Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.sun-herald.com/breakingnews.cfm?id=5820
Health department: Don't touch dead birds
(Last updated: April 22, 2008 6:56 PM)
The deaths of two teenage boys within five days of each other last month from avian flu in Indonesia reminded U.S. health officials of the threat of a pandemic flu outbreak.
They were the first such cases reported leading to death. One of the boys, an 11-year-old, had been in contact with sick and dead poultry.
A 19-page pamphlet titled, ?What to do about Bird or Avian Flu,? and published by the Sarasota County Health and Human Services Department, admonishes residents to avoid touching dead birds.
Even though the avian flu virus has not yet grown into a pandemic strain that can infect and be transmitted by people, health experts insist that preparations against it should continue.
Vaccines have been developed. Stockpiles of masks and Tamiflu have grown. Many countries, cities, companies and school systems have written plans to deal with the disease.
The severity of the current flu season, the worst in three years, in terms of doctor visits and deaths from flu and pneumonia, have drawn further attention to the fear of pandemic flu.
A more virulent type of virus was blamed for the season?s increased severity by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the United States, according to federal health and human services experts, hospitals now have wards for patients suspected of having bird flu. Contacts with the disease are traced very quickly by epidemiologists, and are treated with Tamiflu.
Fear of a pandemic flu such as the one that struck the United States in 1918 ? it caused 50 million deaths worldwide ? drives the preparations. Similar outbreaks in 1957 in Great Britain and 1968 in Hong Kong killed 3 million more.
From 250,000 to 500,000 people die from influenza and other respiratory diseases in a typical year, according to the World Health Organization.
By GERALD A. ROGOVIN,Correspondent Read the rest in the Wednesday edition of the North Port Sun
Health department: Don't touch dead birds
(Last updated: April 22, 2008 6:56 PM)
The deaths of two teenage boys within five days of each other last month from avian flu in Indonesia reminded U.S. health officials of the threat of a pandemic flu outbreak.
They were the first such cases reported leading to death. One of the boys, an 11-year-old, had been in contact with sick and dead poultry.
A 19-page pamphlet titled, ?What to do about Bird or Avian Flu,? and published by the Sarasota County Health and Human Services Department, admonishes residents to avoid touching dead birds.
Even though the avian flu virus has not yet grown into a pandemic strain that can infect and be transmitted by people, health experts insist that preparations against it should continue.
Vaccines have been developed. Stockpiles of masks and Tamiflu have grown. Many countries, cities, companies and school systems have written plans to deal with the disease.
The severity of the current flu season, the worst in three years, in terms of doctor visits and deaths from flu and pneumonia, have drawn further attention to the fear of pandemic flu.
A more virulent type of virus was blamed for the season?s increased severity by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the United States, according to federal health and human services experts, hospitals now have wards for patients suspected of having bird flu. Contacts with the disease are traced very quickly by epidemiologists, and are treated with Tamiflu.
Fear of a pandemic flu such as the one that struck the United States in 1918 ? it caused 50 million deaths worldwide ? drives the preparations. Similar outbreaks in 1957 in Great Britain and 1968 in Hong Kong killed 3 million more.
From 250,000 to 500,000 people die from influenza and other respiratory diseases in a typical year, according to the World Health Organization.
By GERALD A. ROGOVIN,Correspondent Read the rest in the Wednesday edition of the North Port Sun