flu (Page 17)

Most of us won’t be able to get a flu shot this year, sincethe U.S. will be getting only about half as much vaccine asusual and that will be reserved for the sick and theelderly. But there are steps we can take to avoid gettingthe flu.

Researchers think that SARS did not spread to Japan becausethey are a nation of frequent hand washers. Surprisingly,most viruses are spread by touch, not by coughing orsneezing. You should also eat well and get plenty of sleepin order to keep your immune system in good condition.
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Health experts have been dreading the day when the Asianbird flu virus mutates, allowing it to be spread from personto person, and not just between poultry and people. Now theWorld Health Organization says it suspects “human-to-humantransmission” of bird flu occurred in northern Thailand. Ifthis is confirmed, it will be the first case and will meanthat the flu will undoubtedly spread rapidly throughout theworld, just as SARS did.
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During the SARS epidemic, we reported that it killed somecats (including big ones in zoos). Now it’s been discoveredthat the deadly bird flu that’s been spreading through Asiacan be caught by cats as well, who can then pass it on toother felines. Scientists don’t know if cats can spread theflu to people.

Why wasn’t this discovered before? World HealthOrganization’s influenza chief Klaus Stohr says, “One[reason] is nobody looked.” WHO scientists now plan toexamine household cats whenever they investigate humanbird-flu infections. When they checked in Vietnam, theyfound the cats in flu patients’ homes were healthy.
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A killer strain of flu, like the kind that wiped outmillions of people in 1918, hasn’t struck again yet, butscientists are already planning for it. Health experts saywe may have to close schools, restrict travel and rationmedicine if a powerful new flu strain breaks out worldwide.

Lauran Neergaard writes that it will take months to create avaccine that works against this kind of superflu, soquarantine will be the weapon that is used before anythingelse. Flu specialists say it’s only a matter of time beforeanother superflu strain shows up. Dr. Julie Gerberding, headof the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says,”We’re all holding our breath.”
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