Avian Flu Is Deadly to Some Species but Not Others

In the last two years, bird flu has been blamed for the deaths of millions of wild and domestic birds worldwide. It’s killed legions of seals and sea lions, wiped out mink farms, and dispatched cats, dogs, skunks, foxes and even a polar bear.

But it seems to have hardly touched people. That’s “a little bit of a head scratcher,” although there are some likely explanations, said Richard Webby, a flu researcher at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. It could have to do with how infection occurs or because species have differences in the microscopic docking points that flu viruses need to take root and multiply.

But what keeps scientists awake at night is whether that situation will change.

“There’s a lot we don’t understand,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, a former CDC director. “I think we have to get over the ‘hope for the best and bury our head in the sand’ approach. Because it could be really bad.”

Some researchers theorize that flu viruses that originated in birds were the precursors to terrible scourges in humans, including pandemics in 1918 and 1957. Those viruses became deadly human contagions and spread in animals and people.

A number of experts think it’s unlikely this virus will become a deadly global contagion, based on current evidence. But that’s not a sure bet. Just in case, U.S. health officials are readying vaccines and making other preparations.

Source:AgriMarketing.com