Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Michigan State University. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt Medical School, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Indiana University.
Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.
Bird flu can be prevented by avoiding contact with
sick poultry originating in countries known to be affected by the virus. In
2011, Egypt has the most reported cases to date. Prevention also includes
poultry safety measures such as destroying flocks when sick birds are identified
and vaccinating healthy flocks. Combined with import bans, this culling has
effectively limited the spread of bird flu in outbreak situations but naturally
has negative effects on the poultry and egg industry. Unlike SARS which some
investigators suggest has been eliminated from the world or Ebola which has a
narrow geographic range, the bird flu continues to exist in significant areas of
the world and can be spread widely by migrating birds.
Properly handling and cooking of poultry and eggs can kill viruses like the
bird flu virus. Hands should be washed before and after handling poultry and
eggs, and surfaces that have come in contact with the food should be cleaned
thoroughly with hot soapy water. Cooked poultry should have an internal
temperature of at least 165 F.
Masks and other respiratory protection should be used when caring for
patients with bird flu. If a person has close contact with an infected patient,
the exposed person may be offered oseltamivir in an attempt to prevent
infection.
In 2007, the FDA licensed the first vaccine in the United States for
humans against the highly pathogenic bird flu virus. The vaccine is made from
inactivated viruses and does not contain any live viruses. It has been shown to
stimulate the immune system to make antibodies against the bird flu virus that
could presumably protect a person from the bird flu. The vaccine has been
purchased by the federal government for inclusion within the CDC's Strategic National
Stockpile. It is not available to the general public in part because the United
States does not currently have a problem with the highly pathogenic strain of
bird flu. Vaccine side effects include a sore arm, fatigue, or temporary muscle
aches. The vaccine has not been tested in large numbers of patients, however,
and there may be other side effects that have not yet been detected. The current
vaccine is effective against the strain that has caused the large outbreaks of
bird flu, but it may not be as effective against a newly mutated strain found in
2011.
Research on vaccines against influenza viruses is ongoing, and new
developments such as a vaccine that is directed against the common and
relatively unchanging antigens on the influenza viruses may lead to a vaccine
that is protective against most if not all influenza viruses. If such research
is successful, potential influenza outbreaks, including avian flu, may be
reduced or prevented in the future.
Where can people find more information about bird flu?
United States. Flu.gov. <http://www.flu.gov/general/#top>.
Van Kerkhove, M.D., E. Mumford, A.W. Mounts, J. Bresee, S. Ly, C.B. Bridges,
and J. Otte. "Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1): Pathways of Exposure at the
Animal-Human Interface, a Systematic Review." PLoS One 6.1 Jan. 24, 2011: e14582.
Most sore throats are caused by viruses or mechanical causes (such as mouth breathing) and can be treated successfully at home. However, a person should be seen by a health care professional if they have a sore throat that has a rapid onset, and is associated with a fever or tenderness of the front of the neck; a sore throat that causes the person to have difficulty swallowing (not just pain swallowing) or breathing; or if a sore throat lasts for more than a week.
Diarrhea is a change is the frequency and looseness of bowel movements. Cramping, abdominal pain, and the sensation of rectal urgency are all symptoms of diarrhea. Absorbents and anti-motility medications are used to treat diarrhea.
Chronic cough is a cough that does not go away and is generally a symptom of another disorder such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, sinus infection, cigarette smoking, GERD, postnasal drip, bronchitis, pneumonia, medications, and less frequently tumors or other lung disease. Treatment of chronic cough is dependant upon the cause.
Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The causes of vomiting differ according to age, and treatment depends upon the cause of nausea and vomiting.
Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.). Fever is part of the body's own disease-fighting arsenal: rising body temperatures apparently are capable of killing off many disease- producing organisms.
Influenza (flu) is a respiratory illness caused by a virus. Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches. The flu may be prevented with an annual influenza vaccination.
Novel H1N1 influenza A virus infection (swine flu) is an infection that generally is transferred from an infected pig to a human, however there have been reported cases where infection has occured with no contact with infected pigs. Symptoms of swine flu are "flu-like" and include fever, cough, and sore throat. Treatment is generally with the antibiotics oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza).
Travelers should prepare for their trip by visiting their physician to get the proper vaccinations and obtain the necessary medication if they have a medical condition or chronic disease. Diseases that travelers may pick up from contaminated water or food, insect or animal bites, or from other people include malaria, meningococcal meningitis, yellow fever, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, polio, and cholera.
Infectious Disease RSS
Healthy Living Tips
