What happens if the bird flu spreads quickly?

The bird flu has scientists worried because it spreads so quickly. Although it has yet to reach the United States, a woman in Iraq has already died this year from this flu bringing the total death toll of 94 as of March 1, of this year. The spreading H5N1 strain of the bird flu or avian influenza in birds increases the risk of human infection and creates more opportunity for the virus to mutate into a pandemic form capable of killing millions of people. In Europe, Africa and other regions, the bird flu is spreading rapidly in chickens and other poultry. Last month alone, new cases of this flu was confirmed, and with the rise of this virus spreading, so to will more people become infected with this virus after coming into contact with infected poultry. What is really scary is the prospect of human-to-human transmission of the bird flu. With this kind of flu, people have no immunity against the avian flu and what has medical expert worried is this virus linking up with human virus strains and mutate into a totally new form.

The reason this virus spreads so fast is because wild birds are migratory and also the trade in infected chickens were their droppings carry the disease to other countries. The cases of bird flu today have spread to Germany, Italy and Austria, as well as Egypt and the West African states of Nigeria and Niger.
So how will health care facilities deal with a sudden outbreak of bird flu and the flood of patients infected with this new strain? The only known treatment for the bird flu is Tamiflu and our government has stockpiled much of this treatment as well as other drugs and supplies with some experimental H5N1 vaccine that will help with similar sparks of strains that may crop up from a pandemic. The good new is that in the U. S. vaccine manufacturing is improving and we will have the vaccine to take care of whatever super-flu may happen to arrive here. For now, the best thing for anyone to do during flu season is to use common sense and use good hygiene skills such as washing your hands, especially after you have been out shopping and dealing with people. Pay special attention to young children and using a sanitizing gel on their hands often will help keep them safe from viruses.