AVIAN FLU SLOWS, BUT SCHOOL OFFICIALS WARNED TO BE READY.Byline: TROY ANDERSON Staff Writer Although the spread of the avian flu avian flu: see influenza. is slowing in Europe and unlikely to hit the U.S. soon, Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County health officials warned school districts and government agencies on Monday to continue preparing for its eventual arrival. ``What's known now is that the spread of the avian H5N1 virus has seemed to slow down,'' said Sadina Reynaldo, an epidemiologist with the county Department of Public Health. ``They were expecting to find it in Western Europe Western Europe The countries of western Europe, especially those that are allied with the United States and Canada in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (established 1949 and usually known as NATO). , but they haven't seen it yet. They were expecting to find it in Alaska, but they haven't seen it yet. And they were surprised that it doesn't seem to be readily changing into a virus that can spread person-to-person.'' But regardless of when birds infected with the virus arrive in the United States, or whether the strain mutates Mutates Undergoes a spontaneous change in the make-up of genes or chromosomes. Mentioned in: Antiretroviral Drugs , Reynaldo said government officials and the public should continue to prepare for a pandemic pandemic /pan·dem·ic/ (pan-dem´ik) 1. a widespread epidemic of a disease. 2. widely epidemic. pan·dem·ic adj. Epidemic over a wide geographic area. n. . ``It might happen tomorrow. It might happen a year from now. It might happen five years from now,'' she said. ``The same thing could be said for a lot of other viral strains that could turn into pandemics.'' Christine Pearson, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service since 1973, with headquarters in Atlanta; it was established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. , noted that a new avian H5N1 virus has emerged and has infected more than 250 people worldwide. ``What we are not seeing at this point is it also has the ability to pass easily among humans,'' Pearson said. ``And this virus has been around for a while and we have not seen it do that. However, influenza viruses are constantly changing so it's really impossible to make any specific predictions.'' Reynaldo made the comments during a pandemic flu conference at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles. The conference brought together about 200 education leaders and school emergency specialists to focus on preparations for a flu pandemic that could result in widespread student absences and force school closures. First discovered in Asian poultry in 1999, the avian H5N1 virus has since infected millions of migratory and domesticated do·mes·ti·cate tr.v. do·mes·ti·cat·ed, do·mes·ti·cat·ing, do·mes·ti·cates 1. To cause to feel comfortable at home; make domestic. 2. To adopt or make fit for domestic use or life. 3. a. birds in Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa and killed more than 140 people. troy.anderson(at)dailynews.com (213) 974-8985 |
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