The True Dangers of the H5N1 Virus :: Bird Flu Avian Influenza Pandemic

The True Dangers of the Feared Pandemic bring upThe H5N1 telephone line of the avian flu is a computer virus. It has the potential to be very dangerous especially through its ways of transmission. The statistics of the current deaths and possible deaths likewise show the possible pandemic arising in the near future. However, this topic mustiness be put into perspective and the common belief that it will erase our world is rather exaggerated. There is actually a higher put on the line that the avian flu will not become a virulent killer. Still, there are many possibilities and no oneness can be completely sure of the outcome.The H5N1 VirusAvian flu is probably one of the most feared possible outbreaks. The H5N1 strain is the particular strain in question. If this strain mutates, allowing for easy human to human transmission, there is an immense chance for a worldwide pandemic. This pandemic could leave the Earth barren with the possible eradication of humans unless there is a gene that allows a small share of humans to be resistant (Siegel 33).The H5N1 virus has been the most feared virus because of its likeliness to mutate. The structure of the H5N1 virus is the main reason of its possible mutation. The envelope of the H5N1 virus is comprised of three proteins. Two of them are the hemagglutinin (H) and the neuraminidase (N). The hemagglutinin is the layer used to penetrate the drove cell. It has receptors that bind to cells, allowing it to open and infiltrate the host cells. The receptors are very special(prenominal) to the receptors on the cells to which it binds. This is the reason that viruses withH5N1 Dangers 2the H5 subtype have not been able to put across from human to human very easily. Birds have been its main target and up to this point, have been affected to most. The neuraminidase serves as a mechanism used to sunburn the virus free from the mucus and other inhibiting factors of the immune governing body, allowing the virus to motion about freely in the body (Tambyah, Leung 16).Because this virus very seldom infects humans, the resistance it will face in the human immune system is predicted to be minimal. The virulence of H5N1 in its ability to multiply rapidly, making it more than likely for the virus to mutate by chance. The greatest fear is that the virus will mutate in a way that permits it to gain mobile transmission, allowing it to spread rapidly from human to human.