Day Thirty of the Avian Influenza Epidemic

As of today, there have been 400 total confirmed deaths attributed to Avian Influenza (H5N1) in the past thirty days since the outbreak of this disease occurred outside of Ely, Minnesota. Along with the Vermillion Community College, schools with infected students have been shut down and the students at Vermillion Community College have been prohibited from returning home to their families during break as well.
As of today the vaccine for H5N1 has been approved by the FDA and is being mass produced for distribution in the next week or so. The groups of people that will be receive the vaccine first will be small children under five years of age, the elderly, health care providers, child care facilitators, and anyone with breathing or health issues such as asthma. As soon as the vaccine is distributed most, if not all health facilities will be available to give the vaccine to the groups above at first and eventually the general public. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is constantly on the watch for more cases of the Avian flu and are encouraging hospitals and clinics to do the same.
As well as using proper health procedures such as washing hands frequently, sneezing and coughing into your sleeve and using an alcohol-based cleanser when it is available the Minnesota Department of Health is continuing to follow the Pandemic Influenza Plan by quarantining contaminated or exposed individuals, promoting community-wide infection control and closure of schools, office buildings, and public transportation. The MDH also recommends that infected individuals should stay at home until the course of the disease is over.
The CDC and the MHD has a positive outlook for this epidemic. If the above precautions are considered and vaccines given to the community the MHD believes that this virus can be contained and not become a pandemic

Day Twenty of the Avian Influenza Epidemic

As of this time, 250 total deaths have been reported with many more showing possible symptoms of the disease. Further school closings have been put in place in the area to prevent spreading though young children. While following the Minnesota Department of Health ‘Pandemic Influenza Plan’, state officials have been hard at work fulfilling the duties they are assigned. These include developing ways to notify the public of the danger of the virus, providing backup staffing for the emergency coordinating center, maintain proactive communication with the media, routine influenza surveillance, veterinary surveillance, monitoring for novel strains as well as tracking cases and their movements.
The farm where this virus originally entered the area has been shut down for over two weeks and officials have finished sanitizing and cleaning the area to prevent further spreading. The recently closed schools have been transformed into temporary facilities to help patients, as the small local hospital has reached capacity and more room to house the patients is needed. Families of the infected patients have been quarantined and restricted to very little contact with others, as it if now apparent that the virus strain has transformed to be able to move from human to human. Reports of the significant findings of the virus have been sent to decision makers at the Department of Health to further attempt to control the situation.
Scientists believe that the avian flu vaccine created in Asia may in fact work for this new strain of the virus. They are working at transforming it to match the viruses and testing of the vaccine has begun with hopes for mass production within a few days. Until then, health officials are spreading various sanitation information issues and promoting healthy habits, such as hand washing and safe coughing procedures in attempt to cause case numbers to fall. The number of deaths is still rising, though the speed has decreased and many are hoping the vaccine will soon be available and will result in the end of this epidemic.

Day Ten of the Avian Influenza Epidemic

The most recent numbers report about 100 total deaths from the avian influenza outbreak in Ely, Minnesota. A steady increase in citizens showing symptoms of the virus has caused more fear for the future as well. Specialists are predicting a possible pandemic, since the virus has mutated to be able to transfer from human to human. With this new ability, the speed of expansion could increase dramatically while the speed of vaccinations wouldn’t be able to keep up and will not be an effective alternative.
For treatment of the avian flu, specialists claim that the prescription medicines that are currently available for other human influenza viruses are capable of treating the avian flu. The viruses can become immune to these medicines though, so they may not always work. Sources say that oseltamivir and zanamivir would probably work to treat the virus, though more tests are necessary. Many doctors are also recommending ways to escape contracting the disease, including thoroughly cooking poultry as well as avoiding poultry farms, poultry processing plants, as well as close contact with infected birds. Doctors also promote staying away from large bodies of water, as they are able to carry the virus.
The vaccine for the avian influenza has begun distribution around Ely and surrounding counties. A vaccine is used to promote immunity to a specific disease. A vaccine is usually made up of an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made of weakened or killed forms of the microbe. This vaccine is made from an H5N1 virus that was isolated in Southeast Asia in 2004. Because of the mutation that allows human to human spreading, the vaccine needed to be altered as well to work on this strain. Epidemiologists hope that the vaccine can be put through quick tests to be able to be distributed to the public in the area.

Day Five of the Avian Influenza Epidemic

Five days after the first reported death of a college student in Ely, Minnesota, another documented 20 deaths have occurred. The cause of these deaths has been confirmed and attributed to H5N1, also known as the bird flu. The route of the virus has now been traced back to a small farm outside the urban area of Ely. Last week the farmer’s daughter returned from a study abroad program in Hong Kong. There she was exposed to the influenza virus at various bird markets in the city. It has been reported that she illegally brought back a small infected bird from China. The disease quickly spread throughout her father’s farm, killing hundreds of chickens. The many college students called in to clean up the carcasses were then exposed to the virus and carried it back to their campus, Vermillion Community College. The virus quickly reproduced and spread throughout the students.
The hosts of this virus began with pigs, which then mutated to infect various poultry in China. The infected birds can transmit the virus through their saliva, nasal secretions, feces, and blood. Vectors of this virus include contaminated cages as well as other inanimate objects. Wild bird are also considered vectors, as they carry the virus but are usually unaffected. Through the importation of the illegal bird the virus was carried to the farm, which infected the many chickens. Through further mutations, humans have now become infected. The quick reproduction of this virus makes it able to spread quickly and infect many.
The H5N1 subtype of influenza A is an RNA virus. It has a segmented genome of eight negative single-strands of RNA. There are various strains of the virus, including “highly pathogenic” and “low-pathogenic”. Of greatest concern to humans is highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Local health professionals have now been in contact with the patients and attention has been heightened for a local pandemic. The Minnesota Department of Health has begun involvement with the situation and more activities will quickly begin to be put in place to control the spread of the disease in this small town.

Day One of the Avian Influenza Epidemic

Today there have been five deaths reported in the area around Ely, Minnesota. The suspected source of the illness is a recent outbreak of avian influenza (H5N1). This past week there have been a significant amount of deaths of poultry at a small family-owned farm five miles out of the Ely area. The owner of the farm had failed to report these strange deaths to the Center for Disease Control and called upon local college students to help clean up the carcasses. Of these students, two are now dead while four others are showing symptoms of the illness. Local authorities have been called in to take action and prevent the further spread of the disease. Further investigation of this incident will be reported in the coming days.
Avian flu, also known as the bird flu, originated in eastern Asia by infecting pigs. Through an exchange of genetic information, a new virus was produced that was linked to chicken and poultry. Over time, a change was made in the genetics of the virus that allows the disease to be passed from poultry to humans. A more recent development has resulted in the ability of transmission from human to human, which makes for more of a chance of a global pandemic. The symptoms of this virus include cough, sore throat, fever, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, runny nose, headache, and muscle aches. Because there are many strains of the virus in the world today, these symptoms can vary within specific cases. Within the body, the virus invades a cell and transmits its genetic information within the nucleus. The virus then leave the cell and invades the surrounding tissues to invade other cells.
Although many believe this illness is considered a bacteria, this avian influenza is classified as a virus, meaning it needs a host in order to reproduce and survive. Antibiotics are unable to affect the virus and can be spread through air, water, contact, droplet and immune carrier. In the case of the avian flu, the virus can be transmitted through contact with infected bird and infected surfaces. In comparison, bacteria are single-celled organisms that produce asexually and grow exponentially. Further news will be reported as this case develops.