Question

It is said that diseases are spreading faster due to globalisation and increased movement of people. Justify the statement taking the example of the H5N1 virus.

Answer 1

H5N1 virus :

H5N1 strain of flu virus causes bird flu or avian influenza which is a viral respiratory disease that primarily infects poultry and other birds - migratory waterbirds, pet birds, and ostriches but humans can also be affected. The infection can be fatal, as in severe cases people can suffer from acute respiratory disorders such as pneumonia, respiratory failure, etc.

• The migratory birds are the reservoirs of bird flu and the infected birds pass on the virus through their saliva, nasal secretions and faeces.
• The raw meat and eggs may contain the virus and humans get infected through the consumption of infected meat and egg.
• The transmission of virus can also be through handling of dead infected birds.

Spread of disease due to globalisation and increased movement of people:

Globalisation has allowed countries to extensively import and export meat and eggs to different parts of the world which made it easier for the virus to spread across the borders. Globalisation has also made it easier for people to conveniently travel across countries which has increased cross country and cross continent travelling all around the world.

This factor helped the spread of the H5N1 virus through people who were infected but asymptomatic and were allowed to travel from one place to another, thus carrying the virus with them.