Description
The bird flu and swine flu are both influenza viruses and are very similar, only the swine flu is easy to transmit between humans, unlike the bird flu. Actually the current version of the swine flu in 2009 actually contains genetic material from the human flu, the bird flu and the swine flu. But just like the original bird flu, it is of the type Influenza A, the same influenza type as the original Spanish flu of 1918.
The swine flu can be transmitted via ‘touching surfaces’ much more easily than bird flu, hence extreme caution must be taken.
Much of the information contained on this website regarding antiviral herbs, how to care for a sick person, symptoms, how to avoid infection, etc is all relevant to the swine flu, but is referred to as the bird flu, as this is what the book was originally written for.
Bird flu (avian influenza) and swine flu are very contagious
diseases caused by a virus. Bacteria
are much larger than viruses. They grow and divide in two to reproduce.
Treatments and medications used for bacterial infections often may
not work for viral infections. Viruses are much smaller. To reproduce
they enter inside cells and then reprogram the host cell to produce
thousands of viruses that then burst out of the host cell to infect
other cells. The H5N1 Bird Flu virus mainly reproduces in lung tissues. The
H represents a type of protein found on the virus that helps it to
enter cells. The N represents a type of protein that helps the virus
escape the host cell.
The H5N1 Bird Flu virus is a new type of influenza, a virus
that originated in birds. The wine flu is a mix of the bird flu, human flu and swine flu. Most individuals in a target
population will have very little immunity to these new viruses. In
the past, deadly pandemic bird flu viruses continued to evolve to
a less deadly form which we experience every flu season. Some have
just disappeared.
Initially, the H5N1 influenza virus only infected birds (often with
100% mortality for domestic poultry). Later, as the H5N1 Bird Flu virus evolved,
mammals such as pigs, tigers, cats and humans became infected by eating
infected birds and by poor hygiene procedures when handling infected
birds. The H5N1 Bird Flu virus is steadily evolving to become even easier to
be infected by birds and infected humans are now infecting other humans
but with inefficient transmission.
This virus is potentially very dangerous because it is mutating at
a very high rate into different new strains of H5N1 that eventually
may spread between humans as easily as the common cold. This is what
has occurred with other new but similar bird flu viruses in the past.
At present, the mortality rate of the H5N1 Bird Flu virus in infected humans
is 50% to 75%. If or when this new H5N1 Bird Flu virus evolves to a stage of
efficiently transmitting between humans then infections between humans
will rapidly spread and a worldwide epidemic or pandemic will occur
with potentially disastrous consequences for everyone.
On July 23, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that the world
could at any time be faced with a massive flu outbreak like those
of 1918 or 1968 that killed tens of millions of people. (Recent research
is showing that the 1918 Spanish Flu alone may have killed 100 million
people)
In a statement to the Courier Mail on July 30, 2005 the Australian
Federal Health Minister, Mr Abbott said that, “The flu pandemic
is more likely to occur in the next 12 months than in any time in
the past decades. I hope it never happens but almost certainly it
will happen.” Later, in another public statement about the potential
bird flu pandemic on 31 August, 2005 Mr Abbott says, “Australians
are unused to contemplating death on a large scale …since WW2.”
There have been many more dire warnings about the potential devastating
effects of a H5N1 pandemic on the world from many other traditionally
conservative scientific and political authorities. It would be expected
that only the lower conservative estimates and scenarios are being
given to the public to prevent mass panic. For example, the WHO often
compares and uses the statistics of the 1968 Hong Kong Flu pandemic
to predict the estimated death toll of this potential H5N1 influenza
pandemic. The 1968 Hong Kong flu pandemic had the lowest death rate
of all the most recent pandemics and the predicted global death toll
of 7 million people would not warrant such serious warnings presently
being given by many other authorities.
Recent research from the U.S. Institute of Pathology (Jeffrey Taubenberger
et al 2005) indicates that the H5N1 Bird Flu virus is evolving similar to that
of the deadly 1918 Spanish Flu virus and not like the less harmful
Asian or Hong Kong Flu virus. The 1918 Spanish Flu virus did not combine
with a human influenza virus. It simply evolved to become more efficient
at human to human transmission, similar to what the H5N1 Bird Flu virus is
doing now. The Spanish Flu had a worldwide infection rate of 50% and
a mortality rate of 5% and killed approximately 100 million people.
This present H5N1 Bird Flu virus has a mortality rate of at least 50% (the
infection rate is unknown). Some scientists expect this high mortality
to drop if this virus becomes pandemic but this is only an assumption
and may not occur. Even with a 5% mortality rate at least 160 million
people will die directly from the pandemic and this does not include
the possible subsequent deaths due to the likely breakdown of essential
services, such as food, water, and medical supplies etc. The effects
on the world from a higher mortality rate would be too horrendous
to contemplate but still possible.
Most scientific authorities agree that it is not possible to predict
when this pandemic will begin or how deadly it may become. It is sometimes
difficult to distinguish new information that is alarmist and exaggerated
from conservative, panic avoidance propaganda. Scientific data and
research is not being openly shared between countries or between important
scientific research organisations.
From the World Health Organisation convention in Geneva 2004, the
conclusion was reached that the H5N1 Bird Flu virus would not be able to be
contained once the virus mutated to a form involving efficient transmission
from human to human. The pandemic will have to run its course. All
countries are under prepared to cope with a large-scale deadly influenza
outbreak that is expected from this H5N1 Bird Flu virus. There will not be
enough staff, hospital beds, medical supplies, antiviral drugs or
vaccines to help most of the people who will be affected by this virus.
This is in developed countries. Medical help in under developed countries
will be almost non existent.
Past and Present Situations
Initially H5N1 was only very deadly for farm chickens (almost 100%
mortality rate). Humans could only become infected through eating
uncooked chicken meat and even then it was hard to become infected,
but this H5N1 Bird Flu virus is very capable of mutating into a deadly virus
for humans.
(ie. changing to a form that can pass from human to human as easily
as a common cold or flu).
The bird flu virus H5N1 had previously emerged in 1968 in a few places
around the world, mostly in developed countries and was quickly discovered,
contained and eradicated by culling millions of farm chickens before
it mutated. In 1997 in Hong Kong, 18 people were infected with H5N1
and 6 died. All of the infected people ate contaminated chicken meat.
Hong Kong experienced another smaller outbreak in 2003 that was believed
to have originated from China.
By February 2004 the H5N1 Bird Flu virus was discovered in chicken farms in
12 different countries (North and South Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia,
Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, North and South Korea).
The H5N1 Bird Flu virus was also being found in ducks and geese. There were
34 associated human cases of which 23 were fatal.
These very high death rates alarmed members of the World Health Organisation
which then convened in Geneva, March 2004, to work out various strategies
for dealing with this present problem and the very likely possibility
of a future global pandemic. 100 experts from 33 countries were involved.
The main concern for the World Health Organisation (WHO) was the fact
that the bird flu H5N1 Bird Flu virus was being discovered in so many underdeveloped
countries. Many did not have the resources to monitor and to implement
strategies to contain the virus. Others were reluctant to cooperate
with the WHO and some just blatantly lied that they did not have bird
flu in their country. This allowed the H5N1 Bird Flu virus the opportunity
to mutate further.
In January 2005 there were new outbreaks in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia,
and Indonesia (127 infected, 63 dead from 2004 to August 2005). The
virus had evolved to limited human to human infection and is now infecting
clusters of people. The H5N1 Bird Flu virus has also infected pigs, cats and
tigers.
In May 2005, a new outbreak of a different deadly strain of the H5N1 Bird Flu virus occurred in China. It was reported that 8000 wild waterbirds
from a lake died from the virus. At the time there were also unconfirmed
reports of at least 120 peasants becoming infected and dying from
H5N1, possibly from eating the dead infected birds. The hundreds of
thousands of remaining waterbirds are now migrating all over the world,
spreading this new lethal strain of bird flu to other countries.
So far, only domestic and wild birds in Russia, Siberia, Mongolia,
Romania and Turkey have died so far. The first infected human has
just been reported in Turkey. India, Laos, Pakistan and Europe are
expecting to be infected with this strain of H5N1 later as the infected
migrating birds reach them. Australia, Alaska and North America are
also waiting. This H5N1 strain is very different from the Vietnam
strain therefore the planned Vietnam vaccine may be ineffective against
this strain.
The situation in China appears serious but little can be confirmed
because of China’s lack of cooperation with the WHO. Other countries
are also reluctant to pass on bird flu details, as it would drastically
affect their economy. Others are too poor to monitor H5N1 effectively.
It is also possible that an initial H5N1 outbreak in humans may be
misdiagnosed.
SARS was a totally different type of respiratory virus. It began
in China and then spread to the Chinatowns in Canada through immigration.
China still denies having SARS. China is also denying the existence
of bird flu H5N1 victims yet unconfirmed reports suggest otherwise.
India is expecting the H5N1 Bird Flu virus when China’s H5N1 infected
geese migrate into India. India’s large population, poverty
conditions, limited health resources and unsanitary hygiene will make
containment of any H5N1 outbreaks almost impossible to contain or
even detect. This will also be the case for many South East Asian
countries.
During September 2005, 87 people in Indonesia were suspected of having
been infected with H5N1. Of these 16 have died so far. The world is
presently watching this latest outbreak very cautiously.
As the Northern Hemisphere approaches it’s winter flu season,
more frequent and larger human outbreaks will be expected. If the
H5N1 Bird Flu virus does not turn pandemic this year, then the chances of a
pandemic the following year becomes even greater as the H5N1 Bird Flu virus
will have more opportunities to mutate.
Some people find it hard to understand what the fuss is all about.
When they hear that only 65 people have died in an area containing
billions of people. The world’s population can be compared to
a very large dry forest. It only takes one tiny spark to start a huge
uncontrollable bushfire. At present the small number of human bird
flu outbreaks occurring in Asia are the equivalent of little sparks
and these sparks are becoming more frequent over a larger area.
Previous Bird Flu Pandemics
All past pandemics have originated from bird viruses that had adapted
to humans. Recent research shows that the Spanish Flu simply evolved
into a human pandemic whereas the last two pandemics, the Asian Flu
and the Hong Flu combined with a human flu enabling them to spread
from human to human very easily. The present H5N1 Bird Flu virus is evolving
in a similar way to the Spanish Flu.
The 1918 Spanish Flu H1N1
The Spanish flu was first recorded in an army fort in Kansas, America,
in the spring of 1918.
It then spread throughout Europe during WW1 in 1918, killing millions,
including many soldiers. So many soldiers died from the flu on both
sides that historians believe that the war was shortened because of
this. There was a severe shortage of soldiers left to fight in the
war. Spain was the first country that experienced a severe pandemic
wave, hence the name of Spanish Flu.
The pandemic then returned to the eastern coast of America in October
1918 (Autumn/winter) by returning soldiers. This was a severe wave.
It spread throughout America within 3 weeks, killing a total of 650,000
Americans. Finally it spread throughout the world. The second and
third minor waves occurred in 1919 and 1920.
Australia only received the 1919 minor wave as quarantine measures
were in place and only 12,000 died. The virus had evolved to a less
deadly strain by then. 50 to 100 million people died worldwide from
this pandemic. Recent research from archives place the death toll
closer to 100 million. It had a 50% infection rate and a 5% mortality
rate. (At these rates in 2005, 10 million Australians would become
infected and 500,000 would die. The present H5N1 Bird Flu virus has a mortality
rate of 50%)
During the Spanish Flu 50% to 70 % of infected pregnant females died.
The Spanish Flu was different to other influenzas at the time in
that there was a very large number of unexpected deaths from healthy
young males as well as the normally expected rate of deaths from the
young and the old.
These healthy young people (from 17 to 40) suddenly died from their
immune systems over reacting to this new virus. This is called a cytokine
storm. (see important information on this in Symptoms)
The Asian Flu (H2N2) occurred in 1957
The Hong Kong Flu (H3N2) occurred in 1968
Both these pandemics first emerged in south east Asia. A combined
total of at least 1.5 million people died from both these mild pandemics.
