H.S. Looks Like Tamiflu May Help Bird Flu

Hey folks,

Happy Earth Day to you. In the Health and Science segment this week, we continue our series on the Bird Flu threat. According to Reuters -Bangladesh says bird flu spread to more farms

Bangladesh said on Saturday bird flu has spread to six more farms despite efforts to tackle the virus by veterinary and health officials and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation.

"The infection was detected at a farm in western Magura district 200 km west of the capital Dhaka and five farms at Savar in the Dhaka district," a spokesman at the fisheries and livestock ministry said.

The H5N1 bird flu virus has been spreading in poultry flocks in Bangladesh ever since it was first detected on six of the country's farms on March 22 and despite culling and banning of the movement of chickens in areas with confirmed outbreaks.

"Pete, what is up with the Bird Flu thing? Why are you talking about it all the time?" This was a question that someone asked me. They seem to believe that Bird Flu is no big deal. It is on the other side of the world and has no effect on us. Or maybe they think I’m going to create panic, if I keep bringing it up. Here is the truth. I keep talking about it, because someone needs to.

This was big news a while back. It has the potential of coming here. According to the experts, it also has the potential of mutating into a disease that can transfer person to person. If it does, and it comes here, A LOT of people will die. Period. So I am attempting to keep people informed at what is going on with it. I’m not trying to create panic. Nor am I attempting to make it something it is not. It IS a dangerous disease that many people have forgotten is out there. Just like many things, this is a clear example of what I have told you before. If it is not on the nightly news, on one of the big three, a lot of people just do not know, or believe it. That is truly sad.

Noone knows how it has traveled so far. According to this article,

The virus is known to have infected nearly 300 people in 12 countries since 2003, killing more than half of them.

Human cases of bird flu have generally been linked to contact with infected poultry. Health experts fear the virus may mutate into a form that passes easily from human to human, causing a pandemic that could affect millions.

But there may be some hope, from a common drug. Also according to Reuters -Tamiflu key to treat bird flu, avoid steroids: WHO by Stephanie Nebehay. One attempt in fighting Bird Flu was the use of steroids. This failed. As a matter of fact, eight out of nine patients died. But Tamiflu?

The WHO reaffirmed that early treatment with Tamiflu, made by Swiss-based Roche and known generically as oseltamivir, was useful in reducing death from the H5N1 virus. Giving it to people with advanced symptoms was also "warranted."

"Data presented gave strong support that early treatment makes a difference," Hayden said, citing data from Egypt where 20 of 34 bird flu patients have survived to date.

"Unfortunately the problem is many patients are coming in late with shortness of breath and progressive symptoms that would indicate advanced viral pneumonia," he said.

While bird flu is mainly a disease in animals, experts fear it could mutate into a form that can be spread easily among people, triggering a possible pandemic.

Some 291 people have been infected with the disease, including 172 who have died, according to the agency.

Tamiflu, a flu drug, may also be used at a two-fold higher dosage and possibly in so-called "dual antiviral therapy" with an older class of drugs known as amantadine, the WHO said, in line with previous recommendations.

But such decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis, especially in patients with pneumonia or progressive disease.

Combining Tamiflu with amantadine may be especially useful in countries where the virus is susceptible to amantadine.

These countries include China and parts of Europe and Africa where a particular H5N1 subvirus or "clade" has spread, causing human cases since January 2006, according to Hayden. He cited Turkey, Egypt and Azerbaijan.

Antibiotics should only be given if there is good reason to suspect the patient has a bacterial complication to pneumonia -- according to the WHO. Antibiotics should not be given preventively, due to possible resistance and side-effects.

So something we already have may be a key ingredient it combating this disease. That is GOOD news. Let’s continue in THIS country to come up with ways to prevent and cure this possible mega threat, before it DOES come here.

I'll be back a little later with the IWA, talk to you all then.

Peter

Sources:

Reuters -Bangladesh says bird flu spread to more farms

Reuters -Tamiflu key to treat bird flu, avoid steroids: WHO