Bird flu comes to roost again

After a brief lull, avian influenza is once more doing the rounds in India.

As usual, it began with a nondescript news report from a remote corner of the country. But soon it became apparent that the dreaded bird flu was back, this time in Assam. The news came barely three weeks after the Indian government had heaved a sigh of relief and declared itself free from the avian influenza caused by the H5N1 virus.

It must be noted that the World Organisation for Animal Health declares a country clear only if the disease has not been seen for at least three months.

Large-scale poultry slaughter is on, but the biggest concern is humans being infected.

This year, Hong Kong has already reported infections in humans, and the latest is Cambodia. The World Health Organisation says H5N1 has killed nearly 250 people since 2003, which is far from a global pandemic. But it pays to revisit the precautions required during an outbreak, as it appears India can no longer consider it “rare and isolated”.

H5N1, while killing poultry, uses the opportunity for genetic material to be exchanged between species-specific viruses. Billions of dollars are being spent to develop influenza vaccines. The only good news is there is no human form of H5N1 — all humans have been infected with avian H5N1, which has a 50 per cent mortality rate, the WHO says.

The symptoms are hard to distinguish. They include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, conjunctivitis and, in severe cases, breathing problems and pneumonia. The state of the infected person’s immune system determines the severity. Also, it is said that if the victim has been exposed to the strain before, they will be partially immune.

Unfortunately, there is no highly effective treatment for H5N1 flu. Oseltamivir, commercially marketed by Roche as Tamiflu, sometimes inhibits the virus from spreading. Even though the WHO and many countries have been stockpiling it, they admit they do because of no other options. The WHO has admitted to uncertainties about the effectiveness of the drug.

While there have been cases of people stockpiling food and Tamiflu in panic, experts say that’s going too far. They recommend starting with the basics — Vitamin C, good containment of the infection and avoiding travel to affected areas. The best weapon against the virus, for now, still remains nipping it in the bud.