In this latest video from MedCram, Dr.Seheult discusses the recent hospitalization of a patient in Canada due to H5N1 avian influenza. The emergence of infectious diseases always raises alarms worldwide, and this has once again brought the virus into the spotlight.
What Is H5N1?
H5N1 is a subtype of the influenza A virus that is primarily associated with birds but has been known to infect humans. The virus is highly pathogenic to avian species, and its sporadic transmission to humans has raised concerns about the potential for a global pandemic. While human-to-human transmission remains limited, the potential for mutation and increased transmissibility always remains a concern for health officials.
The current case in Canada is particularly notable because of the severity of the illness and the circumstances surrounding the patient’s exposure to the virus. This event has prompted discussions about the virus’s ability to adapt and spread to human populations.
The patient that was infected in Canada was a healthy teenager without any underlying conditions. He was found to be positive for H5N1 and is noted to be the first human in Canada to be diagnosed with this. His symptoms started on Nov 2 with conjunctivitis initially. All of his family was tested and were negative. There were no links to areas of the world with H5N1. He was not in school during the infectious period of the disease and had no animal farm contacts. He only had contact with dogs, cats and reptiles before becoming ill. All of these animals were tested and were also negative. This patient went on to develop severe symptoms including fever and respiratory distress.
H5N1 Stats
The H5N1 influenza virus since 1997 has had 900 human cases reported globally primarily in Asia and Africa with almost 50% resulting in death. The virus tends to attack the lungs and can lead to pneumonia and other complications, such as multi-organ failure which often results in death. H5N1 is most often transmitted through direct contact with infected birds or contaminated environments. However, epidemiologists are monitoring for how mutations in the virus could potentially lead to easier human-to-human transmission and are concerned especially considering the nature of influenza viruses to evolve rapidly.
Viruses and Sunlight
What is interesting is that if you look at graphs of influenza associated mortality it is notable that the peaks are happening typically after a week after the shortest day of the year. This is true for both the northern and southern hemispheres. There was a paper published in July 2020 that found sunlight to strongly protect against getting influenza. From other papers it appears the infrared light found in sunshine may provide some mitigation in the anti-inflammatory response that viruses can trigger. Other papers show that UVB in sunlight may also have some mitigation effects. The studies suggest that even 20-30 minutes of sunshine a day may help.
MedCram has done extensive videos on sunlight and hydrotherapy and how scientific studies are showing that it may be beneficial in treating illnesses and modulating health in conjunction with standard medical care. Both of these items are helpful in that it is available to everyone and do not have any supply chain issues.
For those looking for a deeper dive, MedCram offers a valuable educational resource that helps demystify complex topics and empowers healthcare professionals and the public to stay informed.
LINKS / REFERENCES:
B.C. teen with avian flu is in critical condition, provincial health officer says (CBC) | https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis…
Debunking the False Claim That COVID Death Counts Are Inflated (Scientific American) | https://www.scientificamerican.com/ar…
Influenza-associated mortality in Australia, 2010 through 2019: High modelled estimates in 2017 (Vaccine) | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science…
HKS Faculty Research Working Paper Series (Harvard Kennedy School) | https://www.hks.harvard.edu/publicati…
Infrared light therapy relieves TLR-4 dependent hyper-inflammation of the type induced by COVID-19 (C&IB) | https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles…
Effects of acute and chronic exposure to natural sunlight and UVB on CD4/CD8 ratio and circulating pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels in mice (Scientific African) | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science…
Cardiopulmonary and hematological effects of infrared LED photobiomodulation in the treatment of SARS-COV2 (Journal of Photochemistry & Photobiology) | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science…
Amy Woodford Honmyhr (Instagram) | / amyhonmyhrhealth
Space with Amy Honmyhr (Interview Audio in Dropbox) | https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/c7wdu7…