Pandemic Threat of Avian Influenza Virus - Essay Example

A lot of avian influenza viruses have been able to cross the species barrier on a few occasions with the effect of having a varying impact on human health. Kreijtz et al, (2013), point out that the majority of the humans infected with the avian virus have presented with severe viral pneumonia before they eventually became critically ill. These symptoms are supported by findings by the CDC (2014) which reports that while some relatively mild cases of human H7N9 infection have been reported with most of these patients being diagnosed as having severe respiratory illnesses, an alarming one-third of infections result in death. The pandemic potential of the H7N9 virus is evidenced by the fact that the estimated mortality rate of one-third of infected patients provided by the CDC (2014) is found to be similar to the results of an epidemiologic study that was conducted on 82 confirmed cases of persons infected with the H7N9 virus in china by Li et al. (2013). In the study, it was found that the mortality rate for the disease was about 21%, however, Li et al, (2013), highlighted the fact that this percentage was quite likely to increase as most of the patients in the study who were confirmed as having the H7N9 virus infection remained critically ill.

Attempts to try and control the spread of the avian A (H7N9) virus by the controlled culling of birds in affected areas might not be particularly successful as is shown by the results of a study conducted by Olson et al, (2013). In the study, the researchers established that controlling human infection with the H7N9 avian influenza subtype by the culling of birds might prove to be quite challenging as a result of the probability that some of the infected domestic flocks might be asymptomatic. Olson et al, (2013), also notes that in wild bird populations, low pathogenicity strains of the virus were found to be more likely to be sustained for longer periods as compared to highly pathogenic strains which the research found to be unable to persist in wild populations in the absence of introductions from the domestic reservoirs.

In the United States, the CDC has laid in place a lot of measures that will help to protect the country’s citizens from the threat posed by the H7N9 virus. The United States government actively supports the international surveillance of H7N9 and all the other viruses that have pandemic potential. As part of its prevention measure, the CDC is attempting to develop a candidate vaccine virus to help in making a vaccine for the virus if this vaccine is ever needed. In addition to this, it has also issued several guidance measures to public health authorities across the United States. The United States government also endeavors to provide information for people traveling to China (CDC 2014).

Even though data from several research has shown that the spread of the avian influenza A (H7N9) virus cannot be easily spread by human-to-human contact, the spread of the virus from birds to humans is quite concerning. The CDC (2014), postulates that the spread of the virus will probably continue and it can spread from China to some of its neighboring countries. The most concerning aspect of the spread of this virus is its pandemic potential. Influenza viruses constantly change and it is quite probable that this virus will eventually gain the ability to be able to easily and quickly spread among huge populations in a trend that will trigger a global outbreak of the disease (pandemic).