Poor countries suffering from malnutrition and ravaged with war will hardly have any measures to survive from the deadly disease.

As of now, the virus is fragile and easily destroyed by cooking, so it is almost impossible to catch from cooked meat. Eggs need to be boiled for fifteen minutes before being eaten. Maintaining good hygiene is always essential for good health. Yet vaccines effective against a pandemic virus are not yet available. Despite the advance warning the world is ill-prepared to defend itself during a pandemic.