Health

Bird Flu Is Moving And Mutating, What Is Bush Doing?

March 10, 2006 ⋅  E-Mail Article ⋅  Print Article ⋅ Post a comment

The H5N1 virus has mutated and it is showing up more frequently in feline species of animal. The latest occurrence was reported in Berlin Germany. This is the worry scientists, and doctors, have about this virus, they are concerned it will eventually mutate into a virus that becomes quickly transferable to humans and devastate humanity much like the Spanish Flu did in 1918. So while President Bush is hailing countries around the world for their progress on health and economy, America is stirring about like a sitting duck waiting to be plucked by this virus. Remember the Spanish Flu killed 50 million in a time where travel was very slow and methodical, today we travel by the hundreds of miles per hour, this virus will spread faster than you can imagine and regardless of what you have read, there is no known defense against this virus.

The H5N1 bird flu virus was found in a stone marten that was living on an island north of Germany. This finding confirms what many disease control specialists already have known, the virus has previously mutated and it is transferable among other species. This finding is just further confirmation that the disease has spread to another species of mammal.

The stone marten is a weasel-like animal, the one recently observed was found on the island of Ruegen in north Germany on March 2. This is not the only animal on this island to have acquired the Bird Flu virus. There were also discoveries made last month on the same island that showed the virus had passed from wild birds to cats. This immediately raised further concerns about the disease’s ability to spread.

So what is being done to address this situation? Currently more research and testing but as of now all we have are hopes and promises. There are numerous products in the development stage but the question of whether they will be ready in time is a good one.

Maybe the President needs to quit jet setting around the world and drive home some policy right here in America. I believe he should create more funding for the professionals trying to combat this growing threat, we need to be protected and we should be protected. We have the best scientists, and doctors, in the world. We need to fund them and provide the resources they need to make sure America is safe, the rest of the world will have to do on their own for a month or two while we focus our attention on this potentially devastating virus.

Bird Flu Is Moving And Mutating

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