According to Cox, a physician for the CDC (Center for Disease Control), "as surveillance has expanded, we're also seeing individuals with milder case.We're still seeing very severe disease in some cases, but overall I think it's somewhat reassuring." He also mentions that "a widely available diagnostic test would allow faster identification of patients who actually have the infection, and would also help disease detectives zero in on how people are being exposed." Dr. Ron Fouchier, a Dutch virologist says that "I wouldn't say a pandemic is more likely than it was a year ago; the only thing we can do as virologists right now is to point out the interesting characteristics of the virus, try to get to the bottom of this story and try to stop further infections."
So what do you think? Will this new strand of bird flu become a major problem, or does it seem under control?
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4 comments:
I think bird flu will lead to the next apocolypse. No, of course not. first and foremost, looking at the situation, nations like China have very high population densities, contributing to the rate of transmission. In China, healthcare is much more underdeveloped in contrast to nations like the United States. Both of these factors demonstrate how the surrounding environment and location influence the virility of a pathogen.
The point I'm trying to get across is that this virus is bluffed up to seem much more severe than it actually is. Avian carrier pathways can only spread so far, and with China's population situation, it is no surprise that we see such viral proliferation. (Not forgetting human-human interactions). However, seeing as how volatile viruses are, more research should still be implemented to find a cure. At this moment though, there us little to be worried about.
Virus are obviously an issue and can cause chaos throughout the news media. However, judging by the what is being said in this article, it really does not seem that this virus will be that large of an issue. Furthermore, as Kurtis said, China's large population density probably has something to do with the virus starting to spread. I feel like the media always seems to play up viruses as some sort of "Doomsday" ordeal. Viruses can be very damaging, however, I feel that with this knowledge doctor's technology will be ahead of this virus. This situation should be taken with caution, but not over dramatized.
I think we are lucky to only have 11 appearances of this virus. However, this virus will continue to mutate. In other words, we should continue research the characteristics of this virus to lessen its harmful potential. All I wanted to add was that even if this virus becomes less of a threat, studies and examinations should continue in order to provide insurance in case of another outbreak because it may save 11 more lives.
Based on the last time Avian flu came up in the news as H5N1, I highly doubt that this new mutation(H7N9) will become a major problem. As Kurtis has already stated, viral infections are most definitely volatile especially in a country with such high population density, but all this brouhaha over avian influenza is overhyped by the media for its actual spread and proliferation...just like the last time it appeared. That said, a cure or actual vaccine for these strands should still be continued in research and development to save more lives as Jaehee mentioned.
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