Return Of Bird Flu To Beijing In History Today, April 13, 2013

Photo illustration (Yue Su/Unsplash)

JAKARTA - On April 13, 2013, the first H7N9 bird flu virus was discovered in Beijing. A seven-year-old girl was treated at a hospital in Beijing for contracting the virus. This is not the first time bird flu has been found in Beijing. In 2003, the announcement of H5N1 bird flu caused controversy because China covered it up.

The little girl with the H7N9 was the child of a parent who traded poultry. He experienced a number of symptoms, such as fever, sore throat. While being treated, his condition was reportedly stable. Both of the girls' parents were quarantined for observation. This time the world appreciates China's transparency.

China's stance is much different from when the H5N1 variant of bird flu was first discovered in Beijing ten years earlier. In 2004, China abruptly announced the discovery of strains or derivatives of bird flu in pig animals.

The world then reacted, viewing it as a serious implication for efforts to prevent human transmission of the disease. China was blamed for testing pig animals in 2003, one year before the announcement.

"This is not only the first to be found in China, but also in the world," said Chen, who also declined to give details, saying, "We should probably not talk about this anymore. Don't let this go. Once reported, this will make a lot of people very frightened," Chen said.

Prior to Chen's announcement, the bird flu virus was found only in poultry and birds. Transmission to humans is still very limited. World Health Organization (WHO) official Julie Hall who was present at the site at the time was shocked.

"Pigs are capable of catching bird influenza viruses as well as human influenza viruses... The worry is that if the two viruses meet, they share genetic information and the results will be more dangerous," he said.

Responding to criticism of their transparency, China said the discovery of the H5N1 bird flu virus in pig herds in 2003 was not a dangerous breed for humans. The sample was the same as the one tested in 2001.

The pigs are said to have avian influenza virus found in ducks. It was not a threat to humans, according to China at the time. But it is not clear why it took so long to test the 2001 sample.

In Indonesia, cases of H5N1 bird flu infection in humans first occurred in 2005. According to data released by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, there were two hundred case reports with 168 deaths as of 2018.

Symptoms of bird flu

Bird flu has many derivatives. However, many say some of the symptoms are similar to COVID-19. Reported on Alodokter.com website, symptoms of bird flu generally appear within three to five days after exposure.

The symptoms range from mild to severe. However, it is also mentioned, some people do not feel any symptoms. Here is a list of common symptoms experienced by people with bird flu:

Fever Cough Sore Throat Muscle pain Headaches Fatigue Runny or clogged nose Shortness of breath Treatment of bird flu

Treatment to treat bird flu varies depending on the symptoms. Patients who are confirmed positive for bird flu are usually treated in isolation to prevent transmission to other patients.

Antiviral drugs are the main weapons, among which the most common given to patients are oseltamivir and zanamivir. Antiviral drugs can relieve symptoms while preventing complications and increasing the chances of recovery, of course.

The doctor usually arranges for the drug to be taken immediately within two days after the appearance of symptoms. In addition to treatment, oseltamivir and zanamivir can also be used to prevent bird flu.

Therefore oseltamivir and zanamivir are also often given to people who are indicated through a history of direct contact with bird flu positive patients. Those people included medical personnel, family, and relatives.

In unstable conditions, when the patient has breathing disorders and hypoxemia, for example, the doctor will install breathing apparatus and ventilator.

The latest variant of bird flu

Of the many variants of bird flu, the latest is H5N8. February 2021, Russia announced bird flu infection in seven poultry farm workers. This is the first case of H5N8 transmission from animal to human.

This variant has previously spread in a number of regions of the world. But it is still limited to poultry. H5N8 is a strain or subtype of influenza A virus that triggers flu-like symptoms in poultry and wild birds.

In humans, the risk is low. The case of seven workers in Russia was first confirmed in December 2020. Anna Popova of the Russian Consumer Health Regulatory Agency (Rospotrebnadzor) reported the situation. At that time he also informed the workers in good condition.

In poultry, H5N8 bird flu is also reported in China, the Middle East, to North Africa and several other European countries. There hasn't been much meaningful progress from these findings. To be clear, initial reports say the workers contracted H5N8 bird flu from a flock of birds.

*Read more information about THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD or read other interesting writings from Putri Ainur Islam.

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