The Bird Flu and Swine Flu

Proverb which says that it is not know so no pity, no pity so no love and no love then no matter, it seems appropriate as the illustration of the confusion and fear of the world community at this time in a bird flu pandemic in Asia and the swine flu in Mexico. As we know, infection of the bird flu disease has a mortality risk is high enough by others if not immediately medically. What causes disease and how the flu is currently a debate among scientists in microbiology worldwide. This becomes interesting because the two flu disease is equally caused by the spread of influenza virus type A. Bird flu disease is caused by the H5N1 virus and swine flu is caused by H1N1 virus attack.



According to the name, the influenza virus type A, H1N1 is generally found in many pigs so that known as swine flu. The influenza virus type A, H5N1 is generally found in many birds so known as bird flu. Both influenza virus type A was also together can spread from human to human. The difference, H1N1 has a high speed of the spread more higher than H5N1. In fact, according to latest research results, with just one sneeze produce as much 100,000 virus H1N1 can stick in anywhere, and potentially spread the disease to people who touch the things that affected sneezing. However, the H5N1 virus is more violent than H1N1. This is because the level of the percentage of deaths due to H5N1 is higher, as much 80 percent while H1N1 is causing the death of as much as 7.7 percent reported by the government of Mexico. Although the level of small percentage of death H1N1 virus has a high-speed distribution of higher and up to now has spread to Mexico, Spain, France, UK, Canada, the United States and Hongkong. This certainly makes the world of fear especially evident this virus is able to spread from human to human so that potentially lead to a global pandemic, such as happened in the year 1918 in Spain. Uniquely, the disease causes flu in Mexico is influenza virus type A H1N1 strain that resulted from mixing different versions of the influenza virus usually attacks the human species, poultry, and pigs have a history with no contact with pigs. However, the speed of experts in microbiology to detect this virus has been successfully reduced risk in a global pandemic.

Human and Virus

Scientists have been doing a lot of research on the virus mutation, rapid detection techniques with methods of molecular biology has also been much developed, antiviral medication has been produced, but the efforts to free humanity from the threat of the virus apparently still far from expectations. This cycle continues until this time, a consequence of virus infection of the disease difficult to overcome the war against disease and infection is still difficult to predict when it will finish.

Step anticipation that we must do is to always be vigilant and prepared themselves to face the threat with better every type of virus, how to detect, characterization, and also how to take action. In addition people traffic and cattle that originate from countries endemic virus must be watch out and without compromise to prevent the spread of the virus. We deserve to be grateful, because succeed who have experience dealing with bird flu disease. The Government of Indonesia through the Ministry of Health has developed a system for national pandemic preparedness. This system has succeeded in preventing the spread of bird flu virus that the Asia region. For pandemic flu to pigs, this system must be strengthened. Slightly different from the bird flu, the future control of swine flu at this time is the entrance of air and sea across the country.