The Emergence Of H5n1 Bird Flu In Us Cattle

Step into the gripping world of global health security with "The Emergence of H5N1 Bird Flu in US Cattle," a groundbreaking exploration of one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time. In this riveting narrative, author Wayne J. Coker takes readers on a journey through the origins, characteristics, and transmission dynamics of the H5N1 avian influenza virus, offering unparalleled insights into its impact on wildlife, domestic animals, and humans alike. From the quiet spread of the virus to the challenges of detection and surveillance, this book uncovers the enigma of H5N1's reservoir in cows and examines the implications of deliberate infection experiments in high-security labs. Through a meticulous analysis of past outbreaks and current response efforts, readers will gain a comprehensive understanding of the threats posed by emerging infectious diseases and the urgent need for global collaboration and cooperation in addressing them. But "The Emergence of H5N1 Bird Flu in US Cattle" is more than just a recounting of events - it is a call to action. Empowering readers with actionable steps they can take to make a difference, this book inspires individuals to advocate for policies and investments that prioritize pandemic preparedness and support efforts to strengthen resilience and response capabilities. Whether you're a healthcare professional, policymaker, researcher, or concerned citizen, this book is essential reading for anyone invested in safeguarding public health and preventing future pandemics. Join us on the road to building a safer, healthier, and more resilient world - one where the threat of pandemics is minimized, and the health and well-being of all are protected. Order your copy of "The Emergence of H5N1 Bird Flu in US Cattle" today and be part of the solution. The future of global health security depends on it.

In 2009, Swine Flu reminded us that pandemics still happen, and award- winning journalist Alan Sipress reminds us that far worse could be brewing. When a highly lethal strain of avian flu broke out in Asia in 2003 and raced westward, Sipress, as a reporter for The Washington Post, tracked the virus across nine countries, watching its secrets elude the world's brightest scientists and most intrepid disease hunters. A vivid portrayal of the struggle between man and microbe, The Fatal Strain is a fast-moving account that weaves cultural, political, and scientific strands into a tale of inevitable pandemic.

Avian influenza, or 'bird flu', is a contagious disease of animals caused by viruses that normally infect only birds and, less commonly, pigs. Avian influenza viruses are highly species-specific, but have, on rare occasions, crossed the species barrier to infect humans. In domestic poultry, infection with avian influenza viruses causes two main forms of disease, distinguished by low and high extremes of virulence. The so-called "low pathogenic" form commonly causes only mild symptoms (ruffled feathers, a drop in egg production) and may easily go undetected. The highly pathogenic form is far more dramatic. It spreads very rapidly through poultry flocks, causes disease affecting multiple internal organs, and has a mortality that can approach 100%, often within 48 hours. A pandemic can start when three conditions have been met: a new influenza virus subtype emerges; it infects humans, causing serious illness; and it spreads easily and sustainably among humans. The H5N1 virus amply meets the first two conditions: it is a new virus for humans (H5N1 viruses have never circulated widely among people), and it has infected more than 100 humans, killing over half of them. No one will have immunity should an H5N1-like pandemic virus emerge. All prerequisites for the start of a pandemic have therefore been met save one: the establishment of efficient and sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus. The risk that the H5N1 virus will acquire this ability will persist as long as opportunities for human infections occur. These opportunities, in turn, will persist as long as the virus continues to circulate in birds, and this situation could endure for some years to come.

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Contents: (1) Background; (2) Global Prevalence: Transmission Among Birds; (3) Congressional Response; (4) U.S. Executive Branch Response: Dept. of State; USAID; HHS; USDA; DoD; (5) International Response: FAO; The World Organization for Animal Health; WHO; International Health Regulations; The World Bank; (6) Issues for Congress: Patent Protections; Global Data Sharing; Global Disease Surveillance; Global Pandemic Planning; Combating Bird Flu Among Animals in Affected Countries; Cost of Culling; Global Economic Impacts; Global Biosafety; (6) Appendix. Charts and tables.

The most probable and the greatest likely imminent threat to the United States and the rest of the world is a severe bird flu pandemic. There are an estimated four influenza (flu) pandemics each century. The last severe one was in 1918. This killed about five percent of the world's population. Five percent of today's U.S. population would be approximately fifteen million people (three hundred million of the world's pop.). Influenza mutates extremely rapidly even compared to other viruses. Influenza also can share genes with other strains of influenza. This makes it very possible or even probable that the deadly persistent bird flu (the H5N1 strain) currently sweeping the wild and domestic bird populations will eventually be able to be easily transmitted from human to human. Influenza has a history of being one of the most contagious of viral infections. The H5N1 strain of influenza is known to have infected 240 humans. Of these, 140 have died for a death rate of 58%. If it becomes easily contagious between humans, no one knows what the death rate will be. It could easily be very high. Modern medicine will not be capable of curing such an infection. This story is about a small group trying to survive in the social upheaval of a severe pandemic. I believe such chaos is possible. (Mike Stones MD)

In March and early April 2009, a new, swine-origin 2009-H1N1 influenza A virus emerged in Mexico and the United States. During the first few weeks of surveillance, the virus spread by human-to-human transmission worldwide to over 30 countries. On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6 in response to the ongoing global spread of the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus. By October 30, 2009, the H1N1 influenza A had spread to 191 countries and resulted in 5,700 fatalities. A national emergency was declared in the United States and the swine flu joined SARS and the avian flu as pandemics of the 21st century. Vaccination is currently available, but in limited supply, and with a 60 percent effectiveness rate against the virus. The story of how this new influenza virus spread out of Mexico to other parts of North America and then on to Europe, the Far East, and now Australia and the Pacific Rim countries has its origins in the global interconnectedness of travel, trade, and tourism. Given the rapid spread of the virus, the international scientific, public health, security, and policy communities had to mobilize quickly to characterize this unique virus and address its potential effects. The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control have played critical roles in the surveillance, detection and responses to the H1N1 virus. The Domestic and International Impacts of the 2009-H1N1 Influenza A Pandemic: Global Challenges, Global Solutions aimed to examine the evolutionary origins of the H1N1 virus and evaluate its potential public health and socioeconomic consequences, while monitoring and mitigating the impact of a fast-moving pandemic. The rapporteurs for this workshop reported on the need for increased and geographically robust global influenza vaccine production capacities; enhanced and sustained interpandemic demand for seasonal influenza vaccines; clear "triggers" for pandemic alert levels; and accelerated research collaboration on new vaccine manufacturing techniques. This book will be an essential guide for healthcare professionals, policymakers, drug manufacturers and investigators.

This book reviews the medical history of Hong Kong, beginning with its birth as a British colony. It introduces the origins of Hong Kong’s medical education, which began in 1887 when the London Missionary Society set up the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese. When the University of Hong Kong was established in 1911, the College became its medical faculty. The faculty has gained distinction over the years for innovative surgical techniques, for discovering the SARS virus and for its contribution to advances in medical and health sciences. This book is meant for general readers as well as medical practitioners. It is a work for anyone interested in Hong Kong or in medical education.

With the growing global fear of a major pandemic, avian influenza (AI) virus research has greatly increased in importance. In Avian Influenza Virus, an expert team of researchers and diagnosticians examine the fundamental, yet essential, virological methods for AI virus research and diagnostics as well as some of the newest molecular procedures currently used for basic and applied research. They present exciting, cutting-edge new methods that focus both on studying the virus itself and on work with avian hosts, an area greatly lacking in research.

The author explores the underlying conditions that would create a bird flu pandemic, examines the ways in which the public can protect themselves and their families, and describes what can be done to reduce the likelihood of spreading this disease.

In the past half century, deadly disease outbreaks caused by novel viruses of animal origin - Nipah virus in Malaysia, Hendra virus in Australia, Hantavirus in the United States, Ebola virus in Africa, along with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), several influenza subtypes, and the SARS (sudden acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) coronaviruses - have underscored the urgency of understanding factors influencing viral disease emergence and spread. Emerging Viral Diseases is the summary of a public workshop hosted in March 2014 to examine factors driving the appearance, establishment, and spread of emerging, re-emerging and novel viral diseases; the global health and economic impacts of recently emerging and novel viral diseases in humans; and the scientific and policy approaches to improving domestic and international capacity to detect and respond to global outbreaks of infectious disease. This report is a record of the presentations and discussion of the event.