Rajnarayanan Urges Vigilance With Bird Flu

Salon has featured NYITCOM-Arkansas Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of Research and Publications Rajendram Rajnarayanan, Ph.D., in two articles discussing the rise of bird flu.

In an article published on January 13, Rajnarayanan states that patients undergoing testing for influenza A or B should also receive subtype testing to determine if their flu is caused by a bird flu, or H5N1, strain. He says that as flu A and bird flu continue to rise, mutations may occur that lead to more dangerous H5N1 strains.

A January 8 article features Rajnarayanan’s advice that the public must practice increased monitoring and preparedness for a potential bird flu outbreak. “While the current public health risk remains low, the potential severity of an H5N1 pandemic urges us to stay vigilant,” he says.