The Spread of Avian Flu

While seasonal flu shot effectiveness is considered to be 70-90% in preventing cases of seasonal flu in healthy persons under 65, there is currently no vaccine to control the spread of avian flu. Although wild birds are responsible for the spread of avian flu viruses, they are usually unaffected by them. The spread of avian flu among domesticated birds is rapid and sometimes results in the death of 90-100% of flocks. Currently the spread of avian flu to humans has occurred when people were in close contact with sick or dead birds or their excrements. Only rarely has the spread of avian flu been caused by human to human contact and then only when people lived in close quarters with someone who had caught the virus from an infected bird. Currently the concern is that if the virus mutated to a form that is highly contagious among humans, it could cause a pandemic or worldwide spread of avian flu among humans. Pharmaceutical companies are currently working on a vaccine that could control the spread of avian flu and it is expected that avian flu shot effectiveness could be just as high as the current seasonal flu shot effectiveness.

Seasonal flu shot effectiveness depends on several factors. Number one is the health of the immune system in the person who is taking the shot. The current spread of avian flu to humans in Asia and the Middle East has caused death in more than 50% of confirmed cases. It is highly possible that many of these people did not have healthy immune systems, particularly in Vietnam where a 2003 study showed that the amount of dioxin in the bloodstreams of over 3000 people were at unsafe levels. Laboratory studies using mice have shown that dioxins suppress the effectiveness of white blood cells that normally eliminate viruses, thus suppressing the immune system.

Another factor affecting flu shot effectiveness is the similarity of the viruses in the vaccine to the viruses currently circulating. There could be any number of influenza viruses circulating at any one time. On a yearly basis, pharmaceutical companies and government agencies select the viruses that are most likely to cause flu outbreaks and those are included in that years vaccine. Flu shot effectiveness does not occur immediately after the shot, it takes about two weeks for the body to build up immunity to those particular viruses. One concern over the spread of avian flu, or the possibility that it could mutate to one that is highly contagious to humans, is that pharmaceutical companies could not come up with an effective vaccine, quickly enough to prevent a world wide epidemic.

Currently there has been no spread of avian flu in the Americas, but scientists are watching migrating birds closely this year. The biggest concerns at this time are about how the poultry industry could be affected by an outbreak and uncontrolled spread of avian flu among domesticated birds. For more information about the spread of avian flu and general information about viruses and how to protect yourself and your family from them, visit www.immune-system-booster-guide.com.

Patsy Hamilton has more than twenty years experience as a healthcare professional and currently writes informational articles for the Immune System Booster Guide. To learn about products that can naturally boost your immune system, visit http://www.immune-system-booster-guide.com.

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