Q&A: Low vs. High pathogenic Avian Influenza
A group writing project at Darren’s Problogger got me thinking about making a ‘list post’ for FluPatrol - how to’s? top ten? Hmm. This got sidetracked with the recent news about avian flu appearing in the USA , which, with a big sigh of relief, in all indications seem to be the the low-pathogenic strain… so this brings to mind the question:
What’s the difference between a low-pathogenic and highly pathogenic bird flu, and are they both the H5N1 sub-type?
Pathogenicity is the ability of a virus to produce disease. To answer this question, here’s a short summary I culled (pun intended!) from both the USDA and the CDC:
1. There are two types of H5N1 avian influenza (AI), the low-pathogenic (LPAI) or the “North American” strain, and the high-pathogenic (HPAI), or the notorious “Asian” stain.
2. Low pathogenic H5N1 is common to wild birds. It causes minor or nil symptoms, and therefore rarely fatal in birds. That’s what supposedly both the Dutch chickens and the Michigan swans carry.
3. In this form, the LPAI are not a concern for human health, although there have been documented cases of human transmission with mild symptoms like conjunctivitis and influenza-like illness. Examples of LPAI viruses that have infected humans include H7N7, H9N2, and H7N2.
4. High pathogenic H5N1 rapidly spreads and is often fatal to chickens, and turkeys, the worst cases of culling so far is happening in both Thailand and Indonesia . Humans get infected with these strains when there is direct contact with an infected bird. Examples of HPAI that have infected humans include H7N3 and H7N7 (mild infection); and H7N7 and H5N1 (fatal).
5. HPAI H5N1 is the subtype rapidly spreading in some parts of the world. To date, it has caused 138 human fatalities worldwide , 81 of whom died this year alone.
6. The low-path viruses have the potential to evolve to the high-path and this have been documented in some poultry outbreaks. Hence, the USDA requires tracking and reporting of both types of AI so that the virus doesn’t establish itself and start multiplying.
Tags: avian influenza, Center for Disease Control, H5N1, high-pathogenic AI, low-pathogenic AI, US Department of Agriculture, wild birds
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POSTED IN: Bird Flu, General, H5N1 and other strains
4 opinions for Q&A: Low vs. High pathogenic Avian Influenza
MamaDuck
Aug 18, 2006 at 12:53 pm
Very interesting and informative list! Our list is up if you’d like to look… have a great day!
John
Aug 18, 2006 at 3:18 pm
Thanks for putting this up. It is useful to have this information out there.
Here’s my list.
Lists Group Writing Project - Categorized
Aug 26, 2006 at 8:32 am
[…] 117. 10 steps to improve your ESP, healing and psychic abilities by Jacob 118. AAA list of 11 important advantages to list writing by Darren 119. Five Ways to Make Yourself Miserable by Rick 120. Five ways to get beyond an artistic block by Laurie 121. Health and Disease Prevention: 10 Important Phytochemicals by Trisha 122. Five Common Musicianship Problems - Why Ones Do You Want to Overcome? by Graham 123. Stupid Things You can Do by David 124. 9 Steps to Transform Stress into Strength by Alvin 125. 5 Ways to Block Your Creativity by ShadowsEdge 126. 10 Tips on Leading a Balanced Life by Allen 127. How to Achieve Peak Performance by Basil 128. 10 Rules to Live By by Spencer 129. Get More Done in a Day: Do Little Things, Achieve Big Things by Tim 130. Manage your time by Mastering Conversation Stoppers by Julie 131. The 10 Best Ways to Win an Argument by I Can’t Say That 132. 12 Great Reasons to Become a Bird Watcher by Mike 133. Ways to Make People Always Remember You by Costa 134. How I am Going to Get What I Want by Jennie 135. Top 5 Keys to Success by Ian 136. Top 10 Things I’d Tell My Younger Self by Ray 137. 5 Ways to get back in your skinny Jeans by Stephanie 138. How to Be Charming by Brian 139. 10 Reasons to Baffle Your Friends and Become a Vegetarian by Ross 140. C.P.R. for a Balanced Life by Hueina 141. 10 Ways to Boost Your Productivity by James 142. The Five Questions You Should Never Ask by Tooz 143. What to Expect When You’re Not Expecting It by Molly 144. 10 Ways to Improve Your Energy by Scott 145. 11 Ways to Improve Clarity and Start Getting Results by Alexander 146. How to Gain weight without really trying (and the antitheses) by Sally 147. 5 Tools that get you way more productive by Tim 148. Top Six Mushroom Baby Names by Nancy 149. 5 Easy Steps to Snag a Date with Me by Sasha 150. She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not? by Kloudiia 151. 5 Reasons to Put Off Living With Your Girlfriend by Joseph 152. 4 Ways to More Romance by jldude 153. Why Starting Over is a A Good Thing by PhoneBoy 154. 4 easy-to-use resources for higher ed learning by Leslie 155. 3 Ways to Boost Your Happiness Level by Conn 156. Getting Better with Age by Ruth 157. Pillar Articles to Write about the Art of Creating a Joyful Life by Linda 158. 5 links to calorie-conscious fitness by Fitness Mantra 159. Five Reasons Why Mornings Rock by Health Hacker 160. 5 Ways of Marketing Salvation by Richard 161. Q&A: Low vs. High pathogenic Avian Influenza by Grace 162. Finding Time and Creating Balance by Tasra […]
Lists Group Writing Project - Categorized
Aug 26, 2006 at 8:32 am
[…] 117. 10 steps to improve your ESP, healing and psychic abilities by Jacob 118. AAA list of 11 important advantages to list writing by Darren 119. Five Ways to Make Yourself Miserable by Rick 120. Five ways to get beyond an artistic block by Laurie 121. Health and Disease Prevention: 10 Important Phytochemicals by Trisha 122. Five Common Musicianship Problems - Why Ones Do You Want to Overcome? by Graham 123. Stupid Things You can Do by David 124. 9 Steps to Transform Stress into Strength by Alvin 125. 5 Ways to Block Your Creativity by ShadowsEdge 126. 10 Tips on Leading a Balanced Life by Allen 127. How to Achieve Peak Performance by Basil 128. 10 Rules to Live By by Spencer 129. Get More Done in a Day: Do Little Things, Achieve Big Things by Tim 130. Manage your time by Mastering Conversation Stoppers by Julie 131. The 10 Best Ways to Win an Argument by I Can’t Say That 132. 12 Great Reasons to Become a Bird Watcher by Mike 133. Ways to Make People Always Remember You by Costa 134. How I am Going to Get What I Want by Jennie 135. Top 5 Keys to Success by Ian 136. Top 10 Things I’d Tell My Younger Self by Ray 137. 5 Ways to get back in your skinny Jeans by Stephanie 138. How to Be Charming by Brian 139. 10 Reasons to Baffle Your Friends and Become a Vegetarian by Ross 140. C.P.R. for a Balanced Life by Hueina 141. 10 Ways to Boost Your Productivity by James 142. The Five Questions You Should Never Ask by Tooz 143. What to Expect When You’re Not Expecting It by Molly 144. 10 Ways to Improve Your Energy by Scott 145. 11 Ways to Improve Clarity and Start Getting Results by Alexander 146. How to Gain weight without really trying (and the antitheses) by Sally 147. 5 Tools that get you way more productive by Tim 148. Top Six Mushroom Baby Names by Nancy 149. 5 Easy Steps to Snag a Date with Me by Sasha 150. She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not? by Kloudiia 151. 5 Reasons to Put Off Living With Your Girlfriend by Joseph 152. 4 Ways to More Romance by jldude 153. Why Starting Over is a A Good Thing by PhoneBoy 154. 4 easy-to-use resources for higher ed learning by Leslie 155. 3 Ways to Boost Your Happiness Level by Conn 156. Getting Better with Age by Ruth 157. Pillar Articles to Write about the Art of Creating a Joyful Life by Linda 158. 5 links to calorie-conscious fitness by Fitness Mantra 159. Five Reasons Why Mornings Rock by Health Hacker 160. 5 Ways of Marketing Salvation by Richard 161. Q&A: Low vs. High pathogenic Avian Influenza by Grace 162. Finding Time and Creating Balance by Tasra […]
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