Avian Flu Alarms the US
Concerns that bird flu is about to spread across Europe mounted on October 13, 2005, after Brussels confirmed the presence of the most lethal strain of the disease in Turkey and possibly Romania.
Having started in southeast Asia, the disease has gradually moved through China, Russia, and Germany, forcing the slaughter of millions of birds and raising the prospect of global pandemic. Meanwhile, a German lab says bird flu has spread to another animal species there including a cat and stone marten.
At least 174 human cases of bird flu, including 94 deaths, have been reported since 2003 by the World Health Organization. On March 9, in a press conference, Dr. David Nabarro, the U.N. bird flu chief, said the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu could reach the Americas in six to 12 months or even sooner as infected wild birds migrate toward the Arctic and Alaska.
Experts at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center are available to speak about our role in the health of children:
David Bernstein, MD, MA, Director of Infectious Diseases, is leading an investigation on vaccines to prevent the Avian Flu's affects. Researchers, including Dr. Bernstein, are encouraging elderly and children to participate in the current clinical trials.
Joel Mortensen, PhD, Director of Microbiology and Virology, is working with the city health department and others in Cincinnati to be the first line of defense against a potential Avian Flu outbreak. Their work is part of the regional lab network (RNL) -- a regional network of laboratories within a 50 mile radius of Cincinnati. Partners include federal agencies, such as the FDA and EPA, as well as hospitals and free-standing biotech companies. It is the only one of its kind in Ohio besides a state-run network set up by the federal government. Researchers say the RNL has a unique structure in place to track infectious disease outbreaks and prepare for bio-terrorism attacks in the area.
