Influenza pandemics and avian flu - PubMed Central (PMC).

Avian influenza is transmitted by direct exposure to infected live or dead birds or contaminated environments although, once caught, animal flu viruses don’t easily transmit from human to human. However, it is a disease that can rapidly mutate.

The current WHO phase of pandemic alert for avian influenza H5N1 is 3. Currently, the avian influenza H5N1 virus continues to circulate in poultry in some countries, especially in Asia and northeast Africa. This virus continues to cause sporadic human infections with some instances of limited human-to-human transmission among very close contacts.

The current concern is that human infections with the Asian H5N1 virus (or any other AI virus) could lead to reassortment, antigenic shift and the emergence of a pandemic virus if the person was also infected with an influenza virus currently circulating in the population.

In 1918, an influenza pandemic that originated with avian flu killed 50 million people. Researchers isolated samples of that virus from bodies of infected people preserved in Alaskan permafrost since 1918. From the samples, they sequenced the viral genome, then reconstructed the virus.

CELL ENTRY: At upper right, a BLUE influenza virus particle (representing an avian flu virus) is shown landing on the cell surface. The virus docks with cell membrane when the red spikes (haemagglutinin, shown in red) link to molecules on the cell surface. The cell surface folds inwards causing the virus particle to sink into the cell.

Pandemic influenza is an acute viral disease of the respiratory tract. It occurs when an influenza virus that was not previously circulating among people and to which most people have no immunity emerges and transmits among people. This course provides a general introduction to the disease and is intended for personnel preparing to respond to pandemic influenza outbreaks.

Avian influenza: assessing the pandemic threat 7 some unknown time prior to 1997, the H5N1 strain of avian influenza virus began circulating in the poultry populations of parts of Asia, quietly establishing itself. Like other avian viruses of the H5 and H7 subtypes, H5N1 initially caused only mild disease with symptoms, such as ruffled feathers and.

The branched tree that resulted showed that the genes of the deadly 1918 pandemic virus are of avian origin.. ancestor for almost all avian flu strains and an H7N7 virus that struck down horses.

The influenza virus Usually most people have heard of influenza, or in other words the flu. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza that infect the nose, throat, and even the lungs. There are three different types of the influenza virus which are: influenza A.

AbstractBackground. Human infections with avian influenza viruses (AIV) represent a persistent public health threat. The principal risk factor governing human.

The virus causing avian flu in poultry spreads by faeco-oral transmission. It is widely believed that humans contracting this condition have acquired it as a result of contact with infected poultry, either by airborne spread from birds or their faeces or by contamination during food preparation.

Avian Flu. Avian Flu Fortunately, I believe I have a good plan of action if the virus does make its way to the United States. The article explains that if the virus does mutate so it can transfer from human to human it could spread throughout the world in two to three weeks.