Treatment

There are different ways in which people can get treated when they have contracted the bird flu. There have been different vaccines that were developed during several outbreaks but one must know that those vaccines are most of the times limited in efficiency because of the ability of the influenza A virus to mutate from an outbreak to another.

Generally speaking there is no highly effective treatment for an H5N1 infection from the reasons that were outlined above. However, it has been noticed that oseltamivir, known as Tamiflu, can inhibit the virus from spreading once it reaches the individual’s body. The drug has become the center of organizations and government’s treatment policies in order to prepare for a potential avian flu pandemic. Yet, specialists are not still certain that Tamiflu can truly work against pandemics in the future.

Another drug from the same class as Tamiflu, zanamivir, has been shown effective against H5N1. The drug was the subject of a study in mice carried out in 2000 and which ahs showed efficient in treating infections with three influenza strains which have also been shown to infect mammals. The same studies also revealed that a combination of zanamivir, celecoxib and mesalazine may provide the treatment that specialists are seeking for when it comes to avian flu.

But individuals should never underestimate the power of prevention. While it is true that avoiding getting sick during a pandemic is quite difficult there are measure that individuals can take in order to prevent getting infected. Such measures include avoiding agglomerated spaces, especially for those who are immune-compromised or the elderly, washing one’s hands as often as possible and using a onetime use handkerchief every time one sneezes or coughs. While medication is not certainly treating the infection, people should pay more attention to preventing its transmission.