STORY BYViruses are versatile and cunningly adaptive. Bird flu is showing a particular talent for survivability.
Data from countries infected with the avian, or bird, (A/H5N1) flu virus suggest that it may be changing in ways that could result in a greater possibility of human-to-human transmission.
According to the May meeting of the World Health Organization (on the status of bird flu on Humans in Asia), features of human H5N1 infections in northern Viet Nam from January to April 2005 showed:
Though fewer deaths and lighter symptoms sounds good, these findings create concern that the virus may be becoming more infectious for humans and more genetically diverse. Data also demonstrate that the virus continues to evolve and poses a potentially growing threat of a pandemic (global epidemic). One case of resistance to oseltamivir, the antiviral currently used to treat patients infected with the virus, was also reported.
“This flu strain is surfacing continuously in Asia,” says infectious disease expert Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. “Authorities are on top of it and monitoring closely. But with global transportation, occurrence in other countries is a possibility. The public by and large is not immune.”
A total of 97 human cases and 53 deaths had occurred in Viet Nam, Thailand and Cambodia by early May, according to WHO. The presence of this virus strain also has been confirmed in birds in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Pakistan and South Korea.
More than 100 million poultry birds have been killed or culled since late 2003. Although experts cannot say with certainty how many humans could be affected by a pandemic, WHO estimates that two to seven million people would die and tens of millions would require medical attention during a “best-case” scenario. The range could be anywhere from two to over 50 million deaths. Non-bird flu usually causes about 36,000 deaths worldwide annually during seasonal outbreaks.
At sites where infection in poultry has been controlled or eliminated, human cases no longer occur, so prompt action in infected areas is a primary strategy. However, the virus has been shown to survive for three months in contaminated manure at cool temperatures and for up to four days at 72ºF and for more than 30 days at 32ºF in water. Research has shown that one gram of contaminated manure can contain enough virus to infect one million birds. Migratory birds, especially ducks, that may not show any symptoms, also transmit the virus.
Pigs are a special risk, since they are susceptible to both bird flu and the regular type of human flu, which could allow the virus to evolve to a strain that could be transmitted from human to human. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, in Viet Nam the H5N1 virus was detected in pigs raised on farms that also raised chickens infected with the virus.
As a preventive measure, the US government recently enacted a ban on the importation of birds and eggs from the infected countries. The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration also has issued guidances for farm workers/animal handlers, laboratory workers, medical workers that transport/treat avian flu patients, food handlers, airline flight crews and travelers.
Travelers to infected countries are advised to
“People here are taking preventive measures in case of a pandemic,” Ostrosky says. “Many preparations have been occurring, such as educating health care personnel how to recognize and isolate cases quickly, stockpiling antivirals and developing flu plans for hospitals. In addition, much research is underway.
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Dr. Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner is an associate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UT Medical School.
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Eating healthy
reverses metabolic syndrome
Dr. Tasnime Akbaraly of University College London and her colleagues were interested if healthy eating could actually turn-the-tide and reverse metabolic syndrome, which is having 3 or more of the following risk factors: excess abdominal fat; high triglycerides, hypertension, low levels of HDL the “good” cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes. Having metabolic syndrome doubles a persons’ risk of heart disease and greatly increases the odds of developing type 2 diabetes.
The researchers studied 339 British civil servants with metabolic syndrome, and how closely the adhered to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) to see if it could help reverse metabolic syndrome. The AHEI is a set of published nutritional guidelines by the Harvard School of Public Health in 2002 that emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables and decreased red meat consumption.
Five years into the study, nearly 50% no longer had metabolic syndrome. People who followed the AHEI guidelines the closest were nearly twice as likely to have reversed their metabolic syndrome. The results of the study were published in Diabetes Care, online July 29, 2010.
Dr. Alice Lichtenstein, an expert on diet and heart health from Tufts University in Boston who was not involved in the study said, "It's not about focusing on individual components of the diet, it's really the whole package, and that becomes important because it means that if one of the components of a healthy diet is to eat more fruits and vegetables, just buying a pill saying that there's a concentrated extract of fruits and vegetables is probably not what's going to help you."
Call and make an appointment with Wellness Coach Sam Hester, CWC, CPT, LWMC, at 713-500-3327. It's confidential and free. For more information on the wellness services provided, visit UT Counseling and WorkLife Services.
