Bird flu: lessons from SARS

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and avian influenza are two important newly emerged infections with pandemic potential. Both infections have crossed the species barrier to infect humans. SARS originated from southern China and spread to many countries in early 2003. The close collaboration of scientists around the world resulted in a rapid identification of the causative agent, and the early isolation of infected cases and meticulous infection control measures were the key to successfully controlling the outbreak of SARS. The first outbreak of human cases of avian influenza was reported in 1997 in Hong Kong. Since 2003, there have been many small outbreaks of human cases around the world, and the reported mortality is greater than 50%. Current evidence suggests that the human-to-human transmission of avian influenza is rather inefficient, but mutation might occur in the future resulting in improved transmission and possibly a pandemic in humans. As with the outbreak of SARS, the development of sensitive and accurate early diagnostic tests is extremely important for successful control of the outbreak at source. The availability of isolation facilities, the stockpiling of antiviral agents and effective and safe vaccination will be extremely important in minimising the damage of a new influenza pandemic.

The Pandemic and its Impacts

“…In developing countries, both pandemics and infectious diseases have the potential to kill claim many peopllivese, and the likelihood of deaths is within the range of 5 to 10 percent (Kern, 2016). During the SARS outbreak in 2003, there were more than 8000 infected individuals, with over 700 deaths (almost 9% )worldwide in just 6 months (Wong & Leung, 2007).…”

“…With the rapid development in worldwide aviation over the last two decades, the risk of global pandemics has escalated with increased passenger traffic. With modern and efficient air travel, SARS, which originated from southern China was rapidly transmitted to more than 30 countries in early 2003 (Wong & Leung, 2007). Closing the airports harmed the economy of the affected regions.…”

A transcutaneous vaccination system using a hydrogel patch for viral and bacterial infection

“…Infectious disease is the most common cause of death, accounting for approximately one-third of fatalities world-wide. The recent vigorous transnational migration of people and materials reflecting the development of transportation facilities, changes in social structure, and war disasters have increased the global spread of emerging infections, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome and avian influenza virus [1,2]. In addition, declining sanitation and the onset of drug-resistant pathogenic organisms have increased the spread of re-emerging infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and malaria [3,4].…”

Emerging infectious diseases

“…Infection due to influenza H5N1 virus was first described in a poultry farm in Hong Kong in 1997 35 . The infection is most frequently seen among wild birds and domestic poultry.…”

“…Many lessons were learnt from this pandemic such as the fact that early recognition of cases, proper isolation and prevention of disease spread were crucial in controlling such epidemics 35 . Therefore, the importance of training healthcare workers in early identification of EIDs and in the appropriate use of infection control measures such as the proper use of personal protective equipment, personal hygiene and environmental measures cannot be overemphasized.…”