Chinanews, Guangzhou, Jan. 26 – The first high-level seminar on counter measures against infectious diseases among Chinese and Japanese hospitals was kicked off in Guangzhou Wednesday. At the seminar, Chinese academician Zhong Nanshan said related researches indicate that bird flu virus which now forms a pandemic among humans in the world is formed when the intermediate host of human and bird flu virus genes takes a major transformation. Right now, an influenza outbreak is occurring in some parts of the northern regions. If a bird flu outbreak also occurs in these regions at this time, the two kinds of virus might combine and develop into a new virus which will enable bird flu to transmit among humans. When this occurs, human beings will be exposed to a great danger. In order to prevent this, doctors and nurses should take counter measures to deal with human-infected bird flu cases as early as possible. Patients who are infected with bird flu should be isolated and treated as early as possible.
According to Zhong, bird flu virus is transforming into a new type of virus in its infection process. When the virus first appeared in wild birds, it was only a lowly pathogenic flu virus. When the virus was transmitted to poultry, however, it developed into a highly pathogenic virus. In the end, the virus was transmitted to human beings due to human beings’ close contact with poultry. Statistics show that from 2003 to 2007, there are altogether 269 human-infected bird flu cases, with 163 people killed by the disease, the death ratio reaching 60%. In China, some 22 people were infected by bird flu cases and 14 people died of it. All these patients had had a close contact with the infected animal or virus before they caught the disease. In addition, related researches indicate that bird flu virus which now forms a pandemic among humans is formed when the intermediate host of human and bird flu virus genes takes a major transformation. The researches also indicate that bird flu virus can be transmitted among human beings.
Most people infected by bird flu virus died of organs function exhaustion. Last year, however, doctors successfully saved the life of a patient who already suffered from organs function exhaustion. This is the first case in the world in which a patient who was infected by the bird flu virus and whose six major organs had already shown function exhaustion, was finally saved. This is indeed a miracle, Zhong said.
The patient is a 31-year-old truck driver. On June 3, he was sent to hospital after showing symptoms of fever, cough and sore throat. He suffered from respiration exhaustion on June 11 and was diagnosed to be infected by bird flu on the following day. At that time, the six major internal organs of the patient’s body, including his liver, kidney, heart and blood circulation organ, displayed exhaustion syndrome. The doctors treated his disease with multiple means and the patient has now entirely recovered from the disease.
