After 66 cases have been confirmed in Southeast Asia, international communities are being cautioned to watch for further outbreaks of avian influenza A.

Cases of avian influenza, or bird flu, first appeared in humans in 1997. Only recently has an outbreak been seen of this specific influenza and of this proportion in a concentrated area of the world. No cases have yet been reported in the United States.

“As of right now, we are monitoring the situation very closely,” said Dr. Marc Shulman, staff physician at the Thielen Student Health Center. “We receive updates every day as to where it has been found in birds, and as well as in humans.”

Shulman said Iowa State has appointed a task force to develop a plan to handle an outbreak of bird flu if it occurs on campus, but for now the university is following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention procedures. The same precautions were being taken for the SARS outbreak two years ago.

The CDC Web site said these procedures include isolation of those who are infected and quarantine for those who have been exposed to the illness.

John Ross, Story County assistant emergency management coordinator, said if a flu pandemic were to spread to Iowa, the county would be prepared.

“We would attempt to quarantine the area and set up a mass vaccination area,” Ross said. “If it were necessary and we really got slammed, we’d try to isolate those with the disease first and do a mass vaccination with the folks in the Iowa public health department.”

Usually these flu viruses are carried in wild birds’ stomachs, but rarely are they affected. It is even rarer for the virus to be spread to humans. Because it can be fatal, however, world health authorities are worried.

The symptoms of bird flu in humans have been reported as being as typical as fever, cough and muscle aches, but can also include eye infections, pneumonia and respiratory distress.

“The biggest problem would emerge when it’s able to move from person to person, without the infected bird spreading it directly to someone,” Shulman said.

According to the CDC’s Web site, the flu can be transmitted from animals to humans in two ways: directly from birds or influenza contaminated environments, and from an intermediate host, such as a pig or other farm livestock. Eggs and uncooked poultry can also be carriers of the flu.

The government has also issued a ban on the import of birds from many Southeast Asian countries.

There are currently four influenza antiviral drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Influenza viruses, however, can become resistant to these drugs. In cases that were reported in 2004, two of the four drugs approved for treating the avian influenza were found to be ineffective.