After H1N1 is cured, India faces threat from H5N1- deadliest bird flu

A new deadly mutant strain of H5N1 virus (the dreaded Bird Flu virus) is threatening to enter India after its appearance in China and Vietnam, in what could be the third and the deadliest Bird Flu epidemic wave.

Deadliest, because the mutant strain has been found to side-step all existing Bird Flu vaccines, forcing the scientists the world over to scurry to their laboratories to find a new one.

Juan Lubroth, chief veterinary officer of Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), under the aegis of United Nations (UN), has clearly identified India as one of the countries facing the biggest threat if the new strain - known as H5N1-2.3.2.1 - begins affecting the poultry and birds here. The new strain has been detected in Northern and Central Vietnam, according to UN agencies. This, according to a report in Asian Scientist, could threaten other countries in Asia.

Despite such a grave threat facing India, no health authorities — neither in Karnataka’s health department, nor at the Centre or in any other state — are aware of the looming danger. S Selva Kumar, in-charge Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare Department, Karnataka and director, National Rural Health Mission, says: “We are not aware of bird flu spreading in Asian countries, and thus no alerts have been given at a state level. Anyway, our surveillance system is strong and in place. So there shouldn’t be much of a problem.”

But this is why we need to worry: According to an earlier report in New Scientist, despite the Bird Flu making its advent in 2003 and subsiding the next year, a strain that mutated from an earlier one found in Fujian in China, caused 3% of poultry infections in September 2005. But it rapidly rose to a whopping 95% by June 2006 despite surveillance.

What is worrying is that, as per studies conducted by ornithologists, at least 540 species of birds migrate from China to other countries. Of these, species like Auser indicus, Larus ichthyactus and Netta rufina migrate to India for wintering from China. But these are only some of the few. There may be more.

Experts from the city say that bird flu or avian flu is symptomatically not much different from swine flu (caused by H1N1 virus). “It is a disease of birds that get imitated in human body. It is basically a respiratory infection and the manifestation is similar to a normal flu. The best precaution that one can take is to maintain one to two meters of distance, especially while communicating with a flu-affected person. Also, proper disposal of infected tissue papers or handkerchiefs needs to be ensured,” says Dr Rajiv Moger, consultant, internal medicine, Apollo Hospital.

However, he admits that at this stage if the H5N1 virus has mutated then the existing vaccines won’t be effective. “The genetic constitution of the mutated H5N1 virus has to be tracked and accordingly a new vaccine needs to be prepared,” he concludes. Dr V Ravi, head of neuro-virology department, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (Nimhans), there hasn’t been a single case of a human being affected by the new H5N1-2.3.2.1 virus in India till now.

“Precautions against this virus cannot be taken in advance because there is no vaccine against this mutated virus,” he says.