Avian Flu

International Sources

Responding to the avian influenza pandemic threat (World Health Organization)

In view of the immediacy of the threat, WHO recommends that all countries undertake urgent action to prepare for a pandemic.

WHO global influenza preparedness plan (World Health Organization)

In December 2004, WHO held a consultation on WHO-recommended national and international measures before and during influenza pandemics. The present document is based on the results of the consultation.

WHO checklist for influenza pandemic preparedness planning (World Health Organization)

Community involvement means making optimal use of local knowledge, expertise, resources and networks. It is a powerful way to engage people and to build the commitment needed for policy decisions.

Avian Influenza (World Health Organization)

Can a pandemic be prevented? No one knows with certainty. The best way to prevent a pandemic would be to eliminate the virus from birds, but it has become increasingly doubtful if this can be achieved within the near future.

FAO Recommendations on the Prevention, Control and Eradication of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Asia (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations)

The on-going epidemic of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in poultry in Asia is unprecedented in its geographical scope and rate of spread. HPAI viruses have continued to spread within the region, the report by Malaysia of infection with H5N1 HPAI in August 2004 bringing to 10 the total number of countries/regions that have been infected with an H5 HPAI. The epidemic has severely affected poultry production, with the death or destruction (culling) to date of at least 120 million birds, according to various government and media sources.

A Global Strategy for the Progressive Control of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations)

Economic losses to the Asian poultry sector are estimated at around $10 billion, but despite control measures the disease continues to spread, causing further economic losses and threatening the livelihood of hundreds of millions of poor livestock farmers, jeopardizing smallholder entrepreneurship and commercial poultry production and seriously impeding regional and international trade and market opportunities.

United States Sources

National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza

The current pandemic threat stems from an unprecedented outbreak of avian influenza in Asia and Europe, caused by the H5N1 strain of the Influenza A virus.

HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan

Avian Influenza (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy)

(from one link) An outbreak of HPAI caused by a strain of H5N1 avian influenza started in Asia in the fall of 2003 and spread in domestic poultry farms at an historically unprecedented rate. The outbreak tapered off in spring 2004 but in summer re-emerged in several areas and is still of great concern.

Avian Influenza Primer (Virtual Information Center)

Although the present avian influenza H5N1 strain in Asia does not yet have the capability of sustained person-to-person transmission, over 100 persons have been infected, largely from some form of contact with infected poultry, primarily chickens. In some cases, a limited number of people have been infected by very close contact with another infected person, but this type of transmission has not led to sustained transmission or large outbreaks. This does not lessen the danger should the virus spread at pandemic levels.

Avian Influenza (U.S. Department of State)

The Partnership brings together key nations and international organizations to improve global readiness by: elevating the issue on national agendas; coordinating efforts among donor and affected nations; mobilizing and leveraging resources; increasing transparency in disease reporting and surveillance; and building capacity to identify, contain and respond to a pandemic influenza.

Foreign Affairs, July/August 2005, Vol 84, Number 4

Since it first emerged in 1997, avian influenza has become deadlier and more resilient. It has infected 109 people and killed 59 of them. If the virus becomes capable of human-to-human transmission and retains its extraordinary potency, humanity could face a pandemic unlike any ever witnessed.

Bird flu fears: How dire the threat? (Mayo Clinic)

Worldwide epidemics (pandemics) of influenza aren't new; historically, they've occurred at approximately 25- to 30-year intervals and, like hurricanes and earthquakes, are natural events. Past pandemics have tended to occur when strains of influenza already present in animals adapt to human transmission.

Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

This webpage provides background information about avian influenza, including recent outbreaks, the viruses, and the risk to human health.

Pandemic Influenza (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, National Vaccine Program Office)

The National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO) has responsibility for coordinating and ensuring collaboration among the many federal agencies involved in vaccine and immunization activities. The NVPO provides leadership and coordination among Federal agencies, as they work together to carry out the goals of the National Vaccine Plan. The National Vaccine Plan provides a framework, including goals, objectives, and strategies, for pursuing the prevention of infectious diseases through immunizations.

Other Sources

Flu Wiki

There are numerous sources of information on avian influenza on the internet. This site is a collaborative resource that aims to provide comprehensive information and deep background on avian influenza. Its purpose is to help local communities prepare for and cope with a possible influenza pandemic — a task previously ceded to local or national public health agencies.

Avian Influenza (Wikipedia)

Avian influenza (also known as bird flu or avian flu) is a type of influenza virus that is hosted by birds, but may infect several species of mammals. It was first identified in Italy in the early 1900s and is now known to exist worldwide.

Beat the Bird Flu Virus and Survive the Pandemic (Mike Adams)

Research that reveals the twelve most powerful antiviral herbs for defending against the flu.

Jenny Lee Naturals

Jenny Lee A-V Tincture, $19.95 (10/17/2005) Contains herbs with antiviral and antibacterial properties. It is a concentration of shiitake mushrooms, echinacea, astragalus, St. John's Wort, licorice, lemon balm, olive leaf, cat's claw, garlic, onion, ginger, green tea, cloves. These herbs exhibit antiviral and antibacterial properties. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. No product or information on this site is intended to diagnose or treat any disease or medical condition.

Preparing for the Coming Influenza Pandemic (Grattan Woodson, MD, FACP)

This monograph is dedicated to, and written for my patients. I wrote it both to inform them about this health threat and to provide them with some practical guidance on how they can survive the pandemic.

Pandemic Influenza--What It Is and What You Can Do

Other files from same site Bird Flu Primer, Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Pandemic Influenza, Pandemic Reference Guides, Father Nature's Farmacy--Scoring the Herbal Alternatives, Emergency Kit (Excel file), View Directory of files

The Coming Influenza Pandemic?

site will track news of influenza from around the world.

Latest Stories - Avian Flu (Europe Media Monitor)

The EMM News Brief is a summary of news stories from around the world, automatically classified according to thousands of criteria. It is updated every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day.

Bookmarks for Avian Flu (Nature Senior reporter, France)

This tag is my daily blog-like posting of the key articles and resources on avian flu and the risk of a human pandemic.

Health, Science, and Technology (Council on Foreign Relations--A Nonpartisan Resource for Information and Analysis)

The threat of H5N1 pandemic influenza looms large in Asia, Washington, and Geneva, and there has been an obvious increase in anxiety and activity related to flu of late. There appear to be two forces driving this: the H5N1 situation in Indonesia at the moment and post-Katrina anxiety in the U.S. government. It was a busy summer for us, following publication of the "Next Pandemic" issue of Foreign Affairs (July/August 2005). (quote edited)

Preparing for the Bird Flu and Other Killer Viruses (Dr. Murray's Newsletter)

The first step is to follow a health promoting lifestyle including learning to deal with stress effectively. Next is to make sure that you provide the immune system with all the vital nutrients it needs to function optimally. These two simply steps can go a long way in supporting central control mechanisms to keep the immune system functioning in a manner that not only increase your resistance to colds and flu and other infections but also protect yourself against cancer and other potentially deadly diseases.

Echinamide Anti-Viral Formula

Referred to in Dr. Murray's Newsletter