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By Lyn Wolford
Each month, Arizona Parenting contacts experts to respond to readers’ questions with helpful suggestions and information.
Note: Material contained herein does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Arizona Parenting or its staff. It represents information provided by reputable sources for your consideration.
Q: Leah from Phoenix asks, “How concerned should parents be about “bird flu”? I have heard that companies and schools are stockpiling vaccines and making plans to address an outbreak. How imminent is the threat? Is this something about which we really need to be concerned?”
A: “Different experts say different things about the immediacy of avian (bird) flu,” says Eric Udell, ND, naturopathic physician and assistant professor at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. “It is difficult to determine the potential danger of bird flu developing into a human pandemic, as the virus is currently passed among birds, not humans—except in a few rare cases in which humans had intense contact with infected birds.”
Doug Campos-Outcalt, MD, associate chair for the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, agrees. “Right now avian flu is just that: a flu passed among birds—and there are not currently any reports of avian flu among birds in the United States. The virus has not yet mutated to pass from person to person, so it is difficult to quantify any impending risk.”
“We are more likely to get hit by lightning than contract avian flu,” says Leonard Kirschner, MD, formerly a specialist in aerospace medicine. “There is no way to tell if and when the virus will mutate to infect and spread among humans, so right now the danger is hypothetical.”
“From a pediatric point of view, the current risk is very minimal,” emphasizes Dominick A. Barone, D.O. FACOP FAAP, of Barone Pediatrics. “Anxiety with regard to avian flu is not warranted, as there are no mutations of the virus affecting humans yet. The risk of hurting yourself at home or in the car is much, much greater.”
Mary Rimsza, MD, pediatrician and professor of Health Management and Policy at Arizona State University, agrees. “Migratory birds have not yet brought avian flu into the United States, so the threat is not immediate.”
Subsequently, as the virus has not yet mutated to infect and spread among humans, there are no current vaccines to stockpile. “Influenza vaccines are unique to the biological makeup of a specific virus so, while government agencies are conducting research and working to develop potentially effective vaccines, no vaccine can be developed until we know how, and if, the virus mutates,” explains Kirschner.
While the current avian flu virus has not become a human disease at this point, there is a consensus among experts that we need to be prepared, whether the virus mutates in 10 years, 50 years, or never. “It is the potential impact, not the likelihood, of a pandemic that necessitates our preparedness,” clarifies David Engelthaler, M.S., state epidemiologist with the Arizona Department of Health Services. “We do not advocate alarm or fear, but it is best to be prepared for large-scale emergency to mitigate potential repercussions if the virus does in fact mutate to become a human disease.” He explains that government at all levels, including federal, state and local, are developing pandemic plans to ensure preparedness.
Engelthaler also emphasizes the need for community preparedness. “Schools, small businesses, churches, families and individuals should educate themselves about avian flu and invest themselves in developing a disaster plan so they are prepared in the event of an outbreak.”
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Pandemic Flu Web site, President Bush is quoted as saying, “This effort requires the full participation and coordination by all levels of government and all segments of society … perhaps most important, addressing the challenge will require active participation by individual citizens in each community across our nation.” Among other valuable resources posted on the site, the Pandemic Flu Planning Checklist for Individuals and Families includes a few specific things that individuals can reinforce with their children to limit the spread of germs and prevent infection:
* Teach your children to wash hands frequently with soap and water, and model the correct behavior.
* Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues, and be sure to model this behavior.
* Teach your children to stay away from others as much as possible if they are sick. Stay home from work and school if sick.
It is also unanimous among experts that the best precautionary measure individuals can take at this point is to get regular flu vaccines as scheduled. “The priority age-group is 6- to 23-months of age and any children with chronic illnesses such as asthma or heart disease,” says Rimsza.
Udell agrees. “The most important component of preparedness on an individual and community level, at this point, is to improve and maintain the general state of health,” he explains. “This makes individuals less susceptible to any kind of infectious disease, if exposed.”
Resources: Arizona Department of Health Services, 602-542-1000; Barone Pediatrics, 602-971-3700; Leonard Kirschner, MD, 623-935-6049; Mary Rimsza, MD, 480-965-1622; Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, 480-858-9100; University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, 602-631-6565; www.pandemicflu.gov; www.statepublichealth.org.
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E-mail questions to lyn.wolford@azparenting.com; fax to 602-279-7978; mail to 2432 W. Peoria Ave., Suite 1206 Phoenix, AZ 85029. Include phone, e-mail, name and city in which you reside. Submissions are consent to publish name and question. Phone number, e-mail address, etc., remain confidential.
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Arizona Parenting. All rights reserved. |
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