by www.corriere.it
When generating errors
E 'possible, today, a repetition of-influenza pandemic that killed millions of people as the 'English' in 1918? In reality, panic is not justified in this respect: the epidemiological surveillance systems, which are activated throughout the world, are much more sophisticated than ever before and the preventive measures and more effective diagnosis. Then there are drugs and vaccines: anti-virals, discovered in recent years, work.
This time is the science that should be heard. In order not to risk another "fiasco" like the Ford administration, which, before the panic of a new 'English', had been vaccinated in 1976, 40 million Americans against the flu. Unnecessarily, because the epidemic is not has never occurred. These days the new virus from Mexico (and similar to that which had spread to America under President Gerald Ford), is affecting the world. Experts, however, had expected: the great changes of influenza viruses, those causing major outbreaks (pandemics) occur just over forty years (the English in 1918, the end of the Asian fifties), today, however, reassured the Organization of Health, a hypothetical pandemic can be avoided. The modern viruses do fly and that's why they spread so quickly.
But the epidemiological surveillance systems, which are activated throughout the world, are much more sophisticated than in the past: they are able to monitor the situation and suggest preventive measures. Just think of what has been implemented with SARS and avian flu: a sort of "dress rehearsal" which demonstrated the validity of international collaboration in addressing the emergency. The virus is new, it is true, but geneticists are already reading its genetic code. This means you can have rapid tests to diagnose correctly the cases of infection. And then there are drugs and vaccines. Antivirals, which have been discovered in recent years, work against these new agents of infection. And virologists have already identified the "Heart" of the virus, the party against whom the vaccine should be directed. If a problem exists is precisely that of virus variability: usually these microorganisms are rapidly changing their "clothing" and to escape detection systems in the body. That's why the vaccine should be targeted as much as possible to the "unchangeable." But even here in biotechnology have made great strides. Do not panic, therefore, and an appeal to the population, as the Lancet: Who has the usual flu symptoms to distance themselves from others and implements a form of "self-isolation." It may seem trivial, but it works.
Adriana Bazzi
