Posts Tagged influenza virus
Overview On Bird Flu H5N1 Virus
The bird flu viruses are mostly subtypes of Influenza Virus A. There are several H5 and H7 subtypes of the ‘influenza A’ virus that cause bird flu among the birds. The wild fowls are considered to be the reservoir of the bird flu virus since ages. The migratory birds carry the pathogens from place to place and in turn infect the local population of the birds causing wide spread deaths.
Till 1997, the virus was restricted to the arboreal species and pigs. They never infected humans. But, the deaths in Hong Kong and other parts of the south east Asian countries have raised alarm throughout the medical world. Though it was a known fact that bird flu viruses mutate to different kinds but this was the first time that the viruses adapted themselves to be strong enough to attack mammals including humans and dogs. This bird flu virus has been identified as the H5N1 virus, a subtype of the H5 viruses.
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Swine Flu Or Mexican Influenza?
An international brouhaha has broken out over what the flu virus should be called. Pork producers are furious that a virus which contains genetic material from birds and humans as well as pigs should be called “swine flu”. Many countries have banned, or are restricting, the import of pork products, including Russia, China, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Serbia.
“This is a terrible precedent because it’s not based on science and it appears to be based purely on protectionism,” said Nick Giordano from the US National Pork Producers Trade Counsel.
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Swine Flu is a Very Real Threat to the World – Only Urgent Measures Can Help Contain It
What is swine flu?
Swine flu is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease found in pigs. It is caused by one of the swine influenza A viruses. Swine flu results in high morbidity and low mortality of about 1-4%. Amongst the pigs themselves, the virus spreads through aerosols, direct and indirect contact, and through asymptomatic carrier pigs. Although the pigs are prone to regular infections, incidences increase in the fall and winter months in the temperate zones. Therefore, pigs are routinely vaccinated against swine influenza in many countries.
How is swine flu diagnosed?
When a person is under the weather, many symptoms may be present. However, symptoms of swine flu are very similar to normal cold and flu symptoms, and may include: Read the rest of this entry »
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