Things to know to avoid influenza A / H7N9

Wash your hands thoroughly, avoid contact with dead poultry, thoroughly cook poultry meat when preparing food, which are the top principles to help people prevent influenza A / H7N9.

A / H7 influenza virus is a "big family of influenza virus" consisting of many members but usually causes illness in poultry. The other members of this "family " are H7N2, H7N3 and H7N7 that once infected humans, but the H7N9 is the world's first recorded from Chinese cases.

So far, the World Health Organization has yet to find the correct answer to the question of why H7N9 from poultry can infect humans. However, the results of genetic analysis show that the virus changes to be able to grow on mammals including humans. Specifically, the H7N9 virus is able to adhere to mammalian cells and is capable of developing in the environment of mammals' normal body temperature, which is lower than that of other species. hold.

Hand washing is the best way to prevent infection
general and influenza A / H7N9 in particular. (Photo: Thien Chuong)

Some cases of illness in China have been identified as being exposed to animals before. The virus was found in the pigeon's feces in Shanghai's bird market. Currently, the World Health Organization is still studying the possibility of animal-to-human transmission as well as the possibility of human-to-human transmission of the A / H7N9 strain of influenza.

How to prevent disease

Hand washing is one of the most important measures. Wash hands before, during, and after preparing food; before eating, after going to the toilet; after contacting, slaughtering, cleaning animal waste. Finally, wash your hands when taking care of sick people or when someone in your home is sick.

Hands should be washed with soap and under running water when hands become dirty. If you don't see your hands getting dirty, wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Respiratory hygiene is also important. When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a medical mask, or a tissue or cover it with your hands. Throw away used paper towels in a covered trash. Wash hands immediately after contact with respiratory secretions.

Influenza A / H7N9 virus is not transmitted through cooked food because the influenza virus will be destroyed over 70 degrees Celsius, so it can eat fully cooked pork or poultry meat. Do not eat re-meat, animal blood or soup. Avoid eating sick animals and animals that have died of disease.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent influenza A / H7N9, however, scientists have isolated the virus from the initial cases. The World Health Organization is also working with partners to isolate existing A / H7N9 influenza viruses to find effective ways to prepare vaccines.

In terms of treatment, according to the World Health Organization, in laboratory tests, influenza A / H7N9 virus is very sensitive to anti-influenza drugs (oseltamivir and zanamivir) used in the treatment of influenza A / H1N1 and H5N1. According to the Ministry of Health of Vietnam, the current treatment regimen is still support and respiratory resuscitation along with the early use of the above antiviral drugs.