The Potential for Avian Influenza to Cause Another Worldwide Pandemic

Throughout the history, influenza viruses have caused several pandemics or global epidemics, killing many people. For example, the influenza strike in 1918 to 1919 infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide, which is one-third of the planet’s population at the time and killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million people. More than 25 percentage of the U.S. population were affected, and caused 675,000 deaths in U.S during the pandemic.(History, 2015). There were no effective treatments for this type of influenza and no available vaccines can prevent its spread during the period. (History, 2015) U.S government required general population to wear masks and other protective equipments in public areas, and many public places also closed due to the influenza strike. Health care providers tried everything they knew to save people, but none shows any evidence of effects. (National Center for Biotechnology Information [NCBI], 2015). Scientists found out that the influenza virus had invaded their lungs and caused pneumonia, which made so many people died from the pandemic (History,2015). Another influenza strike happened

According to Center for Disease Control (CDC), influenza viruses are divided into three types, designated as A, B, and C. Influenza type C usually only causes either very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. Types A and B, however, are responsible for epidemics of respiratory illnesses that can result in hospitalization, or even death. Influenza is constantly changing over time by mutations. This continual change allows the virus to evade the antibodies that were meant to kill it. A host infected with influenza virus develops antibodies against that virus; as the virus changes, the "first" antibody no longer recognizes the "newer" virus and infection can occur because the host does not recognize the new flu virus as a problem until the infection is well under way. The first antibody developed may, in some instances, provide partial protection against infection with a new influenza virus. According to Medicine Net.com, In 2009, almost all individuals had no antibodies that could recognize the novel H1N1 virus immediately. It quickly spread throughout the world so fast that the WHO declared this new flu strain (termed novel H1N1 influenza A swine flu). There are currently four main strains of influenza circulating worldwide. Three of the viruses are type A, and one is type B. Type A viruses are divided into subtypes based on the differences in two viral proteins called hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N). The three subtypes of influenza A are A(H1N1), A(H3N2), and A(H5N1). The reason for several strands of type A are because of the two kinds of change influenza A

Every year, millions of people start talking about the influenza virus and getting their vaccines as the flu season approaches, which starts around the October-November period and reaches its peak between December and March. Therefore, public health officials around the world- and in the U.S in particular- are constantly challenged by properly preparing for the annual influenza dilemma, given that this viruses, and other respiratory viruses, are a serious health threat to the U.S population and the world as a whole. Furthermore, what makes the influenza virus even more challenging to control is that it can mutate rapidly and reassort to form new strains, having the ability to reside in multiple animal hosts. In fact, many scientists and researchers have been doing in-depth intensive research so as to understand the mechanism behind this unique characteristic of the virus, try to find new ways to control it, and explore different areas of protection and vaccination.

Influenza is not a deadly virus and does have a vaccination. One of the three types of influenza, type C, “type C infections cause a mild respiratory illness and are not thought to cause epidemics” (Types of Influenza Viruses). The other two types of influenza viruses type“ A and B viruses cause seasonal epidemics” and happen mostly when winter hits (Types of Influenza

There are there types of influenza A and C or the most severe types and B which is the most common, Luckily not the to severe. The virus works by first attaching to the outside of a host cell. It injects its RNA into the cell. Unfortunately our cells treat the RNA like they should. It translates the viral genes using the cell’s ribosomes and enzymes. Now the virus can take the cell over and use it to reproduce more viruses. Sooner or later it releases the new nauseating viruses and they search for another cell to raid.

Avian influenza is a disease that has been wreaking havoc on human populations since the 16th century. With the recent outbreak in 1997 of a new H5N1 avian flu subtype, the world has begun preparing for a pandemic by looking upon its past affects. In the 20th Century, the world witnessed three pandemics in the years of 1918, 1957, and 1968. In 1918 no vaccine, antibiotic, or clear recognition of the disease was known. Killing over 40 million in less than a year, the H1N1 strain ingrained a deep and lasting fear of the virus throughout the world. Though 1957 and 1968 brought on milder pandemics, they still killed an estimated 3 million people and presented a new

Once there was a virus named Birdie. This virus was a Bird Flu, or Avian Influenza, virus of the subtype H5N1, the first strain of Avian Influenza having the ability to infect humans (Normandin and Solan). Birdie looked like a microscopic pomander, a fragrant orange with cloves stuck in it. Inside, she had eight pieces of single stranded ribonucleic acid or ssRNA. Birdie was deadly to humans, but was not able to spread from one human to another. She could only spread from birds to humans ("Bird Flu"). Birdie started out inside a chicken named Cluck, where she was formed. A little while later, Cluck's farmer Mark, sold his Cluck, to Joe, another poultry farmer because Mark did not realize that Cluck had H5N1. After a few months of Cluck living

Influenza is a life threatening illness caused by influenza virus. It is a contagious disease of the respiratory tract causes serious infections and death around the globe usually in winter season. There are three types of influenza viruses infect humans, type A, B and C. Influenza A and B cause severe disease and major outbreaks and can be prevented through influenza vaccination. Influenza C causes common cold like illness among children. Influenza A is responsible for influenza pandemics. Influenza A and B viruses have two main proteins on the outside of virus, the haemaglutinin (H) and the neuraminidase (N) proteins and are referred as antigens as they are the structures to which our immune system responds. New strains of influenza A and B continually form because the H and N antigens change.

There are three types of the influenza virus: Type A, B, and C. Types A and B are contracted and spread by human-to-human transmission.

Influenza is a viral infection. Virus infects human respiratory system cause fever and muscle ache. Influenza infection kills hundreds of thousand of people around the world each year. There are three major types of influenza viruses--A, B, and C. Type A virus causes the most sickness among humans. Influenza Pandemics is a spread of Influenza A virus on a worldwide scale. Pandemics occur when a new subtype of influenza A, which has never infected humans before, generates.

Influenza A is the worst of the three kinds. According to source 1, flu type A can infect animals, though it is more common among humans. Wild birds are common hosts. Influenza A2 is spread by people who are already infected. It can be spread by sneezing and coughing. Influenza A is the type of flu you get a shot for. It can cause epidemics and pandemics. This is important because we need to know why doctors

Influenza is a virus that is transmitted mainly via airborne process, which is one of the fastest mode of transmission. It is transmitted though airborne due to symptoms such as coughing and sneezing of the host (the infected). The host sneezes and coughs, influenza can easily be transmitted the agent via droplets and small microorganism, therefore entering the uninfected though the respiratory system (mouth and nasal) (WHO, 2016). Another way the virus can lead to pandemic, is due to the fact that the number of human and animals continue to grow and interact. Thus, the pandemic of influenza type A is possible. This mode of transmission is both and; the airborne (respiratory system) and physically (hand contamination). The customarily begins in rural areas (farms) as the virus can be found in hosts such as horses, pigs, chickens and birds. There has been an undetected interchange of the disease among animals and humans in rural environments which then eventually grows to become a global pandemic (Webster, RG & Monto, AS et al 2013, Textbook of influenza). The virus may continue to spread physically due to hand contamination in public; these may include door handles, public transport and other hand held hold objects. The last mode of transmission is genetically, this may then lead to asthma or even death (WHO,

v. Occurs most often in farmers close to live stock. Virus arise in pigs that become simultaneously infected with both avian and human viruses.

It has been proved that no vaccine specifically for this avian influenza virus. Even though there is no specific route for the transmission and infection of the virus but it is still have to practice and follow good hygiene to prevent infection. In order to prevent infection, do not have contact with infected animals and make sure the food is safe enough to eat. However prevention and control of the virus transmission does not sustained human to human of this virus transmission.

With a huge number of victims, 80 to 100 million, since 1918, the influenza is considered as one of the most pandemic diseases ever. There are three types of influenza virus: influenza virus A, influenza virus B, and influenza virus c. These are a subtypes of the virus family orthomyx-oviride. The types B and C do not cause pandemic diseases while type A does. The type A classified into three main subtype H1.N1, H1.N2, and H3.N2. The (H.N) refers to the two kinds of proteins on the surface of the virus (hemagglutinin and neuraminidase). The difference in numbers is due to the difference in protein variability. A H1.N1 virus which is widely known as Spanish flu is the only type that can transmit from human to human. The H5.N1, or “bird flu”