Avian Influenza or better known as the ‘Bird Flu’ is an extremely infectious disease caused by a type A strain of the influenza virus. First identified in Italy a mere one hundred years ago, wild bird populations carry these normally non-lethal flu diseases worldwide in their intestines. However the virus has mutated into the most fatal strain of influenza virus, known as H5N1, which is the strain causing so much havoc in the world and especially China today. Outbreaks of the highly pathogenic strain began in Southeast Asia in mid-2003 and are the most severe on record. Infected birds pass on the virus through their saliva, nasal secretions and faeces. Consequently other birds pick up the disease through direct contact with the infected bird excretions or contaminated surfaces, and spread it throughout the world during flights of migration. In a short period of time this will ultimately cause a pandemic. Pandemics are such dreaded events as they can rapidly infect all countries and once the virus spreads internationally it is considered unstoppable. Countries in Asia and especially China are most at risk to the latest outbreak of H5N1 due to flight migration patterns of infected birds as seen in this map. Crowded factory farms and unhygienic conditions of backyard farming and urban informal marketing also contribute to the spread of H5N1. In a short period of time, the Bird Flu will have devastating effects on the world environmentally, economically and socially.
H5N1 is having devastating effects on China environmentally, although the total impact has yet to be determined. All birds are highly susceptible to the Bird Flu, hence the name, and will cause severe even fatal symptoms. The main symptoms in birds or poultry include depression, loss of appetite, cessation of egg laying, nervous signs, blue discolouration of the comb, coughing, sneezing and diarrhoea, however sudden death can occur without any previous signs of symptoms. A local from China recounts the symptoms of an infected bird, “They were starting to shake and their face turned purple, almost black. The eyes were swollen and turned red, then there were tears dropping out from their eyes. There were saliva came out from the mouth. Very sticky too. And then they started to die.”
The Essay on Influenza Virus Flu People Epidemic
Influenza virus is something most people get at least once in their lifetime. It is commonly known as the flu. It contains single stranded RNA. It attacks both human and animals. It reproduces in a lytic cycle. It is inhaled and comes in contact with cells of the upper air passage. It penetrates the cells that line these passages and reproduce. New viruses are released from the infected cells and ...
In addition to death, loss of income to small-scale farmers, caused by the virus infecting their chickens, may trigger efforts to farm more intensively and on more marginal soils, risking lowered water quality and increased rates of soil erosion.
(Extract about victim of virus from 60 minutes) As you can see from the extract of a 60 minutes report, H5N1 is having serious effects on the victims and their families. Since 2003, China has reported 10 cases of the bird flu, six of which have died. This means more than half of those infected with the H5N1 virus have resulted in fatality. The H5N1 strain is so lethal to humans because it causes proteins known as cytokines to rush to infected lung tissue resulting in a ‘cytokine storm’ an immune overreaction that can be fatal. According to the World Health Organization, there is mounting evidence that the H5N1 strain has the unique ability to jump specie barriers and cause severe disease. Close human contact with live chickens, pigs and other animals can cause the H5N1 virus to exchange genetic material with other viruses, resulting in a new virus strain capable of spreading more easily between humans, ultimately causing a pandemic. This could cause 20% of the worlds population to become ill and within a few months thirty million people would need to be hospitalised of half of who will die. Most cases of humans infected with avian influenza have resulted from direct or close contact with infected poultry including domesticated chickens, ducks and turkeys. Symptoms of the disease in humans range from that of typical human influenza, for example fever, cough, sore throat and muscle aches, to eye infections and pneumonia.
The Essay on The pathway of air in amphibians, birds, fish, and humans.
How are they alike, and different? Is one more efficient than another? Gills/Lungs?HumansIn humans air travels into the mouth, or nose, and into the nasal cavity, followed by pharynx. The pharynx is where food and air cross paths. The pharynx increases the chance of choking, but also allows breathing when exercising and respiration though the mouth, if the nose is closed. Next, epiglottis opens ...
In addition to environmental and social effects, the Bird Flu will have a colossal impact on how China manages economically. The primary economic impact so far has been on poultry production, including farms and trade. Since trade is subject to ban in infected countries as they can’t differentiate between infected and uninfected vaccinated birds, poultry businesses and farms will suffer. Due to the decline in both tourists and exports, employment numbers and household income will suffer, which in turn reduces consumer spending. In addition, there will also be a collapse in the tourism industry given that in the coming months there will be a steep decline in tourists travelling to infected countries such as China. The socio-economic impact of lost flocks and vaccination costs is grave – especially for the low-income backyard farmers who make up the majority of producers. By late 2005, economic losses were estimated at US$10 billion and rising.
In effort to prevent and control further outbreaks, countries within Asia have resorted to desperate measures including the vaccination of poultry populations. China has claimed to be well on the way towards vaccinating every domestic bird in the country against avian flu. The bold scheme, which would mean inoculating some 14 billion birds, has come in light of the recent outbreak where health officials warn is dangerously widespread. The large-scale compulsory vaccination covers outbreaks in areas considered to be at high risk by reducing the viral load on the environment. Vaccinations reduce the level of excretion in the virus in infected animals therefore raises the threshold load for infectivity. However the vaccine currently used do not protect ducks and geese and is an imperfect match for the H5N1 strain as it allows the disease to spread to unvaccinated birds without birds showing signs of symptoms. A phenomenon known as a ‘silent epidemic.’ Though the vaccines only cost between US2.5-5 for a dose of 0.5mL, which is administered subcutaneously into the neck in young chickens and intramuscularly into the breast of older chickens, the vaccination program could prove expensive, as approximately sixteen billion vaccine doses are required per year, This means between $100-120 million are needed to aid over a course of three to five years. Officials are worried that some of Asia’s poorer countries may not be able to monitor vaccinated birds carefully enough. A leading researcher says, “We have a good vaccination tools to help the eradication effort, but if we don’t’ use them properly it could make the situation worse.” In order to achieve a successful vaccination program, doubling workers shifts will be put into action, which will result in additional money for employees but is also labour intensive. Most of this money though earned by workers will need to be paid for tax to assist in operations such as this.
The Essay on China One Child Policy
Imagine a world where one can’t just simply go to the supermarket because there is not enough food. A world where pollution is a daily reality, the air too thick to even breath and the water virtually undrinkable. A place you can no longer buy consumer goods because there isn’t enough materials to make them. This could become a reality, but preventing it has always been on the minds of the Chinese ...
Alternatively to the scheme to vaccinate bird populations, other methods put into practice by China to prevent further outbreaks of H5N1 include the mass culling of poultry, where over one hundred million birds have already been culled in Asia. Rapid culling of the H5N1 virus in animal populations is an essential measure to prevent the emergence of a new influenza virus subtype with pandemic potential. The World Health Organization has recommended urgent culling of infected and exposed bird populations to eliminate the reservoir of the H5N1 strain, similar to that of the culling operation in Hong Kong in 1997 that many experts believe averted an influenza pandemic. This measure not only creates jobs for China but also helps the environment by immediate prevention for further spread of the virus in bird populations, reducing the opportunity for human infection. But there are also many weaknesses involved with this method, as millions of birds would need to be culled in order for it to be effective, resulting in a disturbance in ecosystems. Socially, workers involved in culling operations are at great risk of infection due to such exposure of the virus, also placing risk on families and communities. Economically significant culls of domestic birds may stimulate shifts in agricultural production away from poultry to mammals or grains, and from small-scale poultry farming to large scale commercial operations able to afford increased bio-security costs. The lethal strain is widespread in wild and domestic bird populations meaning in the long run no matter how often effected flocks are culled the virus is likely to reappear.
The Essay on Migrant Bird Population Area Birds
1. Introduction: Population has been increased dramatically for last two decades, and at the same time, the area of wilderness area has been decreased (Geography 210 2001 and The Wilderness Society 1999). Human population, at the same time, distributed broader, which affected the number and size of the fragmented area in the wilderness area (Peter et al. 2000). Migrant birds tend to need large ...
When comparing and contrasting the two plans, vaccination and culling, the proposal to vaccinate the entire poultry population proves to have a significant amount more of strengths when referring to the environmental, economic and social status of China. Vaccination has minimal impact on China environmentally as it spares the lives of infected as well as uninfected animals, whereas the main purpose of culling is to eradicate of all poultry populations, inflicting greater threat to the environment. Vaccination also rates highly for social purposes, as it minimises the threat H5N1 poses on communities and produces jobs where employees are in safer conditions than if they were made to cull Although culling is the cheaper alternative in the short term, China will benefit to vaccinations in the long run as no matter how many chickens are culled there is a great likelihood of the virus re-emerging, costing more money for the government to execute such procedures. The reality is that H5N1 is now epidemic, and so China will have to turn to vaccination rather than mass culling in the longer term.
