Transcript Health Policy: Avian Flu Influenza • Influenza or the Flu- An acute contagious viral infection characterized by inflammation of the respiratory tract and.

Health Policy: Avian Flu
Influenza
• Influenza or the Flu- An acute contagious
viral infection characterized by
inflammation of the respiratory tract and by
fever, chills, muscular pain, and
prostration. (dictionary.com)
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Avian Flu is global Health threat
originated from China
Spread quickly across seas and oceans
Looked upon as a possible big threat to the United
States
About120 people have been infected and 60 have died
Bubonic Plague
• Took place in the 14th
century
• The single worst
outbreak in Europe
• Brought to Europe
from the East by the
Mongols
• Spread by rats
1918 Influenza Pandemic
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An Avian Flu
Spread all over the world
Millions died
Wiped out whole villages
“It was a plague so deadly that if a
similar virus were to strike today, it
would kill more people in a single year
than heart disease, cancers, strokes,
chronic pulmonary disease, AIDS, and
Alzheimer’s disease combined.”
(Kolata 1)
• “…in a worst case
extrapolation from the toll of
the 1918 Spanish flu, could kill
150 million people—2.5
percent of the world’s
population—in a matter of
months.” (Adler 40)
Bush’s New Policy
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“First, we must detect outbreaks that occur anywhere in the world;
second, we must protect the American people by stockpiling
vaccines and antiviral drugs, and improve our ability to rapidly
produce new vaccines against a pandemic strain; and, third, we
must be ready to respond at the federal, state and local levels in
the event that a pandemic reaches our shores.” President bushes
Avian Flu speech
Bush’s New Policy
• Limited imports on
goods to the East
• Testing of Birds
• Study for a better
Vaccine
• Treating the sick
• Stock up on vaccines
Quarantine
• Shutout virus
– Stop trade with certain countries
• Limit trade
• Surround the virus to kill it
Constant testing as the virus
• Virus Mutates
• Could become
ineffective
Global Action
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"A flu pandemic would have global
consequences," he said as he jabbed
his lectern, "so no nation can afford to
ignore this threat, and every nation
has responsibilities to detect and stop
its spread.” (Adler 42; quote from
Leavitt)
Global Action
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Discuss the flu with group of nation
Work together to exchange
information about the flu
Global action for a potential global
problem
Imports and Exports
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Test all goods and foods imported
This would be made ineffective if the
black market is strongly active
The Black Market
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Stop import of anything
that could be carrying a
disease
Animals smuggled in
the black market could
have diseases
Basically anything
smuggled could have
bacteria on it that could
cause deadly disease
• Countries are not as serious
• There is a common threat
• Some are worried others not so much
• Many countries aren’t
prepared
– There has been a max
of vaccine for 20% of
the population
(Germany response)
• The people in
countries in the west
are Optimist or don’t
know of the Avian Flu
• “There will
have more than five
million people get flu
even die!”
Washington, USA
– Bird movement spread
disease
– Stop the sale of bird
meat
– Extermination of
infected birds
• “The Avian Flu is
dangerous but it has not
arrived in our country,
because the migrating
birds don’t come here.
However the scientists
suspect that just one cock
was infected by this flu.
The government isn't
even thinking about
controlling this epidemic if
enters in the country so
there is no medicine to
control it.” (Brazil)
Asian Warning
Sources
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Adler, Jerry. “The Fight Against the Flu”. News Week. October 31, 2005. 38-45
Bush Jr., George. Avian Flu Policy. The White House. Nov. 01, 2005 Bethesda,
Maryland. William Natcher Center. National Institutes of Health. November 01, 2005.
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/11/20051101-1.html>
Davies, Pete. The Devil’s Flu…. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2000
Garrettt, Laurie. The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Disease in a World Out of
Balance. New York: Peguin Group, 1995
Harris, Gardiner. “The New York Times.” Bush Announce’s Plan to Prepare for Flu
Epidemic. 2005. New York Times. 07 Nov 2005.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/02/politics/02bush.html
“KCOM Journal”. The Influenza Pandemic Will bw Arriving Soon.2005. Eid Mubarak.
06 Nov. 06 2005
<http://www.khilafah.com/home/category.php?DocumentID=12166&TagID=1>
Kolata, Gina. Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the
Search for the Virus That Caused It. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999