"The 2009 influenza pandemic has spread internationally with unprecedented speed. In past pandemics, influenza viruses have needed more than six months to spread as widely as the new H1N1 virus has spread in less than six weeks," the WHO said. It has become nearly impossible for health authorities and laboratories to keep count of individual cases. More than two million people are believed to have contracted the new flu in the U.S. As of September 13 2009 more than 3,500 have died from the H1N1 virus.
The World Health Organization says the H1N1 swine-flu virus could infect up to two billion people over the next two years - about one of every three people in the world, and if a vaccine is not successfully developed it may kill as many as 700,000.
So much has been said, written and crowed about the bird and swine flu's!!! Hey, did I mention 'crow about'??. I read an innocuous piece of news on the Internet.
"A house crow found dead in Hong Kong has tested positive for the deadly H-5-N-1 bird flu virus. An agriculture official says the crow was found dead in a park in October and tests showed it was carrying the virus."
Hong Kong was the location of the world's first outbreak of bird flu in humans, which hit the city in 1997, leaving some of their people dead.
House Crow (Corvus splendens), also called Common Crow, is a very common breeding resident. This bird is found extensively in all habitats all over India as well as the continents of Asia. Due to a human population explosion in the areas it inhabits, this species has also proportionately multiplied. Being an omnivorous scavenger has enabled it to thrive in such circumstances. It feeds largely on refuse around human habitations, small reptiles and other animals such as insects and other small invertebrates, eggs, nestlings, grain and fruits. Most food is taken from the ground, but also from trees as opportunity arises. It is a highly opportunistic bird and given its omnivorous diet, it can survive on nearly anything that is edible. House Crows roost communally near human habitations and often over busy streets. A study in Singapore found that the preferred roost sites were in well-lit areas with a lot of human activity, close to food sources and in tall trees with dense crowns that were separated from other trees. The roost sites were often enclosed by tall buildings
It is suspected that paramyxoviruses, such as PMV 1 that causes of Newcastle disease may be spread by Corvus splendens (The house crow). Newcastle Disease (NDV) was discovered in Newcastle upon Tyne, England in 1926 (Doyle), but also at this time slightly different strains were found in other parts of the world. Outbreaks in India of Newcastle disease were often preceded by mortality in crows. They have also been found to carry Cryptococcus neoformans, which can cause cryptococcosis in humans. Cryptococcosis, or cryptococcal disease, is a serious and potentially fatal fungal disease. It is caused by members of the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex, comprising the three variants C. neoformans v. gattii (Cryptococcus gattii), C. neoformans v. neoformans, and C. neoformans v. grubii. No treatment for NDV exists, but the use of prophylactic vaccines and sanitary measures reduces the likelihood of outbreaks.
NDV strains can be categorized as velogenic (highly virulent), mesogenic (intermediate virulence) or lentogenic (nonvirulent). Velogenic strains produce severe nervous and respiratory signs, spread rapidly and cause up to 90% mortality. Mesogenic strains cause coughing, affect egg quality and production and result in up to 10% mortality. Lentogenic strains produce mild signs with negligible mortality.
Newcastle disease was one of more than a dozen agents that the United States researched as potential biological weapons before the nation suspended its biological weapons program.
It is my greatest fear, that with the exploding population of the house crow in India, contributed by lack of sanitation or civic sense of its citizens, any new strain of the bird flu, which theoretically can be passed on to crows, will have disastrous epidemic effects. Are we prepared for such a possible contingency in the near future? It is high time, not only the Central or State Governments wake up to such a possible pandemic, but Municipal Corporations, Zila Parishads and Panchayat levels in villages must also pursue its cause and effects.
For a start, studies must be commissioned into the possible outbreaks of “Crow-flu”, and contingency measures to be taken. We must also determine, to what extent and means to drastically bring down the crow population in India. Unless and until some awareness is created to combat a potential disaster, we will all be left as sitting ducks crowing about inane things in life.
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