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INFLUENZA Whether it was fate or being in the wrong place at the wrong time I have been asked to develop the health area for the Madison Forum. I might as well start by discussing the challenges for preparing for the possibility of Avian Influenza pandemic. This is a daunting task for me. Although I was trained as a scientist and spent a career in applying those skills addressing public health issues throughout the country, I do not consider myself an expert in this area but I will do my best to begin the education process and more importantly a dialogue on taking this potential influenza pandemic seriously. From time to time I will offer a primer on influenza, list some web sites that can be linked to from this web page as well as answer specific question from our readership. One thing I did learn from my public experiences is the right questions to ask and the right people to contact for answers. Seasonal influenza is an acute viral disease of the respiratory tract. It is spread through direct contact and droplet infection and airborne among crowded populations in enclosed spaces. A virus can be simple or complex and is surrounded by a protein barrier. Inside this virus lies a core of genetic material or the brains of the virus. Viruses need living cells to grow and multiply and therefore do not live long outside a host organism. However, the virus may persist for hours in dried mucous and be transmitted through direct contact. Most of you have experienced the symptoms of flu. You may not know that seasonal flu kills 36,000 people in the U.S annually. It is listed as one of the top ten (e.g., either 6 or 7) causes of death in the U.S. Of the people who contact flu approximately 1% will die with most of these deaths occur in people over 65. Therefore, influenza normally has a high morbidity rate but a rather low mortality or death rate Influenza derives its importance by how fast epidemics evolve, the widespread sickness (i.e., morbidity) and the serious complications that can occur such as viral or bacterial pneumonia from inflammation. You survive flu because your body’s immune system recognizes those viral invaders and similar viruses and directs a response. Those people who are immunologically compromised by other chronic diseases (i.e., cancer, lung diseases, drugs) may have more difficulty winning that cellular battle. Viruses mutate or change in order not to be recognized. It can combine with other viruses through an exchange of their genetic material and evolve into a new subtype that has a more susceptibility. In other words they have the ability to swap genes resulting in with offspring with different abilities and possibly capable of being more virulent. Immunization (i.e., flue shots) provides effective protection or reduces the severity of disease. Vaccines need 3 to 4 weeks to take effect before you’re exposed to the virus. More importantly, vaccines have to be redeveloped every year based on the form the virus has taken that year. Because pandemics grow very quickly after the virus has mutated, there will be little or no vaccine during the beginning stages of the next pandemic and during that time frame many people could become ill and die depending on the strength of the virus. Drugs are expensive and have severe side effects. So how do we prepare for the window when the pandemic hits and the time lag required to develop and distribute vaccines. That will be the subject of our next discussion. In the meantime I have listed some websites for you to browse until then. Definitions 1. Pandemic: Occurring over a very wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population. 2. Influenza: An acute contagious viral disease that is caused by various strains belonging to three major types (A, B, C) that is caused by sudden onset, fever, prostration, severe aches and pains, and progressive inflammation of the respiratory mucous membranes 3. Inflammation: a local response to cellular injury that is marked by loss of function and that serves as a mechanism initiating the elimination of poisonous agents and of damaged tissue 4. Morbidity: the degree of sickness in a population 5. Immune system: That bodily system in protects the body from foreign substances such as viral infection 6. Virulent: Able to overcome bodily defense systems and be more dangerous For questions or comments please contact: John Abraham at: johneabraham@bellsouth.net Websites: 1. www.unicorehealth.com |
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