Bird Flu Mutation is No Joke

Changes Cited in Bird Flu Virus

Scientists have reconstructed viruses causing the Spanish Flu in 1918. Hoping that it will help shed some light on the current H5N1 Bird Flu in Asia region.

Before reading this article, I had read on possibilities of the H5N1 mutating into a human infect-able form. I did not make much out of it; “just another flu,” I thought. Wrong.

The Spanish Flu killed more than 50 million people after World War I. It was very infectious and spreaded like common flu i.e. it’s airborne. In May 1918, it infected more than 8 million people in Spain alone. Singapore has a population of about 3 million. Infected victims displayed symptoms of common flu, and died with 2-3 days from lung failure (lungs flooded with blood or fluid). Unlike most common pandemics, the Spanish Flu targeted young, healthy people:

“The strain was unusual in commonly killing many young and healthy victims, as opposed to more common influenzas which caused the bulk of their mortality among newborns and the old and infirm” – wikipedia.org

If you think SARS was bad or AIDS is incurable, think again;

“The social effects were intense due to the speed of the epidemic. AIDS killed 25 million in its first 25 years, but the Spanish Flu may have killed as many in only 25 weeks beginning in September 1918.” ” – wikipedia.org

Now, here’s the best part. Scientists confirmed that the current H5N1 is on an evolutionary path that may mutate the current Bird Flu in Asia into a form as deadly as the Spanish Flu.

The aim here is not to panic or feel that an apocalytic ending is near; however, for those like me, who have been undermining this issue; wake up.

Picture from NYTimes.com