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Avian Influenza - a global threat

V. Savić

Sažetak

Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, causes enormous economic losses in poultry industry in the Far East, but also a global concern because of the spread of the virus by feral birds. Beside the Far East, avian influenza recently caused significant problems in poultry industry in the United States, Canada and South Africa. Until a decade ago, there was no evidence of spreading of the virus from birds to humans and vice versa. First direct transmission from birds to humans was reported in 1997 during an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Hong Kong caused by H5N1 virus when 18 people became infected and six died. By the end of 2003 there was another outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the Far East and this was the third time in the region that it was caused by H5N1 subtype. The last H5N1 epidemic started in South Korea and soon spread to most Far East countries. In contrast to previous highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks, this time the virus was spread by feral birds and the infection was introduced in most of the Asian and European countries as well as in Africa. Nevertheless, the main concern is human infection with mortality above 50 % and possibility of the virus to mutate in a form capable for inter human transmission, which will result in new human influenza pandemic.

Ključne riječi

Avian influenza; H5N1; pandemic

Hrčak ID:

12704

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/12704

Datum izdavanja:

24.3.2006.

Podaci na drugim jezicima: hrvatski

Posjeta: 2.451 *