PART A
Based on the post provided give additional info in 100 words EACH FOR PART A AND PART B in APA 7 format about the virus.
Influenza Virus, Strains H7N9 and H5N1 (Bird Flu)
Various versions and forms of influenza exist throughout the world. The Bird Flu also known as influenza virus, strain H5N1 are familiar to poultry farmers here in the United States and in Europe and H7N9 is familiar in Asia. Last year, the “dangerous H5N1 flu virus” (What We Know About the Deadliest U.S. Bird Flu Outbreak in History, 2022) was detected in a wild duck in South Carolina. This was the beginning of the devastating bird flu that started circulating last January. H5N1 and H7N9 are considered to be a “highly pathogenic avian influenza virus” (Asian Lineage Avian Influenza a(H7N9) Virus | Avian Influenza (Flu), n.d.) that has an over 90% mortality rate for chickens. This strain is also found in ducks, but it can go unnoticed. During this recent outbreak, millions of birds died directly from the disease or from being culled. H5N1 is usually only found in birds but it is transmissible to humans, most times from being in close contact with infected birds. In Colorado, a man became infected with H5N1 and he recovered after a just a few days of tiredness last April. China has suffered from annual epidemics of H7N9 also known as Asian lineage avian influenza A in the past. Both H5N1 and H7N9 are highly contagious avian influenza that can be devastating to flocks of birds and humans alike. The bird flu is widespread because some birds migrate, expanding the range of the disease. Avian influenza is due to a virus associated with the Orthomyxoviridae family. Positive staining was found when testing the virus on monkeys. In birds, people might notice a drop in egg production or diarrhea from their flock. But in humans, the bird flu can look like a common flu when experiencing a mild case.
In conclusion it’s important to know that while avian influenza can be labeled as low pathogenic avian influenza, it can evolve into high pathogenic avian influenza. Once it reaches the level of high pathogenic, it can spread rapidly causing devastating effects on the economy.
PART B
Yersinia Pestis
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and its severity, several news outlets have been keen on monitoring any emerging diseases in the world, that could potentially cause the same havoc the COVID-19 pandemic did in the past few years. Outbreaks News Today is one such news outlet that specializes in monitoring and informing the public on the severity of serious diseases spreading all over the world. In 2022, there was an outbreak of Yersinia pestis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This disease is often known as the plague and has been one of the most severe diseases that has ever hit mankind. In the Middle Ages, the disease caused havoc in Europe killing millions of people (CDC, 2021). What made the situation worse was the lack of proper hygiene, the lack of relevant antibiotics, and the lack of enough knowledge of the bacterium and the disease that resulted from it (CDC 2021).
The news article refers quote’s the World Health Organization (WHO) that indicates the infection started on April 17 and by the time the news article reported the case to the public approximately 56 cases of the bubonic plague had been reported in the country. During this period, two people had already died from the disease. The areas most affected were Lokpa and Rassia (Outbreak News Today, 2022). According to Outbreak News Today (2022), the bacterium Yersinia pestis seems to be prevalent in this region since 2020 when 461 cases were reported and 32 people died from the infection. In 2021, another 138 cases were reported with 14 deaths. In 2020, a case was also reported in the United States on the CBN news channel where one person was reported to have been infected.
According to the CDC (2021), plague is a disease that is easily transmitted from other mammals to human beings and the cause is the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The transition is usually through bites, specifically by a rodent flea that is carrying the bacterium (CDC). Handling of infected animals can also cause transmission, specifically infected fluids and tissue. In current times plague infections occur in rural western United States, with a majority of the cases in Asia and Africa (CDC, 2021). Factors contributing to the spread of the bacterium include semi-arid conditions containing significant numbers of rodents. According to the CDC (2021) report, Yersinia pestis maintain its existence in a cycle involving rodents and their fleas. Thus, an area full of rodents is the potential for an outbreak
