BIRD FLU Prepared by: Haifa Al-Dhahri

Bird Flu(Avian influenza): Avian influenza viruses compose the Influenzavirus A genus of the Orthomyxoviridae family and are negative-stranded, segmented RNA viruses. Have 8 genetic segements. Core: for replications Surface: (HA) and (NA)

(H5N1) virus:  Influenza A (H5N1) virus – also called “ H5N1 virus ” – is an influenza A virus subtype that occurs mainly in birds. It was first isolated from birds, H5N1 virus circulates among birds worldwide, is very contagious among birds, and can be deadly.

Symptoms of bird flu in humans: 1-Typical flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat and muscle aches). 2-Eye infections. 3-Pneumonia. 4-Severe respiratory diseases. Infection: Infected birds shed flu virus in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces.

Why humans cannot catch bird flu easily and cannot easily transmit it to other humans? For a human to become ill as a result of H5N1 infection, the virus has to make its way deep into the lungs. An infected person who coughs or sneezes expels hardly any of the viruses (because they are too deep inside the lungs). If the virus mutates, so that it can easily be transmitted from human-to-human.

Diagnosis: Microneutralization test: requires use of the live virus to interact with antibodies from the patient's blood. Hemagglutination inhibition test: Performed according to established procedures, with the use of horse erythrocytes. After treatment with receptor-destroying enzyme to remove nonspecific inhibitors of agglutination.

Treatment: Antiviral drug are sometimes effective in both preventing and treating the disease that can reduce the effects of virus. Zanamavir. Oseltamavir.

Vaccine: Vaccine for H5N1 is important steps toward control of a pandemic. Take at least four months to produce the immune response and must be prepared for each subtype. The vaccine is based on an H5N1 virus isolated from patients. The hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes from that virus were spliced together with genes from another flu virus strain commonly used in vaccines.

Reverse genetics: A new strategy to combat the deadly H5N1 flu virus. Where the virus's genes are rearranged in a lab to make a new strain. Can go into the genetic material and remove the pieces of protein that cause those traits." To develop the H5N1 "seed strain" for making the first pandemic vaccine, they took the surface protein spikes of the bird flu virus, the H5 and N1, and put them together with the genetic material of a harmless, master strain that's been used for decades to produce flu vaccine.

Cont. But instead of allowing the genes of the two viruses to mix in a fertilized egg--a process called reassortment They're starting with the genes in a test tube and putting them together in the lab. It takes some of the randomness out of the vaccine process.

New study: The higher the dosage of vaccine, the greater the antibody response produced. According to researchers, a new experimental bird flu (avian flu) vaccine protects 54% of people who get two shots at a very high dose (90 micrograms). This dose is twelve times higher than that needed for protection from normal human flu.

potential of plasma treatment against bird flu: Recent demonstrations that the H5N1 virus may occur in blood more widely than other strains of influenza. And the perceived threat of influenza virus transmission through the use of plasma derivatives. As this family of viruses is lipid-enveloped, it was expected that they would be readily inactivated through pasteurization, vapor heating, low pH and solvent detergent treatment methods.

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