What Has Lead Avian Influenza to Affect Humans :: Bird Flu Influenza Disease H5N1

What Has Lead Avian Influenza to Affect Humans Avian Influenza is a negative stranded virus that has many different strands. The virus first jumped the species barrio in 1997 when a human was infected from poultry. Because of the variation in human and animal species and their genetic makeup, the H5N1 strand which was transferred to humans served no threat to the poultry but was deadly to humans. Although there are no vaccines present there are antiviral medications like Tami flu that are produced by Gilead Sciences. The H5N1 strand of Avian Influenza is transferred through Aerosols, if a patient is seen within forty eight hours of the first symptoms there is and antiviral medication which may help decrease the symptoms. The main question that is lingering in society is, â€Å"Today’s Epidemic or Tomorrows Pandemic?† At this monment it is not officially a pandemic but the outbreaks hint that it may soon become one. A Pandemic and Epidemic are very different things. An Epidemic is a variation of a disease or virus that is spread rapidly through a secluded area and affects its inhabitant; while on the other hand a Pandemic is a disease or virus that spreads rapidly through a large geographic area and affects much of its population. Both Pandemics and Epidemics affect people of all ages, ethnicities, cultures and religions. There is no one who is immune to any disease or virus and its effects. In the late 1900’s there has been a lingering concern of a pandemic outbreak of the virus that causes Avian Influenza. The virus is rumored to affect people like HIV/AIDS, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and even serve as a Bioterrorism threat. The virus originated in the Eastern area and has many different forms and strands. At this moment there are vaccines which help prevent and control the spread of the virus, if the virus is not contained there may be many consequences and repercussions . AVIAN INFLUENZA 2 Avian influenza is a virus that first passed the species to barrier in 1997, it jumped from animals to humans. It was known to be in bird species hundreds of years ago; finally it crossed the species barrier in Hong Kong for the first time. There are many different strains of the virus; some of the strains affect humans while other strains of the virus don’t affect humans at all. There are three categories of the virus but every category contains negatively stranded DNA and RNA.