MSNBC CDC issues first bird flu warning

[Guest guest]

>

>CDC issues first bird flu warning

>In the first warning to U.S. citizens about bird

>flu, the government urged doctors Tuesday to ask

>patients with flu-like symptoms if they have

>traveled to places in Asia where bird flu has

>broken out.

>http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4079876/

>

>

CDC issues first bird flu warning

U.S. doctors should watch for possible cases from abroad

 

The Associated Press

Updated: 12:44 p.m. ET Jan. 28, 2004

 

In the first warning to U.S. citizens about bird

flu, the government urged doctors Tuesday to ask

patients with flu-like symptoms if they have

traveled to places in Asia where bird flu has

broken out.

 

The goal is to prevent the possible human spread

of the virus, although there have been no

documented cases of this occurring during the

Asian outbreak.

 

" We are taking this very seriously right now, "

said Dr. Julie Gerberding, head of the Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

 

No cases of bird flu in either people or birds

have been seen so far in the United States.

 

Gerberding said if doctors find that patients

with flu symptoms have been in Vietnam or other

places with bird flu, they should test for the

virus. If it turns out they have influenza A,

then state and local health departments working

with CDC can check further to see if it is the

H5N1 bird flu strain.

 

Tell doctors about overseas travel

Gerberding said people who might have the flu

should voluntarily tell doctors about their Asian

travels if no one asks them about it.

 

" I want to emphasize that right now it appears to

be very unlikely, but we want to be very vigilant

and to make sure we are doing everything we can

to detect any possible introduction here, "

Gerberding said.

 

She urged people who travel to areas with

outbreaks to stay away from poultry farms, live

animal markets or any surfaces contaminated with

bird droppings.

 

So far, H5N1 bird flu has been found in eight

Asian countries, and eight people are known to

have died from the infection. While all appear to

have caught the virus from chickens, experts

suspect the disease can be passed person to

person, since that occurred during a similar

outbreak in Hong Kong in 1997.

 

The ultimate fear, though, is that someone will

catch the bird flu while already infected with

the ordinary human flu virus. The two viruses

might swap genes, creating a mutant that could

spread easily with disastrous results.

 

No travel alert or advisory yet

Considering the millions of chickens infected

with the virus, spread to humans appears to be

rare. Gerberding said there is no indication so

far for a travel alert or advisory for Americans

going to areas affected by the outbreak.

 

COMPLETE COVERAGE

* More news on the outbreak in Asia

Last year's SARS outbreak was the last time U.S.

doctors were told to be on special alert for the

introduction of a contagious respiratory virus

from abroad. Typically flu is much more

contagious than SARS, so containing a human

outbreak might be much more difficult than

stopping SARS, which health officials did by

isolating infected people.

 

Gerberding said the CDC is reviewing its

infection control guidelines to be used " in the

worst case scenario if we should have a patient

with this disease and there is any suggestion of

person-to-person transmission. " She said these

would be similar to measures for containing

regular flu and SARS.

 

According to the CDC, outbreaks of H5N1 flu have

been reported among poultry in Cambodia, China,

Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, South Korea, Thailand

and Vietnam. Another strain of the disease has

been seen in wild flocks or poultry in Laos,

Pakistan and Taiwan.

© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast,

rewritten or redistributed.

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