Genetics and Health

Bird Flu Pandemic Looms

by Hsien Hsien Lei, PhD on July 5th, 2005

No public health blog is complete without mentioning bird flu aka avian influenza. According to some experts, a worldwide influenza pandemic is on the horizon and if anyone should be worried, it should be me.

My family and I currently live in bird flu central, Vietnam. While the U.S. has been delinquent in preparing for the disease that could kill 500,000 Americans, Vietnam and the rest of Asia are far more vulnerable. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 1, 2005)

Vaccines and anti-viral drugs, such as Tamiflu, are needed to combat bird flu. The World Health Organization recommends that countries stock enough Tamiflu for at least one-quarter of their population. The U.S. thus far has enough anti-virals for fewer than 2 percent of Americans. Results from clinical trials of an experimental bird flu vaccine will be released this summer. CDC officials plan to vaccinate critical health care workers and vaccine plant employees first, then people at the highest risk for flu.

I’ve been staying on top of the news via a customized bird flu section on my Google News page. For analysis, I turn to Effect Measure, an incisive public health blog with extensive coverage on bird flu. Its writers have collaborated in creating the Flu Wiki with the aim of helping “local communities prepare for and perhaps cope with a possible influenza pandemic.”

When it comes to bird flu, the best hope we have is for the H5N1 virus to mutate into something less virulent, but there’s no guarantee there won’t be another virus to take its place. Hopefully, this time around will simply be a good exercise for bolstering our public health system. Meanwhile, most of us can strengthen our immune system by drinking enough water, eating healthily, exercising, and getting a good night’s rest.

To your health!

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POSTED IN: General Genetics and Health