FINAL NOTES
By now, you should have a good picture of what avian influenza is and how it affects the world today. We have covered everything from the virus's molecular details to the search for a cure. Some final notes and thoughts.
3-year old Andrew Reid watches with interest as a
plane touches down at Baltimore-Washington International.
If an H5N1 outbreak does occur, it will reach many cities in a
matter of hours, because of jet travel (Lynn Johnson)
- Since 1997, avian influenza has caused the deaths of millions of domestic and wild birds and over 80 people. With all the media coverage, some may think that the threat is overrated. The fact is, H5N1 is highly pathogenic, and research has shown that it has become significantly more deadly for mammals now than in 1997. With the number of infections increasing and the chances of the virus mutating into something more dangerous, keeping the public well informed is necessary.
- "Here in the United States, President George W. Bush is proposing a $7.1 billion dollar plan to prepare our country for a flu pandemic. If approved by Congress, $2.8 billion will be used to further the development of vaccine production in cell culture, replacing chicken eggs. $800 million would go to the development of new vaccines and antiviral drugs. In addition, $1 billion will be used to stockpile drugs and $251 million will be used in surveillance of possible flu pandemics.
- "Tamiflu maker Roche has been criticized because it is only able to make 8 million courses of Tamiflu a year at a factory in Switzerland. To increase production, Roche has granted a Tamiflu sub-license to Hetero Drugs in India, and is planning several new factories around the world.
- With the threat of a pandemic looming over our heads, the most important thing for countries to do right now is to prepare. Many countries are stockpiling drugs; others are developing new vaccines and researching new cures. Preparation, combined with an informed public, will greatly minimize the impact that a pandemic would cause.