Bird Flu – Page 2 – David Bradley

Shedding Light on Neon Signs

As regular readers know, I like to keep a fairly close eye on what Sciencebase visitors are searching for so that I can put together new posts that provide answers to the questions readers want answering. Recently, there has been a spate of search queries related to neon signs. Perhaps not the most exciting of subjects, but there is some nice chemistry to be learned from all the different colours available, so I thought I’d shed some light on the subject of noble gas illumination.

Incidentally, for those unaware of the history of noble gases, they were at one time known as inert gases because chemists thought their full outer shell of electrons made them unreactive. As more and more reactions for these so-called inert gases were discovered, it became necessary to abandon the “inert” label and focus on their nobility.

A neon light is not really much more than a fluorescent tube (actually, it’s less as it needs no phosphor coating on the inside), neon tubes contain the noble gas neon, surprise, surprise. Pass an electric discharge through a tube containing low pressure neon and it will glow with that familiar orange-red glow, so evocative of late-night bars and sleazy movies.

A neon light uses a very high voltage to propel an electric current through a low-density gas of neon atoms held in a glass tube. Charges from the electrode at each end of the tube fly through the gas colliding frequently with neon atoms and transferring some of their energy to the neon atoms. This kicks the neon atoms into a higher energy, excited state, with an electron in a higher orbital than normal. This excited state does not last and as the electron loses energy the atom drops back to a lower energy state and releases a photon of light. The energy of this photon is equivalent to the energy fall and for neon atoms that coincides with an energy that produces a reddish glow.

Many people, unfamiliar with the noble gas group of the periodic table – the p-block, assume that all coloured fluorescent tubes used in signage are neon signs. However, there are two ways to produce other colours – paint a standard mercury tube with the colour you want or far more effectively use a different noble gas in the tube instead of neon, perhaps together with mercury vapour to give a stronger glow. Here’s a break down of the discharge colours for each noble gas.

Helium (He) – Orangey white, usually
Neon (Ne) – Orange-red glow
Argon (Ar) – Violet, pale lavender blue
Krypton (Kr) – Grayish dim off-white
Xenon (Xe) – Blue-grey
Radon (Rn) – radioactive, not used in lighting

Of course, it is not only the noble gases and mercury vapour that can be added to lighting tubes. Nitrogen produces a slightly pinker glow than argon, oxygen glows violet-lavender but dimly. Hydrogen glows lavender at low currents, but pinkish magenta above 10 milliAmps, while carbon dioxide produces a slight bluish-white. Mercury can be made to glow in the ultraviolet, and is used in so-called black lights. Sodium vapour at low pressure glows the bright yellow of street lighting, particularly in England. And, even water vapour produces a glow similar to hydrogen, only dimmer .

Open Access in Africa

development-heatmap-africa There is much talk about Open Access. There are those in academia who argue the pros extensively in all fields, biology, chemistry, computing. Protagonists are making massive efforts to convert users to this essentially non-commercial form of information and knowledge.

Conversely, there are those in the commercial world who ask, who will pay for OA endeavours and how can growth (current recession and credit crunch aside) continue in a capitalist, democratic society, without the opportunity to profit from one’s intellectual property.

Those for and against weigh up both sides of the argument repeatedly. However, they often neglect one aspect of the concept of Open Access: how they might extend it to the developing nations, to what ends, and with what benefits.

Writing in a forthcoming paper in the International Journal of Technology Management, Williams Nwagwu of the Africa Regional Center for Information Science (ARCIS) at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria and Allam Ahmed of the Science and Technology Policy Research (SPRU) at the University of Sussex, UK, suggest that developing countries, particularly those in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), are suffering from a scientific information famine. They say that beginning at the local level and networking nationally could help us realise the potential for two-way information traffic.

The expectation that the internet would facilitate scientific information flow does not seem to be realisable, owing to the restrictive subscription fees of the high quality sources and the beleaguering inequity in the access and use of the internet and other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources.

Nwagwu and Ahmed have assessed the possible impact the Open Access movement may have on addressing this inequity in SSA by removing the restrictions on accessing scientific knowledge. They highlight the opportunities and challenges but also demonstrate that there are often mismatches between what the “donor” countries and organisations might reasonably offer and what the SSA countries can actually implement. Moreover, they explain the slow uptake of Open Access in SSA as being related to the perception of the African scientists towards the movement and a lack of concern by policymakers.

The researchers suggest that the creation of a digital democracy could prevent the widening information gap between the developed and the developing world. Without the free flow of information between nations, particularly in and out of Africa and other developing regions, there may be no true global economy.

“Whatever might emerge as a global economy will be skewed in favour of the information-haves, leaving behind the rich resources of Africa and other regions, which are often regarded as information have-nots,” the researchers say. It is this notion that means that it is not only SSA that will lose out on the lack of information channels between the SSA and the developed world, but also those in the developed world.

“The current pattern of the globalisation process is leaving something very crucial behind, namely the multifaceted intellectual ‘wealth’ and ‘natural resources’ of Africa,” they add. “The beauty of a truly globalised world would lie in the diversity of the content contributed by all countries.

From this perspective, they say, the free flow of scientific articles must be pursued by developing countries, particularly SSA, with vigour. “African countries should as a matter of priority adopt collaborative strategies with agencies and institutions in the developed countries where research infrastructures are better developed, and where the quest for access to scientific publication is on the increase.”

They suggest that efforts could begin locally having found that even within single institutions in most African countries, access to scientific articles is very scant. “Local institutions should initiate local literature control services with the sole aim of making the content available to scientists,” they suggest.

Proper networking of institutions across a country could then ease access to scientific publications. One such initiative in Nigeria has started under the National University Commission’s NUNet Project but wider support from governments is necessary to build the infrastructure. Research oriented institutions could use their funds to grant free access to their readers, especially given that many already pay subscription fees for their readers in large amounts.

Meanwhile, can music bring open relief to Africa?

Williams E. Nwagwu, Allam Ahmed (2009). Building open access in Africa International Journal of Technology Management, 45 (1/2), 82-101 I put in a request with the publishers for this paper to be made freely available, it is now so. You can download the PDF here.

Bird Flu Flap

Bird flu duck I’m not entirely convinced that bird flu (avian influenza) is going to be the next big emergent disease that will wipe out thousands, if not millions, of people across the globe. SARS, after all, had nothing to do with avians, nor does HIV, and certainly not malaria, tuberculosis, MRSA, Escherichia coli O157, or any of dozens of virulent strains of disease that have and are killing millions of people.

There are just so many different types of host within which novel microbial organisms and parasites might be lurking, just waiting for humans to impinge on their marginal domains, to chop down that last tree, to hunt their predators to extinction, and to wreak all-round environmental habitat on their ecosystems, that it is actually only a matter of time before something far worse than avian influenza crawls out from under the metaphorical rock.

In the meantime, there is plenty to worry about on the bird flu front, but perhaps nothing for us to get into too much of a flap over, just yet.

According to a report on Australia’s ABC news, researchers have found that the infamous H5N1 strain of bird flu (which is deadly to birds) can mix with the common-or-garden human influenza virus. The news report tells us worryingly that, “A mutated virus combining human flu and bird flu is the nightmare strain which scientists fear could create a worldwide pandemic.”

Of course, the scientists have not discovered this mutant strain in the wild, they have simply demonstrated that it can happen in the proverbial Petri dish.

Meanwhile, bootiful UK turkey company – Bernard Matthews Foods – has called for an early warning system for impending invasions of avian influenza. A feature in Farmers Weekly Interactive says the company is urging the government and poultry industry to work together to establish an early warning system for migratory birds that may carry H5N1 avian flu. “Armed with this knowledge, free range turkey producers would be able to take measures to avoid contact between wild birds and poultry.” That’s all well and good, but what if a mutant strain really does emerge that also happens to be carried by wild (and domesticated birds) or, more scarily by another species altogether? Then, no amount of H5N1 monitoring is going to protect those roaming turkeys.

While all this is going on, the Washington Post reports that the Hong Kong authorities announced Wednesday (June 10) that they are going to cull poultry in the territory’s retail markets because of fears of a dangerous bird flu outbreak. H5N1 virus was detected in chickens being sold from a stall in the Kowloon area and 2700 birds were slaughtered there to prevent its spread. In closely related news, the International Herald Tribune has reported that there has been an outbreak of bird flu in North Korea. “Bird flu has broken out near a North Korean military base in the first reported case of the disease in the country since 2005, a South Korean aid group said Wednesday.” But, note, “since 2005”, which means it happened before, and we didn’t then see the rapid emergence of the killer strain the media scaremongers are almost choking to see.

Finally, the ever-intriguing Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported, with the rather uninspiring headline: Test shows bird flu in hens. Apparently, a sample from a hen flock destroyed near West Fork, Arkansas, tested positive for avian influenza. A little lower down the page we learn that the strain involved is the far less worrisome H7N3. So, avian influenza is yet to crack the US big time. Thankfully.

Flu Clinic Widget

Flu shot

Is flu vaccination a shot in the dark? Regular readers will recall the recent debate on multiple vaccines, statistics, and risk we had here in September. I also have rather close personal experience of one of the risks associated with having the annual flu vaccine – Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). This autoimmune disorder is purportedly associated with a respiratory or gastrointestinal tract infection although there is a statistical risk that connects it to the flu vaccine. A close relative of mine developed GBS symptoms about six weeks after having the flu jab last December and has not yet fully recovered. GBS support groups recommend she not have the vaccine again.

So, it is with mixed feelings that I read an email from Charles Forsyth (a public relations professional at www.btstrategies.com apparently working for the American Lung Association). Charles is helping the ALA raise awareness of the importance of getting an influenza vaccination at this time of year. He explains that part of the campaign involves persuading bloggers and other website owners to add a widget to their site. The widget helps readers find a local flu clinic quickly and easily where they can be vaccinated.

You can try the widget here http://www.flucliniclocator.org and download it to add to your site. Just enter your zip code to find clinics in your area and make an appointment. You could use it to find a clinic for elderly or infirm friends or relatives too or others in high-risk categories, such as asthma sufferers, and those on immunosuppressant drugs.

Tragically, influenza kills about 36,000 people each year in the US, Charles tells me, and requires another 200,000 to be hospitalized. Most of these deaths are preventable by getting a simple flu shot each fall.

The following groups are considered at higher risk than the general population

People who are 50 years of age and older
Women who will be pregnant during influenza season
Young children 6 to 59 months of age [Not sure what changes at 59 months, presumably they just mean under fives]
People with chronic medical conditions such as asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, TB, CF, heart disease, kidney problems, diabetes, and severe anaemia
People who have diseases or having treatments that depress immunity
Caregivers of those at risk

Charles suggested I add the widget to the Sciencebase bird flu symptoms page, but I think that would be a little irresponsible, given that a vaccine against human influenza will most likely provide absolutely no protection against an impending bird flu epidemic. Instead, I’ve added it to my seasonal page on how to avoid colds and flu in the first place. This page rears its ugly head at this time of year on an annual basis, so it’s as good a place to slot the widget as any. I should emphasize though, that if you have any concerns about the protective efficacy of vaccination or the risks associated with the flu jab you should discuss them with your GP.

Oh, and if you think you have flu or a bad cold, don’t spread it around, stay at home.

Bird flu pandemic chokes internet

H5N1 influenza If the avian influenza virus, H5N1, ever gets around to mutating into a lethal and virulent form that can be passed on readily from one person to another, then we will be facing a pandemic. Of course, as some observers have pointed out, mainly those without a vested interest in scaremongering, the process of mutation would more than likely lead to a strain of the disease that was not so commonly lethal in people, just as it is not commonly lethal in the natural wild bird hosts.

Anyway, if and when a pandemic pans around, we are likely to see a lot of people either being forced to work from home or opting to do so to reduce the risk of the disease spreading further than it needs to. According to ComputerWorld, this stay-at-home shift could choke the internet as workers and students forced into their homes will no doubt continue to treat even old dial-up accounts as being as fast as their work broadband connections and maintain their interest in high bandwidth sites like Youtube.

ComputerWorld suggests that this sudden burden on bytes will force governments to throttle bandwidth on non-essential services. After all, who seriously will need to watch videos of people hacking 9V batteries apart or powering their mp3 player with sweet potatoes when everyone around them are running around like headless chickens? Well…me for one! If we’re all forced to stay indoors and away from other people, then that will mean no proper TV being made, all we’ll get will be endless replays of turkeys and chickens being slaughtered and medical pundits waffling on about how they told us so. Youtube and social bookmarking sites like Digg and Slashdot could become our only useful information sources, with netizens pulling together to dispel the propagating myths and bring us video clips like the How to Sneeze public service broadcast.

How to Sneeze

How to sneeze Kleenex is out, disposable arm bands are not yet de rigeur, so what’s the alternative when you just have to sneeze or cough? Use your sleeve, that’s what. It’s the most effective way to reduce the spread of cold and flu viruses. Coughing into the open air without covering your mouth simply releases a myriad of viral and bacterial particles into the air around you. If there’s no one else around that’s not so bad, but just picture those droplets of spittle and snot flying in the video we’re going to show you here and you’ll think again.

Perhaps worse than open-air sneezing is inappropriate Kleenex use. If you don’t cover your nose and mouth properly then you might as well not bother. Coughing or sneezing into your hand is worse still. Germs will contaminate your hands, you touch a door knob or handle food and those germs get transferred to the next person who touches said objects. The video, which comes from the Maine Medical Association suggests your sleeve is the way forward. Cough or sneeze on to your sleeve and the germs will simply dry out and die.

It’s not just a matter of avoiding the sniffles, if we’re heading for a major viral epidemic from bird flu or something worse then the advice in this video could save lives. Listen to what the panel of experts – Polly Morph, Graham Stain, Blood Hagar – have to say. There’s a useful science fair project that can help you answer the question, “Does covering your mouth stop germs spreading?” and if you’re after more advice on how to avoid colds and flu check out the Sciencebase FAQ on the subject.

For advice on how to stop a sneeze, check out this site.

H5N1 in the UK

UK government vets have confirmed infection with the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in 2600 turkeys that died on a Suffolk farm owned by the Bernard Matthews company. The 159,000 turkey flock will have to be culled with all the risks that entails to prevent the disease spreading further.

According to a statement from the European Commission a protection zone of 3 km radius and a 10 km surveillance zone will be established around Holton, a village about 25 km south-west of Lowestoft.

This is the first time H5N1 has been identified in the UK on a commercial property. A previous outbreak of avian influenza was H7 that required a cull of 50000 fowl to be culled.

There are fifteen known variants of avian influenza. The most virulent, and usually fatal in birds, are H5 and H7 strains. There are then nine variants of the H5 strain and the type of most concern because of the risk to human health is H5N1. While H5N1 can be fatal in humans it has not yet mutated into a form that can be transmitted from person to person.

According to virologist John Oxford of the Queen Mary College, University of London, “I don’t think it has made any difference as a threat to the human population.”

Meanwhile, Channelnewsasia.com today reports yet another outbreak of H5N1 in Japan, the fourth this year.

Bird flu non-news

Over on foreignpolicy.com they’re reporting the Top Ten non-News Stories of 2006. Among their picks is the non-story of bird flu, or avian influenza as it’s more correctly known. In case you missed it, we didn’t all die of bird flu again this year. However, there were a few people who, having got so scared of the tiny risk that they might catch the H5N1 strain of the disease began taking Tamiflu prophalactically. More fool them, it turned out. Here’s what the site had to say:

“In November, the Canadian health ministry issued a warning on Tamiflu after 10 Canadians taking the drug had died suspiciously. And the US Food and Drug Administration received more than 100 reports of injury and delirium among Tamiflu takers for a 10-month period in 2005 and 2006. That’s nearly as many cases as were logged over the drug’s five-year trial period. For now, the cure seems worse than the disease.”

Highly ironic that a drug taken for its protective effects against a disease that doesn’t really yet exist should have claimed so many victims. Unless we see a sudden spate of bird flu infections in the developed world, 2006 will remain another year in which none of the scaremongerees actually died of bird flu.

Influenza’s long tail

A long protein tail found in all influenza A virus raises the possibility of novel drugs that can grab on to it and stop the virus in its tracks. The protein tail is present in common human influenza A which kills thousands of people every year as well as rare forms such as bird flu.

US scientists used crystallography to study the long flexible tail of the influenza virus’ nucleoprotein. They found that even seemingly insignificant changes to the structure of this protein tail prevent it from fulfilling a key role in viral replication. That is, they prevent them from linking together to form structural columns used by the virus to transmit copies of itself.

More…

Flu mechanics

With the holiday season almost upon us, that means only one thing, flu is also on its way and if the scaremongers are to be believed the long-forewarned bird flu epidemic might follow in its wake any time soon.

Now, US researchers have put to work the 15-ton 900 MHz NMR machine at Florida State U to help them figure out the mechanics of infection by influenza A virus. The common human form of the disease already kills several hundred thousand people every year, and forecasters predict the emergence of a human transmissible form of avian influenza could kill millions more.

“Using NMR helps us build a blueprint for a virus’s mechanics of survival,” explains FSU’s Tim Cross, “The more detailed the blueprint, the better our chances of developing drugs capable of destroying it.” The researchers have found that the virus’ protein coat contains channels that control various biochemical reactions crucial to viral infection and replication.

Read on…