Effective Treatments Against The Avian Flu Aka Bird Flu
August 29th, 2008

The bird flu is becoming a greater concern with health professionals in the countries that it affects. Currently there is no cure for the disease, though there are some treatments for it.

Treatment for the bird flu is most effective when it begins within two days of the onset of symptoms. There is a much higher fatality rate from the disease with patients who waited to go into the hospital, despite having a fever and respiratory distress.

The basic treatment for the bird flu is the same as it is for other influenza viruses. Sometimes antiviral drugs are effective for both treatment and prevention, though there are strains of the bird flu that are drug resistant. The drugs are also expensive and in limited supply. There is no vaccine available against a strain of the bird flu that can be transmitted to humans, so those who work with poultry birds are encouraged to prevent the flu virus from combining with another form of flu virus and mutating.

Tamiflu is the main drug used in the treatment of bird flu. In order to be most effective, it needs to be started within 24 hours of bird flu being diagnosed and any delays lessen the effectiveness of the drug’s ability to work. Tamiflu is not the same thing as a flu vaccine, nor should it be used to replace the vaccine. It is designed to weaken the symptoms, which can speed up recovery and offer a better chance of survival from the disease. It blocks a specific enzyme that helps the virus spread from infected cells to healthy ones.

As with many diseases, the best cure is prevention. If you work with chickens or other birds, you should be extra cautious. Avoid contact with wild birds, including ducks and other waterfowl. Limit the number of people coming in and out of the poultries to essential personnel only. Always use proper disinfectant procedures in the poultries, and follow all regulatory hand washing and cleaning requirements. Any unusual sickness or death among the birds should be reported to authorities, as well as any illnesses experienced by workers.

If you are going to be traveling in an area where bird flu has been diagnosed, there are some things that you can do to protect yourself as well. Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after handling chicken meat or other forms of poultry. Thoroughly clean and disinfect kitchen surfaces and utensils before and after use. Chicken should be cooked thoroughly at a boiling temperature. Do not buy or sell live chickens in a market where there is a threat of the bird flu. If you keep chickens as pets or a food source, do not allow them to roam freely. Avoid wild birds. Any unusual deaths or sickness among birds should be reported to authorities, as well as any respiratory illness in a person who has been exposed to dead or sick birds.

Following basic health practices will help to protect you should a pandemic situation occur. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, particularly before you eat and after close contact with strangers or animals. If soap and water are not readily available, consider carrying a bottle of waterless, alcohol-based hand sanitizer for in between washings. Cover your nose and mouth whenever you need to cough or sneeze. Avoid crowds as much as possible, particularly those in close confines such as a plane or subway. Get all illnesses looked at by a doctor, and if you are sick, do everyone else the courtesy of staying home. Follow all vaccination schedules as recommended by your local health department.

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