H5N1 Mutation

As of right now, one of the main concerns of health officials all over the world is the mutation of the bird flu. As humans, our bodies are not immune to the bird flu, and currently, the bird flu cannot spread from human to human. Humans can only contact the bird flu virus through direct contact with the bird, which most of the case is the result of contaminated poultry. It is not possible right now for humans to pass the bird flu on to one another, where on the other hand, birds can pass it to one another quite easily. One of the fears of health officials all over the world is that this virus will begin to mutate, there for making it possible for humans to spread the bird flu virus to one another. If this happens, and the bird flu mutates, it can cause a world wide pandemic causing illness through out many countries and possibly even death. In the case that the bird flu virus does mutate, the FDA approved a vaccine in 2007, which could protect those vaccinated from contracting the bird flu virus. Hopefully, in the event that the bird flu virus does begin to mutate and become spreadable from human to human, the vaccine will help prevent the spread and a global pandemic from rising. In certain countries where the bird flu is a problem they are taking advances in diagnosing birds to prevent contamination of poultry, this has been effective in slowing down the spread of bird flu.