With that said, there are still ten things you should be aware in regards to the avian flu.

Avian flu viruses have spread among birds throughout the world for many years and are for the most part not a threat to other birds or humans. Although it is not common for humans to catch the disease from birds, when it does happen it is typically because they have been too close to dead or dying birds or their fecal matter.

The avian flu actually results in fewer deaths than any other type of flu. Since 2003, there have only been about 151 people in the whole world who have died because of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu virus. None of these deaths occurred in the United States. However, because migrating birds are now moving South- and Westward from Russia where their summer feeding grounds are located, there is more of a chance that the virus will spread globally.

In almost all of the cases where humans have become sick due to the H5N1 virus, it has found that these individuals were in close contact with infected poultry or poultry products.

Individuals do not need to give up many of the associated bird activities that they enjoy.  It is still safe to feed wild birds, watch birds, and monitor nest boxes. People just need to keep certain safety precautions in mind. These include washing their hands properly, not touching dead birds, and staying away from birdbath water that might harbor fecal matter of potentially contaminated birds.

There are two types of the avian virus, low pathogenic and high pathogenic.

The second is more dangerous and less common. Although the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus does not easily spread from person to person, there is a risk that the virus could change and become more dangerous. However, it is not possible to know when or if this will happen.

The only known cases of humans becoming contaminated with the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus from wild birds were found in Azerbaijan. When this happened, seven people came down with disease after they de-feathered swans, four of these individuals died. Occurrences of the H5N1 virus have been found more frequently among domestic poultry than among wild birds. However, the best way for farmers to keep illness out of their flocks is to practice good bio-security, hygiene and protection measures, which should include disinfections at both the entry to and the exit from farms

Around 200 million domestic chickens, turkeys, geese, and ducks have died from H5N1 infections or have been gathered to prevent the spread of illness. However, the Food Standards Agency has stated that there is no need for people to stop eating poultry or eggs, as they have not been recognized as causing the avian flu in humans.

The highly pathogenic H5N1 virus has been spotted in 45 wild bird species. Although most noted epidemics have been among waterfowl and, to a smaller degree, shorebirds and gulls.

It is possible for wild birds to carry the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus with them when they migrate. Typically though, the virus appears to have been distributed to new areas through the transportation of infected poultry and poultry products.

Washing your hands is very important, because it can prevent a variety of diseases, but it is especially effective for preventing contraction of the bird flu. Washing your hands is a must, when trying to avoid contraction of the bird flu. Hands should be washed frequently and thoroughly, which means using sop and warm water and washing for at least 20 seconds. Hands should be washed before eating, or touching the nose, eyes and mouth. If you are caring for an infected person, you’re hands should also be washed after providing care. It’s also important to wash your hands after sneezing, blowing your nose, coughing, or after touching used handkerchiefs or tissues. Sometimes hand washing is not possible, so in those cases, you should use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.

Eating a healthy and balanced diet is also effective in protecting against avian flu infection. Most people will find it best to eat a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits and whole grain products. Of course, you should also include low-fat dairy products, lean meats, poultry, fish and beans. When trying to avoid the avian flu, it is   important to drink lots of water, and to ease up on salt, sugar, alcohol and saturated fat. It is also important to exercise on a regular basis, and get plenty of rest. Getting a seasonal flu shot can also help protect many people from the avian flu. Although, the seasonal flu shot is only used to protect people against human influenza, it can be used to guard against avian influenza infection.

Getting a seasonal flu shot can help keep you healthy, and help your body build better immunity against the avian flu. A seasonal flu shot is also effective in protecting against seasonal human influenza. It is also advisable to get a pneumonia shot, which is effective in preventing secondary infection. People over the age of 65 or who have diabetes or asthma, should especially consider getting a pneumonia shot. Staying home when you are sick is also an effective way to protect yourself from avian flu infection, and prevent the spreading of infection. The infections of others would be greatly reduced, if more people stayed home during sickness. When you are sick, the immune system is weakened and you’re more susceptible to illness. So it is best to stay home, and try to stay healthy during sickness.

The most obvious way to avoid contraction of the bird flu virus is by avoiding contact with possibly infected animals. If it is possible, don’t handle any live poultry, and don’t live too close to animals such as chicken and pigs. Keeping your distance from these sorts of animals will ensure that you will not contract the bird flu. It’s not possible for humans to spread the bird flu to each other, so contact with infected people will be okay for most people. It is also important to cover your mouth and noses when coughing or sneezing, and to properly dispose of used tissues. Mouths and noses should be covered with a tissue, instead of a hand. If it is not possible to use a tissue to sneeze or cough into, using a sleeve may be the next best thing. After sneezing, coughing, or blowing your nose into a tissue, it is important to throw it into a wastebasket.

A team from the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, is arguing that new forms of treatment and a new way of thinking are urgently needed.  Currently the bird flu has a 50% mortality rate in humans and the virus has the possibility to become resistant to antiviral treatments.  This scary reality is coupled with the fact that there are currently no vaccines that have been developed for humans and the bird flu is rapidly spreading across the world.  These researchers have published their reasoning for the suggestion of the use of chemotherapy in The Lancet, to suggest to the scientific community that the use of this radical new therapy may be the answer some have been looking for.

The symptoms of patients who have the H5N1 avian flu virus were found to be very similar to patients who have an often fatal immune disease called haemophagocytic lymphohitiocytosis (HLH), discovered Jan-Inge Henter, a pediatric clinical oncologist.  Patients with H5N1 have symptoms that include a major over-response of their immune system, which also is the case with HLH patients.  The cause of death in patients with H5N1 is linked to sepsis and multi-organ failure, which is caused by the over-production of certain immune messengers.  These same symptoms are seen with HLH patients, but HLH can be treated with a mix of drugs including a chemotherapy drug called etoposide, whose job is to kill excess immune cells.  This treatment increases the survival rates of patients from 56% to 90% when given immediately, compared to giving the treatment at four weeks, or not giving it at all according to a study of Epstein-Barr HLH patients.

Henter suggests that the World Health Organization should recommend to scientists that they conduct research to support this hypothesis.  He is hoping that they could bypass testing in animals and move directly to humans infected with the h5N1 virus that have secondary HLH.  “So our thinking is that these patients with severe (H5N1) infection, their immune regulation is out of control.  We are down-regulating things to kill off some of the cells, to get some kind of balance-there is some logic to how this could work,” states Henter.  He also told New Scientist that, “Etoposide is licensed for this indication, and it is well known.  The treatment protocol has been used successfully in humans affected by severe virus infections for more than 10 years,” and also adds that the drug is widely available and inexpensive.

The risks may be high for individuals who are seriously ill, but Henter points out that people with virus associated HLH are already at a dangerously high risk of death if their condition is left untreated.  While scientists discuss the best treatment options of this virus, significant risks to patients need to be taken into account.  The WHO is inviting clinicians from all countries with human cases of the H5N1 avian influenza virus to discuss the best possible treatment options at the end of March.  Obviously, Henter is hopeful that scientists will begin research and testing of etoposide in patients in time to help prevent the pandemic that some officials say is inevitable.

This radical new treatment will not be the answer to preventing the disease, but instead may be able to offer a low cost and easily accessible option for those who are unfortunate enough to contract this illness.  Many hope that there will be options like this one available in the case of a world-wide pandemic because currently it seems that there are no tools in place to prevent, treat, or contain this illness.

One of the ways you can practice good hygiene and encourage good health habits is to avoid close contact with people who are sick.  One way to ensure that you and your family stay healthy is to avoid places and situations where there are large crowds of people.  Shopping malls, concerts and movie theaters are examples of places where large groups of people come into close contact with one another.  If a bird flu outbreak occurs, the best place for you and your family is at home.  Be sure to stay home if you are sick, and keep children home for the same reason.  If you or a family member has been ill, or has a compromised immune system, it would be especially important to stay away from other people who may be infected.

Stay at home when you are sick.  When you become infected with a virus, whether it is the bird flu or not, it is important that you stay home.  Staying home will not only keep others from contracting the virus, but it will also protect your fragile immune system from any other virus’s that are out there.  Keeping your children home is very important since the spread of germs in a school setting is very fast.  Children in day care should also be kept home if they are ill to prevent others from getting sick.

In the event of a pandemic, schools, day care, trade schools, and colleges may be closed to prevent the spread of the flu.  It is important to watch for these closures and be prepared in case your child cannot go to school or day care.  Talk wit your child’s teachers or principal to determine what would happen in the event that the school is closed to prevent the spread of bird flu.  Be sure to offer your help, and talk to your child’s teacher about possible learning activities that could be offered to your child in this case.  Also try to plan learning and recreational activities that could occupy and entertain your family, and that don’t involve places like movie theaters or shopping malls, which may also be closed.

Be sure to cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing to help prevent the spread of the virus.  Germs are spread from person to person in the form of “droplet spread”, which are the respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes.  When an infected person coughs or sneezes, these droplets are sent through the air and are deposited in the mouth or nose of people nearby.  Also, the germs can be contracted when someone touches the droplets from an infected person on a surface and then touches their own eyes, nose, or mouth.  Some viruses and bacteria can live for 2 hours or longer on many surfaces. This is why it is important to cover your mouth and nose and remind children to do the same, when coughing or sneezing.

Good hand washing practices are the best way to prevent the spread of germs.  Whether you use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, or you wash your hands with soap and water, it is important to frequently wash your hands to prevent infection and the spread of viruses such as the bird flu.  Reminding children to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice while washing their hands will help them to thoroughly clean all the germs off their hands.  Good hand washing should take about 15-20 seconds and hands should be washed with warm water and soap.  If an alcohol-based hand sanitizer is used, you should rub your hands until the sanitizer is dry.

Try to avoid touching your eyes, hands, or mouth to prevent the spread of germs.  When you come into contact with germs, those germs can most easily enter your body through openings in your eyes, cuts or open sores on your hands, nose, or in your mouth.  Therefore, it is important to avoid touching these areas and to encourage children to do the same if you want to prevent illness.

Practicing an overall healthy lifestyle will help keep you from getting sick.  Doing things like staying physically active, managing your stress levels, eating nutritious food, getting enough rest, as well as drinking plenty of fluids will help keep your body healthy enough to fight illness.  Practicing good hygiene and living a healthy life will help keep you from getting the bird flu.

The bird flu also replicates to higher levels in comparison with the human flu. The avian flu replicates to higher levels in the respiratory system, which ignites an intense inflammatory response. When inflammation occurs, the body’s immune system causes blood vessels to allow chemical and blood cells to leak into an infected area, which are designed to attack the infection. However, an over response can have the adverse effect in a human being. The direct effect of the avian flu virus and the effect of an intense inflammatory response can cause damage to the lungs and other organs. If the virus enters the bloodstream, it is likely to cause death. High levels of the virus in the lungs, which causes death, may cause the presence of the virus in the bloodstream. However, this does not usually occur in human flu cases.

Avian influenza and human influenza are both caused by influenza viruses. However, influenza A (H3N2), influenza A (H1N1) and influenza B viruses commonly cause human influenza. On the other hand, influenza A (H5N1) and influenza A (H9N2) viruses most commonly cause the bird flu. The most obvious difference between the human flu and bird flu is that the bird flu may be deadly to humans. Although humans have died in the past of influenza, vaccines and human immunity have made death from the human influenza very rare. However, the bird flu has been known to kill nearly half of its human victims. Humans don’t have immunity against the powerful avian flu, so they are more susceptible to death. There are also known vaccines to help humans defend against a bird flu infection. Humans are able to get yearly flu shots that successfully vaccinate the human flu, but there are currently no available deterrents of avian flu infection.

The human flu is also able to spread from human-to-human, but the bird flu is yet to be spread in such a way. The spreading of bird flu through human-to-human contact has the potential to cause a pandemic throughout the world. The avian flu can only be spread from animals to humans, and infection usually occurs in humans that are in close proximity of infected poultry. There are also certain symptoms of the bird flu that are unique to the occurrence of the virus. Some of the unique symptoms of bird flu, include conjunctivitis (eye-infections) and pneumonia. These symptoms are not a clear sign of the bird flu, but they will not occur if a human flu virus is present. Avian influenza and human influenza also require different care and attention. An avian influenza virus usually requires hospitalization, whereas the human flu can be treated at home without constant monitoring. There are many differences between the human flu and bird flu, but they can both be very serious illnesses for humans.

The type currently causing concern is the deadly strain H5N1, which can prove fatal to humans. Migratory wildfowl, especially wild ducks, are natural carriers of the viruses, but are unlikely to actually develop an infection. The risk is that they pass it on to domestic birds, which are much more susceptible to the virus.

Diseased birds increase the opportunities for human infection and provide chances for H5N1 to change into a structure more hazardous to people. The virus is reported to have killed a person about every four days this year, more than double the 2005 rate. Millions could die if H5N1 becomes easily transmissible between people, sparking a lethal pandemic.

The H5N1 virus is known to have infected 256 people in 10 countries in the past three years, killing 152 of them, according to the World Health Organization. . Last year, 42 fatalities were confirmed, after 32 in 2004 and four in 2003. More than five of every 10 reported cases were fatal.

The fatality rate of officially reported bird flu in humans is 59 percent through October of 2006.

Over the past two years the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu has spread from South East Asia to Europe, the Middle East and West Africa, sparking fears of a global pandemic. The bird flu is spreading at an alarming pace.

The latest numbers, as of October 11, 2006, report that there have been a total of 253 cases of reported Bird flu worldwide. According to the World Health Organization 148 people have died.

As of October 2006 deaths from this virus have been limited to the countries of Azerbaijan, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Turkey, China, Iraq and Cambodia.

Bird flu pops up in the U.S. occasionally. The last time an extreme strain appeared was in February 2004, near Houston, Texas. This involved a different virus strain than the one circulating in Asia. By April 2004, the outbreak had been eradicated. No human infections were detected.

Many are comparing the spread of H5N1 to the Spanish flu virus of 1918. At least four of the eight genes now contain mutations seen in the deadly strain that circled the globe during the outbreak in 1918. These genetic changes are frightening because the Spanish flu killed 50 million people almost a century ago.

It appears that the H5N1 virus might be acquiring the ability to adapt to humans, increasing their pandemic risk in what has been described by some as the deadliest epidemic since the Black Death.

According to experts if the next pandemic resembles the birdlike 1918 Spanish flu, as many as 1.9 million could die, and millions more would be seriously ill.

H5N1 is a serious flu and currently there is no vaccine to prevent it, or medicine to cure it. Although a vaccine against the H5N1 virus known as the bird flu is under development in several countries, no vaccine is ready for commercial production and no vaccines are expected to be widely available until several months after the start of a pandemic. This means an outbreak would have to already be in progress before a vaccine would be widely available to the public.

In February 2006, President Bush approved an extraordinary amount of funds to support vaccine research, development, and procurement. That funding will support research on more resourceful ways to produce vaccine as well as ways to extend a given supply of vaccine to all who need it. Hopefully these funds will aid in saving lives from the serious H5N1 virus.

While a large number of respirators can protect poultry workers, they will not be really useful unless all of the elements of a written respiratory protection program are ensued. For example, workers should be provided with respirator training to and they should also be fit tested for tight-fitting face pieces to make certain a secure and comfortable face seal is maintained. Also, every respiratory protection program needs to have an administrator who is accountable for overseeing the program implementation and who can answer questions workers might have about using their respirator.

Any workers who are at risk of extended direct or indirect exposure to any avian influenza virus in an enclosed area should always be included in a respiratory protection program.Protection for the eyes will help to diminish direct exposure of the eyes to infected dust and aerosols. It will also aid the workers in preventing them from touching their eyes with tainted fingers. To stop the mucous membranes of the eyes from being exposed to the avian influenza virus, poultry workers should wear safety goggles or a respirator that has a complete face piece, hood, helmet, or loose-fitting face piece. If a worker wears safety goggles, they should be non-vented or, at the very least, indirectly vented.If a worker is at a lower risk of being exposed to the avian virus, they may opt to wear a good fitting indirectly vented safety goggle with an anti-fog coating. However, it is worth noting that these goggles are not airtight, and as a result, they will not totally thwart exposures to airborne material. Goggles that are directly vented and safety glasses will allow a limited amount of protection, but are not suggested for protection against fine particles, splashes, or aerosols. They will as such not be useful in situations when workers will be exposed to infected birds.

Workers who need to wear prescription lenses should wear eye protection that has the correction built into the safety lenses of the protective eyewear, has lens inserts, or can be fitted over regular glasses without compromising their eye or respiratory protection. Regular prescription glasses cannot be worn with full face-piece respirators; however, they can be worn with some kinds of powered air-purifying respirators and some styles of goggles. For goggles to be effective though, they must fit tightly. This is especially true from the corners of the eyes across the brow. Also, the protective eyewear worn should never interfere with the workers vision by upsetting the proper placement of the prescription lenses. Contact lenses are often a good option as they can be worn with goggles, safety glasses, or any respirator. This allows the worker to have the full vision they need while staying safe.

Because some goggles can change how the half- face piece respirator fits, eye protection should be fitted along with the respirator. To make sure that the eye protection will not get in the way of the face-piece seal, it should be worn when half-face piece respirators are fit tested as well as when workers carry out seal checks each time they dress in the respirator.Care should always be carried out when removing eye protection to make sure that tainted equipment does not come in contact with the eyes or other mucous membranes. When the proper eye protection is used, it will help to Eye protection that is properly selected and used will help thwart the contraction of conjunctivitis (redness, swelling and pain in the eyes and eyelids). Poultry workers who are exposed to birds infected with avian influenza should always contact their doctor at the first symptoms of conjunctivitis.

Poultry experts agree that the instant gathering of infected and exposed birds is the first line of protection for both human health and the decline of even more losses in the agricultural sector. However, the gathering must be done in a way that looks after workers and keeps them from exposure to avian influenza virus and reduces the chance of illness or gene swapping or mutation.

Human infection with the avian virus has been linked to exposure to infected poultry and their feces or dust infected with feces. The CDC and the World Heath Organization recommends that:

Anyone, who has been in close contact with a contaminated animal, surface, or after taking off gloves, should wash their hands. Hygiene of the hands should consist of washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Or the utilization of another hand-disinfection procedure that has been as specified by state government, industry, or USDA outbreak-response guidelines should occur.

Workers occupied in the gathering, transporting, or disposal of avian influenza-infected poultry should be supplied with proper personal protective equipment such as:

·    Protective clothing that is able to be disinfected or thrown away, if possible coveralls plus an waterproof apron or surgical gowns with long cuffed sleeves plus an waterproof apron;

·    Gloves that are able to be disinfected or thrown away; gloves should be carefully removed and thrown out or disinfected and hands should be cleaned;

·    Respirators: the minimum recommendation is a not reusable particulate respirator (e.g. N95, N99 or N100) used as part of a complete respiratory protection program. Workers should be fit tested for the model and size respirator they wear and be taught to fit-check for face piece to face seal;

·    Goggles;

·    Boots or protective foot covers that can be disinfected or thrown away.

Environmental clean up should be conducted in areas where the gathering is conducted using the same protective measures.

Workers who have not been vaccinated should get the most current influenza vaccine. This will help to decrease the chance of a dual infection with avian and human influenza viruses. An influenza antiviral drug should be given to workers each day for the period of time during which direct contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces occurs. The antiviral drug given should be based on sensitivity testing when possible. If sensitivity testing is not available, a neuramindase inhibitor (oseltamavir) is the first choice since the probability is smaller that the virus will be resilient to this class of antiviral drugs than to amantadine or rimantadine.

If there is a chance that a worker has been exposed, their health should be monitored. They should be watched for the development of fever, respiratory symptoms, and or conjunctivitis. This should go on for one week after the last contact with avian influenza-infected or exposed birds or to potentially avian influenza-contaminated environmental surfaces. If a person does become sick, they should receive medical care, making sure to tell their health care provider that they may have been exposed to avian influenza before heading in for treatment.

When a pandemic virus develops, it spreads rapidly causing outbreaks throughout the world. It has been predicted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that as much as 25 percent to 30 percent of the US population could be affected by the outbreak. Pandemic influenza has the potential to be spread from person-to-person through respiratory secretions. Respiratory secretions are droplets (spit or mucous) that contain a virus that spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These virus-containing droplets can land on the surface of the mouth, nose and throat of people who are near the ill person. The virus can also be spread through contact with the respiratory secretions on the hands of an infected person and other objects and surfaces.

A pandemic could cause high levels of illness and death, which could lead to social and economic disruption. The available workforce will be reduced, because so many people will be becoming ill, caring for the ill, and looking after their children at home. It’s also possible for a pandemic to cause school closings, business closings, the interruption of basic services, such as public transportation and food delivery. A pandemic may also cause the cancellation of large public gatherings. Doctors’ officers will also be busier than usual, if a pandemic outbreak occurs. A large number of sick people may overwhelm hospitals and clinics, because they may experience substantial staff shortages due to illness. There may be changes in the healthcare system; for example, it may be difficult for many people to get medical care or to talk directly to their healthcare provider.

A pandemic may also cause many shortages in the healthcare industry. The pandemic may cause a shortage in medical supplies, healthcare providers, and hospital beds for ill persons. These shortages would cause healthcare providers to make decisions on what patients to give medical care to and how much treatment can be administered. There will be almost no instance of a vacant hospital bed, but most people that contract the flu will be able to be cared for at their homes. Many cities will find it convenient to set up alternate medical care facilities if a pandemic occurs. Health care information and hotline numbers will also be broadcast over local news media and on several health Web sites. Hospitals may expect capacity levels to reach 50 percent for bird flu patients, and some may be higher. Some non-emergency medical services may also be curtailed during a pandemic.

Communications levels will also be increased during a pandemic. During a pandemic, critical information should be provided in clear, simple and transparent messages disseminated through multiple methods. Some effective ways to communicate during a pandemic include emails, posters, brochures, newsletters and Web site content. Good communication can help reduce any confusion, anxiety, and misinformation that occur during a pandemic. So people can expect constant updates on the pandemic’s status, and how they can protect themselves. Many services and systems will also be interrupted as result of a pandemic. A major percentage of the interrupted services will likely be due to absenteeism within delivery, transportation and shipping systems.

There may also be spot fuel shortages, because fuel is transported to its final destination on ground, which will affect many people’s ability to work. Some of these shortages could result in global travel limitations, which include restrictions on border crossings, and international air travel.

A virus particle consists of three main components. It has nucleic acid, which is a set of genetic instructions, either DNA or RNA, either single-stranded or double-stranded. A virus particle also has a coat of protein, which surrounds the DNA or RNA to protect it. The particle also has a lipid membrane, which surrounds the protein coat (found only in some viruses, including influenza; these types of viruses are called enveloped viruses as opposed to naked viruses).

Viruses vary widely in their shape and complexity. Some look like round popcorn balls, while others have a complicated shape.

Viruses carry only one or two enzymes that decode their genetic instructions. So, a virus must have a host cell (bacteria, plant or animal) in which to live and make more viruses. Outside of a host cell, viruses cannot function.

Viruses lie around our environment waiting for a host cell to come along. They can enter us through the nose, mouth or breaks in the skin. Once the virus is inside the human body, they find a host cell to infect.

Regardless of which type of host cell the virus inhabits, the process of the attack follows the same basic steps known as the lytic cycle. The first step of this cycle is when the virus particle attaches to the host cell. Next the particle releases genetic instructions to the cell, at which point the injected genetic material recruits the host cell’s enzymes to make parts for new virus particles. The new particles then assemble the parts into new viruses. The new particles then break free from the host cell.

Basically, in the lytic cycle, the virus reproduces itself using the host cell’s chemical machinery.

Some viruses do not inject their genetic material; instead the simply enter the cell. These viruses have a protein on the outside of their coat that attaches the virus to the membrane of the host cell. Some enveloped viruses can dissolve right through the cell membrane of the host because both the virus envelope and the cell membrane are made of lipids. These viruses that dissolve into a cell simply release their contents once inside the host.

Once inside the cell, the viral enzymes take over the host cell enzymes and begin making copies of the viral genetic instructions and new viral proteins using the virus’s genetic instructions and the cell’s enzyme machinery. The new copies of the viral genetic instructions are packaged inside the new protein coats to make new viruses.

Once the virus is attacking the human body, the immune system responds to the infection. The human body will begin fighting back, by producing chemicals called pyrogens that cause your body temperature to increase. This fever actually helps you to fight the infection by slowing down the rate of viral reproduction, because most of your body’s chemical reactions have an optimal temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. If your temperature is higher than that viral reactions slow down. This natural defense continues until the viruses are removed from your body.

Once the new viruses are made, they leave the host cell in one of two ways. They break the host cell open and destroy the host cell. The second option is the viruses pinch out from the cell membrane and break away (budding) with a piece of the cell membrane surrounding them.