Linda Iroff wrote:
>http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/science/28viru.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Yep. Currently the virus strains are only attaching deep in lungs where
they can't be coughed, sneezed, or moved by hands. If the cell receptor
spikes change so that in ferrets they can bind in the nose, sinuses.
throat, or brochioles then that means they can be easy spread (as long as
there is also an enzymatic change needed for another function). If they
bind in ferret upper respiratory tract they will probably bind in human
upper respiratory tracts, so we do not want those ferret sneezes to show
that, for them and for us. In these studies the ferrets are pretty much
serving the function of mine canaries.
One of the weird things is the PUSH (and that is exactly what it is) to
urge Tamiflu purchasing in high amounts. Tamiflu is known to NOT work in
multiple sets (of both clades? I am unsure on that point.) of this virus
(in ferrets and in humans) and it is UNknown if it would work in others.
There is another thing affecting the Tamiflu push (a political and
monetary thing). See resources such as
<http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/31/news/newsmakers/fortune_rumsfeld/>
This 11 day old World Health Organization article that was written
only 12 days ago actually uses the kindest while accurate wording (See
treatment section.):
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/guidelines/
useofoseltamivir2006_03_17A.pdf
If that link is glitchy look for "ADVICE ON USE OF OSELTAMIVIR" with the
date 17 March 2006 on the WHO site.
BTW, according to some new info in NYT the virus HAS now been encountered
in pigs. That was always kind of expected, so it is only a surprise that
it took a while. The antibodies in dogs and the strong infections in
cats were something of a surprise since they are often less likely to
share the same influenzas with humans than ferrets and pigs do.
Besides the treatment limitations and sometimes total lack of use of
Tamiflu with some strains of the two viral clads, there is also this
limitation that Tamiflu does not seem to reduce the period of viral
shedding, though in this case the fevers were shorter, but notice that
this is influenza in GENERAL not the avian influenza in particular:
Notice the minimal impact (on the period of viral shedding):
Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2005 Oct;24(10):931-2.
Viral shedding in children with influenza virus infections treated
with neuraminidase inhibitors.
Sato M, Hosoya M, Kato K, Suzuki H.
Department of Pediatrics, Fukushima South Aizu Hospital, Tajima, Japan.
>We examined the efficacy of neuraminidase inhibitors for reducing
>the duration of virus shedding after naturally occurring influenza virus
>infection. The duration of fever was significantly shorter in patients
>treated with neuraminidase inhibitors than in untreated patients. The
>durations of virus shedding from patients treated >with neuraminidase
>inhibitors were not significantly shorter than those of untreated
>patients.
Publication Types:
Randomized Controlled Trial
PMID: 16220098 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
In Pubmed with an search folks can find multiple studies on this
disease and this med (in ferrets, humans, others):
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
For some more info on this:
http://tingilinde.typepad.com/starstuff/2006/03/on_bird_flu.html
-- Sukie (not a vet, and not speaking for any of the below in my
private posts)
Recommended health resources to help ferrets and the people who love them:
Ferret Health List
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
AFIP Ferret Pathology
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
Miamiferrets
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
International Ferret Congress Critical References
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 5197]
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