Authorities running poultry farms in Australia usually lack experience in meeting outbreaks due to engagement in the emergency response of farms. National health committees report said the steps and exercises did not permit a realistic test to the federal and state governments resources or legal powers.
Thorough planning for resource demands over the potential magnitude and length of the reaction was lacking said agricultural agencies. The health minister of Australia said that he was satisfied with the Australia's simulation, plans and their overall result, but requires to be improved in some areas.This progress results from the steps taken since the first national exercise, Minotaur, in 2002.
Preparedness in various countries and states
Improvements are incorporated into our response arrangements and now Australia's poultry farmers are better trained and prepared to manage bird flu outbreak, he said. Bird influenza or bird flu is a disease of viral etiology that varies from a mild or even asymptomatic infection to an acute, fatal disease of chickens, turkeys, guinea fowls, and other bird species, especially migratory waterfowl.
Fowl plague was described in 1878 as a severe disease of chickens in Italy. It was determined in 1955 that fowl plague virus is generally one of the influenza viruses. All influenza viruses affecting domestic animals belong to Type A, and Type A influenza virus is the most common sort producing serious epidemics in humans. Types B and C do not affect domestic animals.
Avian flu and other viruses leading to bird flu
The Avian flu viruses, along with the other influenza viruses, make up the virus family Orthomyxoviridae. The virus particle has an envelope type content with glycoprotein projections with hemagglutinating and neuraminidase activity. These two surface antigens, hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, are the basis of describing the serologic identity of the influenza viruses making use of the letters H and N with the appropriate numbers in the virus designation e.g., H7N2.
There are now about 15 hemagglutinin and 9 neuraminidase kinds of antigens described among the Type A influenza viruses. The designation of the virus type is based upon the antigenic character of the M protein. Type A influenza virus leads to bird influenza also known as the flu. It is a contagious disease and the major way that influenza viruses are spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes.
The flu and the bird flu are very different from that of a cold. The symptoms can range from a mild disease with little or no mortality to a highly fatal, swiftly spreading epidemic depending on the infecting virus strain, host factors, and environmental stressors
Bird Flu In America
It reminds some of the health researchers and scientists about the Black Death (Bubonic Plague) that broke out in China in 1300 and quickly spread to Europe. The death toll soon was in millions.
The scientists fear that this virus H5N1 has similar potentialities. However, the beginning of the devastation created by this virus is humble. The total death toll since its emergence is just 200! For the present, the rate of annihilation is slightly over 50% of the total persons affected.
For the Bubonic Plague, the carriers were the rats. For the bird flu, it is birds. The rats traveled in boats that carried the cargo from one country to another. Birds do it without the services of boats or jets. They are capable of flying from one country to another and now they show their damage capacity.
Having suffered the devastating Plague, why Europe is now worried is…this bird flu virus mutates at a fast rate! It hardly takes few months to develop itself in to a new virus, and the medical research is unable to catch up the virus in this marathon.
The true nature of these viruses is nothing but a guessing game. H5N1 is a deadly virus, and wants the return of at least 50% of the human beings that it attacks!
So, the bird flu has become the prize-coverage and the news related to it is given in the front page columns. The researchers see the latent threat in those fast multiplying and dividing viruses of bird flu.
The African, European and Asian countries could be the hotbeds for this disease. Will the bird-flu dance the death dance here? Some of the countries are in the process of conducting the mock-exercises, to tackle the eventuality of bird-flu. Those who are not much informed about the sequences and consequences of this disease do collect some introductory information about these viruses.
The European countries are well versed in wars. After having suffered the death and devastation in two major World Wars, the health authorities of these nations are now tuning themselves to face this weaponless war!
This recent outbreak of the bird flu has taken the scientists and the researchers in Europe scurrying for the panic buttons. A decade ago, very few knew what this bird flu was. Now, the economists, scientists and the politicians are all worried about it. World Health Organization has given the top priority to devise ways and means to tackle this disease.
And finally, Bill Gates opens the gates to sanction additional grants in the cause of preventing the bird-flu!
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