单选题
The Threat of the Pandemic Flu
Several years ago, the world fell into frenzy when a highly contagious disease called SARS spread all around the globe and infected thousands of people worldwide. This same scenario might repeat itself in the near future. In fact, epidemiologists warn that humanity is long overdue when it comes to the pandemic flu. The last strains of virulent influenza to hit the globe happened as far back as 1957 and 1968. They claimed the lives of millions of people, yet were less deadly than the 1918 pandemic, which killed 40 million worldwide. The discrepancy between these numbers is due to the fact that the later flu strains were less fierce than those that triggered the 1918 pandemic flu. There is no way of knowing the severity of the next influenza virus or the time it will break out. All that scientists know for certain is that a global pandemic is inevitable.
It is therefore imperative that all countries are well prepared in advance to meet this potentially deadly epidemic. The World Health Organization is carefully monitoring for any signs of potential trouble. It is particularly analyzing the effects that the current avian flu virus has upon the population of Asia and Europe. In general, influenza viruses are airborne. They are rapidly transferred from the host to a receptor ceil, where they incubate in less than two days. Unlike normal flu viruses that are neutralized by the body"s immune system, pandemic viruses undergo genetic mutations that render them untouchable. For instance, the avian strains of influenza evolved by binding to sialic acid, which enabled them to enter human cells more easily. Alternatively, two strains of influenza could infect the same host cell at the same time and release a pair of viral RNA inside the cell nucleus. When such viral strains mix with one another they produce an extremely contagious pandemic strain.
Should an outbreak of such a virus occur, health care workers and governments would have limited time to react. After 30 days of unconstrained spread, the virus would be unstoppable and millions would perish. It is therefore vital that public authorities from around the world communicate with each other over this issue. Prevention is preferable over treatment. Customs and border security have to be aware of any potentially ill people that enter a country. It is recommended that both tourists and business people have a thorough checkup before traveling abroad or returning from a trip overseas. Doctors and health agencies need to be on constant alert and keep any incoming flu patients under surveillance. Often a simple antiviral flu shot administered on time can halt the immediate spread of a virulent disease.
One hurdle the world faces right now is the relative lack of appropriate medication. Because flu viruses spread so quickly and soon become resistant to current drugs on the market, it is difficult to create effective anti-flu shots. Moreover, all these shots quickly become outdated due to the fact that evolving virus strains undergo genetic mutations that make them immune to the action of the drug. Given these discouraging circumstances, pharmaceutical companies have little incentive investing in the development of new flu vaccines. The current global supply of antiviral shots would hardly cover the needs of a quarter of the population of the USA. In case of an emergency, decisions have to be made as to who would get these shots first. And virologists still do not know the full extent of side-effects antiviral vaccines may trigger. More research needs to be done to avoid any unforeseen problems caused by their prolonged use.
The threat of a pandemic flu is looming large over the head of the entire world population. While antiviral flu shots may be perceived by some as a poor antidote in case of a global pandemic, they are still the only possible cure known today to treat this horrible disease. Without proper preventive treatment, the pandemic flu might have catastrophic consequences that far outreach the fatalities recorded during the 1918 epidemic. Pharmaceutical companies and research institutes must put their heads together to not only develop the best treatment possible, but also to increase the number of currently available medications on the market. At the same time, governments of more developed nations need to offer free resources and information to less prosperous countries in an effort to stop any potential outbreak in its track. Only a concerted effort on all parts will have wide reaching positive effects in the long run.
Glossary
SARS:
Severe A cute Respiratory Syndrome
epidemiologist:
a person who studies the distribution, effects, and causes of diseases in populations
pandemic:
describing a widespread epidemic of a disease, one that affects a whole country, continent, etc.
virulent:
said of a disease; having a rapidly harmful effect
loom:
to be imminent, especially in some menacing or threatening way