Viruses and Bacterial Infections in the Media

1. Viruses and Bacterial Infections in the Media Bird Flu Avian Influenza is a virus that is easily transmitted from bird to bird, but can also be transmitted from bird to human in a small amount of cases. Currently the bird flu is not in the United States. Human cases of influenza A (H5N1) infection have been reported in Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Nigeria, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam. • What can we do to prevent ourselves from getting the bird flu? • NEVER tough bird droppings • IF you do come into contact with droppings, wash your hands immediately • Avoid contact with grassy areas that have a lot of bird droppings • Do not wear shoes inside the house • NEVER touch a dead bird without gloves • Do not walk barefoot outside Mrs. Degl

2. What are the implications of avian influenza to human health? Two main risks for human health from avian influenza are: 1) the risk of direct infection when the virus passes from the infected bird to humans, sometimes resulting in severe disease 2) the risk that the virus – if given enough opportunities – will change into a form that is highly infectious for humans and spreads easily from person to person. Influenza A (H5N1) virus – also called “H5N1 virus” – is an influenza A virus subtype that occurs mainly in birds, is highly contagious among birds, and can be deadly to them. Outbreaks of avian influenza H5N1 occurred among poultry in eight countries in Asia (Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam) during late 2003 and early 2004. Mrs. Degl

3. West Nile Virus West Nile virus (WNV) is a potentially serious illness. Experts believe WNV is established as a seasonal epidemic in North America that flares up in the summer and continues into the fall. Mrs. Degl

4. What Can I Do to Prevent WNV?The easiest and best way to avoid WNV is to prevent mosquito bites. When you are outdoors, use insect repellent containing an EPA-registered active ingredient. Follow the directions on the package. Many mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn. Be sure to use insect repellent and wear long sleeves and pants at these times or consider staying indoors during these hours. Make sure you have good screens on your windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out. Get rid of mosquito breeding sites by emptying standing water from flower pots, buckets and barrels. Change the water in pet dishes and replace the water in bird baths weekly. Drill holes in tire swings so water drains out. Keep children's wading pools empty and on their sides when they aren't being used Mrs. Degl

5. What Are the Symptoms of WNV? Serious Symptoms in a Few People. About one in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe illness. The severe symptoms can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent. Milder Symptoms in Some People. Up to 20 percent of the people who become infected have symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. Symptoms can last for as short as a few days, though even healthy people have become sick for several weeks. No Symptoms in Most People. Approximately 80 percent of people (about 4 out of 5) who are infected with WNV will not show any symptoms at all. Mrs. Degl

6. How Does West Nile Virus Spread? Infected Mosquitoes. Most often, WNV is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds. Infected mosquitoes can then spread WNV to humans and other animals when they bite. Transfusions, Transplants, and Mother-to-Child. In a very small number of cases, WNV also has been spread through blood transfusions, organ transplants, breastfeeding and even during pregnancy from mother to baby. Not through touching. WNV is not spread through casual contact such as touching or kissing a person with the virus. Mrs. Degl

7. How Soon Do Infected People Get Sick? People typically develop symptoms between 3 and 14 days after they are bitten by the infected mosquito. How Is WNV Infection Treated? There is no specific treatment for WNV infection. In cases with milder symptoms, people experience symptoms such as fever and aches that pass on their own, although even healthy people have become sick for several weeks. In more severe cases, people usually need to go to the hospital where they can receive supportive treatment including intravenous fluids, help with breathing and nursing care. Mrs. Degl

8. Lyme Disease Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. Mrs. Degl

9. Ebola Virus No case of the disease in humans has ever been reported in the United States. Ebola-Reston virus caused severe illness and death in monkeys imported to research facilities in the United States and Italy from the Philippines; during these outbreaks, several research workers became infected with the virus, but did not become ill. Ebola hemorrhagic fever (Ebola HF) is a severe, often-fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees) that has appeared sporadically since its initial recognition in 1976. The disease is caused by infection with Ebola virus, named after a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) in Africa, where it was first recognized. The virus is one of two members of a family of RNA viruses called the Filoviridae. There are four identified subtypes of Ebola virus. Three of the four have caused disease in humans: Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan, and Ebola-Ivory Coast. The fourth, Ebola-Reston, has caused disease in nonhuman primates, but not in humans. Mrs. Degl

10. Symptoms of Ebola The incubation period for Ebola HF ranges from 2 to 21 days. The onset of illness is abrupt and is characterized by fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat, and weakness, followed by diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. A rash, red eyes, hiccups and internal and external bleeding may be seen in some patients. Mrs. Degl

11. HIV and AIDS AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome) is one of the worst pandemics the world has ever known. HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), the virus that causes AIDS, was first discovered in 1981 in a remote area of central Africa. It has since swept across the globe, infecting millions in a relatively short period of time. While many cases go unreported, the prevalence of the disease is increasing. Mrs. Degl

12. AIDS has killed more than 28 million people that we know of, with up to 3.6 million people dying in 2005 alone. • The flu pandemic of 1918 killed approximately 20 million people worldwide. • World War II killed approximately 40 million people. • Clearly the AIDS pandemic has had, and will continue to have, a significant and global impact. Mrs. Degl

13. How is HIV transmitted? • Sexual contact • Sharing contaminated intravenous needles • Breastfeeding (mother to baby) • Infected mother to fetus during pregnancy or birth • Blood transfusions (Rare in countries where blood is screened for HIV antibodies.) Mrs. Degl

14. What HIV Does Once the HIV virus enters the body, it heads for the lymphoid tissues, where it finds T-helper cells. Click here to look at how the HIV virus infects immune system cells and replicates. Antiretroviral medication can prolong the time between HIV infection and the onset of AIDS, but there is NOT a cure for AIDS. Modern combination therapy is highly effective and, theoretically, someone with HIV can live for a long time before it becomes AIDS. These medicines, however, are not widely available in many poor countries around the world, and millions of people who cannot access medication continue to die. Mrs. Degl