The Leader - September 2007 - (Page 58) th e p o t e Nt I a l pa N dem Ic: Wh y em er GeN cy pre p are dNe s s p laNs make s e Ns e W he the r the p aNde mI c s t rIk e s o r No t idly within the human population has soon developed the capability to infect kill the young and old. Rather, mortality not yet been established. pigs, possibly because of the frequent rates among healthy, productive adults commingling of pig and poultry stocks H5N1 is of special concern because between the ages of 20 and 35 are high. in rural Southeast Asian countries. From it is particularly virulent. To date, Implications for the work force, and there, it was a relatively minor mutative more than 50 percent of infected people for the basic services on which we all jump that enabled it to infect humans. have died. Contrary to many influenza depend, are troubling. Symptoms include strains, H5N1 does not predominantly high fever, headache, body aches, cough, Just because H5N1 is capable of infectcongestion and eventually ing people does not mean respiratory failure due to that it will necessarily fluid build-up in the lungs. cause a pandemic. To do so it must first, through genetic mutation, develop Is there a vaccINe? the capability for effecSeveral H5N1 vaccines tive and sustained transhave been developed. mission between human However, a truly effective beings. While it does not vaccine cannot be develyet appear to have done oped until the virus has Our location so, there have been alarmgenetically evolved to the between three major cities, ing developments, notably point where it is capable three shipping hubs, and major highways within a cluster of cases of effective and sustained offers you transportation on the island of Sumatra transmission in humans. flexibility. in Indonesia where seven Since it can take anywhere members of a family with from three to six months to no known contact with culture and begin producinfected poultry or birds tion of a vaccine, it is most contracted H5N1. Six of likely that the pandemic the seven died and the virus will begin to infect World Health Organization large numbers of people has confirmed that the vicand spread to different tims contracted the virus geographic areas before an from other family memeffective vaccine is readily bers. That said, all indicaavailable. • Certified Shovel Ready Sites • 21st Century Infrastructure tions are that the virus did not spread beyond the the Worst-case • Logistics Advantage • Community Partners seven-person cluster since sceNarIo • Diverse Regional Workforce • World-Class Business Amenities neither medical personnel Government modeling attending the victims nor of the likely effects of other villagers who had a severe influenza panbeen in contact with the demic similar to the 1918 w w w. s w i t z e r l a n d u s a . c o m victims while they were Spanish flu and the H5N1 P O B o x 1 9 2 Ve v ay I N 4 7 0 4 3 ph 812.427.9100 fx 812.427.9173 contagious contracted the avian flu paints a very disease. All that can be grim picture of what could said at this time is that the happen. Under a worstvirus’ ability to spread rapcase scenario, 30 percent th e le ade r 58 september / october 2007 http://www.switzerlandusa.com http://www.switzerlandusa.com
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