Feature - Bird Flu Complacency

Bird Flu Complacency

by James. A. Joyce
Chairman & CEO, Aethlon Medical, Inc

Earlier this year, the media deployed the best and brightest from the science world to discuss the imminent threat of Bird Flu mutating into a form that would allow for human-to-human infection. ABC News produced a special report on world-renowned researcher Dr. Robert G. Webster, who stated: "Society just can't accept the idea that 50 percent of the population could die, and I think we have to face that possibility."

However, as time passed, the public became distracted by multiple wars in the Middle East, inflation, rising oil prices, tumbling financial markets, global warming, and a host of other issues. Unfortunately, evolving evidence underscores the reality that Bird Flu, otherwise know as H5N1 Avian Influenza, is still a very real threat.

Influenza is already a big killer, as it is responsible for more than 35,000 deaths and over 200,000 hospitalizations in the United States each year. Avian flu occurs naturally in birds and has historically demonstrated the ability to infect humans. It already is unprecedented as an animal illness in its rapid expansion, and has cost 300 million farmers more than $15 billion during its recent spread in poultry around the globe. World Health Organization (WHO) officials claim the H5N1 strain of Avian Flu poses a greater challenge to the world than any other infectious disease, including AIDS. As of July 20th, WHO officials confirm that of the 230 individuals known to have been infected, 132 died since the virus re-emerged in 2003.

Among humans, there is no natural immunity and no vaccine to treat the H5N1 strain of Avian Flu. WHO Assistant Director General, Margaret Chan stated, "We have never seen such a high case-fatality rate where more than 50 percent of people affected by the infection die from the disease." As a comparison, the fatality rate of the Spanish Flu of 1918 (also a form of avian flu), which was only 2.5 percent, caused the deaths of over 40 million people during an 18-month period. To provide perspective, it has taken 25 years for AIDS related deaths to reach such levels.

Scientists, increasingly worried that the H5N1 strain of Avian Flu could mutate into a form that could be passed between humans, received bad news on June 23rd when researchers documented that the virus had successfully mutated to be passed through human-to-human transmission in a family in Indonesia. Fortunately, these same researchers reported that the virus did not pass beyond the infected family members, who all died from the infection.

In the face of such dire news, researchers are unraveling the mystery of why the H5N1 strain of the Avian Flu virus is so lethal. It appears H5N1 hyper-activates the immune response, a frightening trait also inherent in the Spanish Flu of 1918. In the case of H5N1 infection, viral sepsis leading to major organ failure is often the cause of death. This is triggered when the immune system over-responds to infection by releasing a cascade of inflammatory cells and chemicals in what is known as a "Cytokine Storm." As a result, the likelihood of death in individuals with robust immune systems equals or exceeds the immune compromised who are normally most susceptible to regular seasonal flu strains. Unfortunately, antiviral drugs are unable to shut off a cytokine storm once it has been triggered.

As a result, the Antiviral drugs being stockpiled as part of a global strategy to treat Avian Flu have no therapeutic value once the cytokine storm has been triggered. At present, only one antiviral, oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is known to offer some level of effectiveness against the H5N1 strain of Avian Flu. However, Tamiflu is indicated only as a treatment for normal household varieties of influenza if administered within 48 hours of first symptoms. The treatment window for an ultra-virulent H5N1 strain is likely to narrow considerably. Reports indicate the potency of Tamiflu against the avian flu virus is reduced, even when taken within 24 hours of the first symptoms of the disease. In addition, the drug is directed towards symptoms and does not provide an anti-viral effect.

Prolonged incubation combined with a short antiviral treatment window also concerns researchers. Dr. Tim Uyeki, a medical epidemiologist with the influenza branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated to the Wall Street Journal: "Patients aren't presenting (symptoms) early in the illness. If the cytokine storm has already been triggered, antiviral drugs aren't going to turn it off." A successful global strategy against H5N1 will, at a minimum, have to rely on therapeutics that can modulate the overproduction of cytokines.

The March 2, 2006 issue of The Lancet reported that researchers at the well-regarded Karolinska Institute in Stockholm are proposing the use of chemotherapy to kill off excess immune cells as a means to curb the cytokine storm leading to viral sepsis in H5N1 patients. While the concept may seem radical, researchers are likely to agree that any treatment able to damp down the immune system might be helpful. Unfortunately, taming the immune system without destroying defenses against infection has yet to be demonstrated with drugs. Until effective therapeutics surface, we are all naked to the effects of H5N1 avian influenza. Let's hope the evolving evidence dissipates to justify Bird Flu complacency!

About the Author

James A. Joyce founded Aethlon Medical in May 1998, and presently serves as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. During Mr. Joyce's tenure, Aethlon has evolved the concept of a medical device to treat infectious disease into a reality of treating infected patients in a clinical trial environment. The resulting Hemopurifier™ technology is positioned to treat global pandemic issues such as HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis-C, H5N1 Avian Flu, and pathogens most likely to be weaponized for use in bioterrorism. Mr. Joyce has been an active participant in the emerging biodefense industry. He has testified before Congress on issues related to Project BioShield legislation and the deployment of the Hemopurifier as a countermeasure against biological weapons. His efforts have been instrumental in expanding the definition of treatment countermeasure in Project BioShield legislation to include medical devices. Mr. Joyce recently served on the Project BioShield panel at the Federal Biodefense Research Conference, the Biodefense panel at the 2006 Homeland and Global Security Summit, and was named Co-Chairman of the Bioterrorism/Chemical and Nuclear Security Task Force of the Homeland Security Industries Association. Mr. Joyce actively discusses issues related to infectious disease at various conferences, and has been interviewed in related news stories on CNN, NBC, ABC, the BBC, and other media outlets. From February 1993 until founding Aethlon Medical, Mr. Joyce owned James Joyce & Associates, a senior management advisory organization. Previously, he was founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mission Labs, Inc., was a principal at London Zurich Securities, Inc., and was a member of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Mr. Joyce is a graduate of the University of Maryland.

About Aethlon Medical

Aethlon Medical is developing the first medical device to treat infectious disease. The device, known as the Hemopurifier™, is a broad-spectrum treatment countermeasure against drug and vaccine resistant bioweapons, naturally evolving pandemic threats such as H5N1 Avian Flu, and chronic infectious disease targets including Hepatitis-C (HCV) and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Aethlon has also initiated research on a second generation Hemopurifier™ that targets the capture of growth factors inherent in the spread of Cancer. More information on Aethlon Medical and the Hemopurifier™ technology can be found at www.aethlonmedical.com.

Commonwealth Biotechnologies, Inc. 601 Biotech Drive, Richmond, VA 23235 800-735-9224 (800-RELY-CBI) FAX: 804-648-2641 email: [email protected]