Avian Influenza or A-H5N1 is a virus that is first contracted when someone gets in contact with a bird carrying the strain. Often farmers and rural workers are at risk of catching the flu if they work with birds. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned recently that A-H5N1 is still a threat and that new cases are being reported all around the world.
The concern now is that A-H5N1 may combine with the Swine Flu to produce a new, deadlier strain:
“The most obvious risk is of H5N1 combining with the pandemic influenza A(H1N1) 2009 virus, producing a flu virus that is as deadly as the former and as contagious as the latter.”
However, while WHO warns that this is a risk, it has not confirmed that the two strains combining is actually possible. Dr. Shin Young-soo, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific said,
“We don’t know if this is possible, but we are certainly aware of the risk. We are on alert for this development…Influenza viruses are unpredictable. In areas where A(H1N1) is endemic, we and our partners and national governments are working to build surveillance systems to identify changes in the behavior of the virus. We are also focusing on early-response capacity to reduce the potential threats to human health.”
Having N95 masks on hand will protect you from breathing in harmful contaminants in the air when you travel or have to go to public areas.
Source:
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=526599&publicationSubCategoryId=63