Swine Flu Info Blog

6 comments:

maggie22 said...

All Flu's travel in a cycle or pattern and there are many different types or strains of them. Each year those strains change just a little bit. Just like a child grows and changes each year.
The scientists have to change the medicine (flu vaccine) each year to protect people from the new strain. These medicine's don't work well for every person. Every hundred years or so a strain is so strong and changes so rapidly that the scientists can't find a medicine that works well to kill it.
Our bodies have special cells that remember the viruses that invaded us. Our body is able to attack these viruses, but it takes time. When we have a fever our body is making the necessary cells to mount the attack. If the body can't do it quick enough to keep up with the invading virus,(the virus multiplies millions of times inside our body) we get much sicker.
The problem with H5N1 is that it is a virus and a virus is not "alive" or activated until it gets into your body. Medicine (the chemical parts) for a virus hurt the body cells at the same time it is hurting the virus. Since the virus is really smart, it changes inside the body to live, so the medicine can't hurt it. Then we get sicker, the body can only tolerate a fever to a certian degree. All of the body works together, so every part is affected by the virus in one way or another. When too many parts or body systems are infected, we start to shut down because we can't keep up with the massive numbers of "live" virus inside us.
In the past; flu's from bird sources have been known to spread rapidly and change rapidly. The problem lies within the way it can spread and change. All people need to breath, if a virus is in the air, we breath it in. If this virus can be activated in the lungs (all viruses are different and not all can "wake up" in the lungs)then we can not only get ill, but each time we sneeze, cough, or have a runny nose we spread it to someone else.
The scientists are concerned that this flu will change enough to be spread by infected people breathing (sneezing, coughing, runny nose). Then everyone an infected person comes in contact with is at risk of getting the virus. In the past, the avian flu's have done just this, and remember they cycle, so we are historically well past due for one of these types of viruses.

May 3, 2009 at 12:54 PM

Martin S said...

Influenza virus is one of the most frequent and also highly ifective human pathogen. There are many types (strains) of influenza virus.
Influenza can infect many, birds and mammals. Clinically and epidemiologically most important is Influenza A virus. This cause epidemies and pandemies. In cause of immunocompromised or older people infection leads to death sometimes.
Antigenic composition Haemaglutinin and neuraminidase)is important for virulence and host range of virus. Eg. H5 N1 is predominantly bird pathogen and is rarelly transferred to humans. Our immunity system is not prepared for this type of virus (we didn´t met it before).
BUT.
Influenza is RNA virus, which can modify its antigen composition frequently by processes called antigenic shift and antigenic drift. When this highly pathogenic strain modifies its surface antifens to form easy transferable from human to human and holds its virulence (new antigenic type), epidemics and pandemics may occur.
There are only few therapeuticals useful for influenza treatment (oseltamivir/Tamiflu) and virus can also develop resistance against these, too. Antibiotics and antibacterial chemotherapeutics are NOT effective against any viruses.
Normal uncomplicated influenza is not so dangerous. But some complications may occur (e. g. bacterial superinfection), that increase mortality.

May 3, 2009 at 12:54 PM

philtuz7 said...

in my opinion the government are panicking people like they usually do however this so-called bird flu may be different but instead of stockpiling the medication why dont they give the population an injection now like the flu jab then it will stop before it starts

May 3, 2009 at 12:54 PM

Baby Bed Rails said...

because its not normal human flu its aviatian flu that will kill hundreds of thousands of people before we come up with a vaccine. Dont you watch or read the news

May 3, 2009 at 12:54 PM

notgnal said...

At the end of the first world war there was a flu pandemic which killed more people than died in the war..!!

May 3, 2009 at 12:54 PM

Dra. Mejía said...

This flue is not normal in humans, so thast why government is worried about it. Y?? it doesnt cause only fever, it kills. Actually there is no cure for this desease, only treatment for the consecuences and thats y people is dying. Cause it affects lungs (blood in lungs), so people stop breathing. And u know most of the people int he world r poor so they wont be able to get this treatment and will die.
Also this virus could mutate, and people will get it by being close of an infected person. Cause now u get it ionly if u eat chicken meat. So thats y they r worried, cause they dont have medication, and it would be a pendemia soon if they dont find solutions.

May 3, 2009 at 12:54 PM