In preparation for the upcoming cold and flu season the DU Health and Counseling Center conducted an information seminar last week in Driscoll Gallery on the avian flu and how the DU community can protect itself from the spread of this or any flu virus.

Recent outbreaks in isolated areas of Asia and parts of Africa have created a heightened awareness of Bird Flu and Katie Dunker and Louise McDonald helped to separate fact from fiction as well as assess the risks Avian Flu poses for humans.

The avian flu is a type of influenza virus found in birds and has several different strains, similar to the multiple variations of the human flu.

The strain of avian flu that is of the most concern for humans is the H5N1 strain.

H5N1 is a highly pathogenic form of the virus spread by migratory birds and carries a 90-100 percent mortality rate among infected birds within a 48-hour period.

The primary concern associated with the H5N1 strain is that it has been shown to be transmittable from birds to humans, albeit in a small number of confirmed cases and without any sustained human-to-human transmission as of yet.

Health officials like Dunker and McDonald fear the possibility of a mutation of the H5N1 strain and increased human-to-human transmission which presents the risks associated with a pandemic flu outbreak.

“We are not immune to H5N1 and there is no vaccine,” said Dunker.

When speaking of a virus’s unpredictability and the influenza virus’ particular habit of mutating, Dunker spoke of a link between human and bird flu viruses.

“Some genetic parts of the human flu are viruses that have originated among birds,” said Dunker.

According to Dunker, one cannot predict if the H5NI strain will mutate and lead to increased human to human transmission, but education and basic tips on germ prevention will help in protecting the human population in the event of an outbreak.

Bird flu is typically transmitted from birds to humans through contact with infected poultry.

The most risky environments for contracting the virus are slaughter houses and wet markets in Asia.

Because the virus is primarily spread bird to bird, the bird migration patterns, running north to south, keep the virus somewhat isolated, as the North American bird population does not typically interact with the Asian bird population.

Another factor limiting the transmission of the H5N1 virus is that it has a short survival period outside a living organism.

The virus requires a moist environment to survive and can only survive a few hours, up to a day, outside a living being. This makes wet markets a hot bed for potential health concerns.

There have been 252 bird flu cases involving humans with a confirmed mortality rate of 58 percent.

These instances have taken place in the such countries as Cambodia, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Turkey and Vietnam.

The cases have been difficult to diagnose initially because the H5N1 virus masks as human flu with many of the same symptoms, chills, fever and vomiting.

After an incubation period of one to two weeks other symptoms arise which can include bleeding of the gums and nose, shortness of breath, followed by edema (swelling of the brain) and potentially fatal respiratory failure.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a pandemic is classified in stages. The avian flu is currently in the third stage characterized by limited person-to-person transmission.

Stage four of a pandemic exhibits the evidence of an increase in such transmission.

In order for the avian flu to be categorized as stage four by the WHO a strong indication of sustained human-to-human transmission within a population cluster must be reported.

In the event that avian flu would be classified as a stage four pandemic, the DU Bird Flu Task Force would take action.

This taskforce is made up of essential university personnel and has been meeting regularly to prepare for such eventuality.

Presently there is no vaccine for Avian Flu and one cannot be produced until a new pandemic influenza virus emerges and can be identified.

Even then, the scope of its impact is anyone’s guess .

“A vaccine cannot be produced until a new pandemic influenza virus emerges and is identified,” said Dunker as she stressed the importance of preparation and knowledge. “Even then, no one can be certain if that vaccine would be effective.”

Dunker and the DU Health and Counseling Center offer the following suggestions to prepare not only for the slim chance of an outbreak of the bird flu, but to be ready for the flu season in general.

Tips for the public include: washing hands regularly for at least 20 seconds in hot water, keep body clean, cook poultry properly, get a flu vaccination every fall or winter, improve your immune system through proper diet and exercise, quit smoking, and be prepared for a pandemic outbreak and have a 72 hour kit ready.

McDonald concluded the session by indicating that there are no immediate or impending human risks at the present time, but offered a suggestion that recalled the long-standing Boy Scout motto,

“There is no pandemic flu anywhere in the world right now so there is no need to panic, but we must be prepared.”