Warden Messages
Warden Message
Tbilisi, Georgia
October 12, 2005
The possibility of an outbreak of Avian Flu (H5N1) has been the topic of many news programs over the past several weeks. The US Embassy would like to provide American Citizens living in Georgia with some information and Internet links that might be helpful in answering any questions you might have. The following information is taken from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) web site.
Avian Influenza is a viral infection that usually affects wild birds but can infect and cause serious disease among poultry such as chickens. Most cases of avian flu infection in humans are thought to have occurred from direct contact with infected poultry in the affected countries in Asia.
So far, spread of H5N1 virus from person to person has been rare and spread has not continued beyond one person. However, because all influenza viruses have the ability to change, scientists are concerned that the H5N1 virus could one day be able to infect humans and spread easily from one person to another. Because these viruses do not commonly infect humans, there is little or no immune protection against them in the human population. If the H5N1 virus were able to infect people and spread easily from person to person, an “influenza pandemic” www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/pandemics.htm (worldwide outbreak of disease) could begin. No one can predict when a pandemic might occur. However, experts from around the world are watching the H5N1 situation in Asia very closely and are preparing for the possibility that the virus may begin to spread more easily and widely from person to person.
It is important to know that the Avian Flu (H5N1) virus has NOT been identified in any of the poultry farms or factories here in Georgia. As of September 22, 2005 the Department Of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported outbreaks of avian flu among poultry in Cambodia, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Russia and Kazakhstan.
For further and more detailed information, please visit the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/flu/avian or the World Health Organization’s website at www.who.int. At these websites you can find more information on preventative measures to take as well as treatment options.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.