Could lead to bird flu outbreak, says doctor CAIRO: Be on the guard against kissing friends on the cheek for it could lead to transmission of bird flu, warned Dr Adel Ashur, director of the emergency unit at the National Research Center. The National Research Center, which has been leading a campaign against the unnecessary exchange of kisses among people for the last year, is out again stressing the campaign's target at a time when the Ministry of Health is also warning of the deadly effects of the avian flu H5-N1 virus. "So far there haven't been cases where the bird flu has been transmitted from a person to person in Egypt, Ashur told The Daily Star Egypt. "But we have to warn that kissing is one of the main causes for spreading bird flu among people, he added. The virus could be in the incubation phase with the person carrying it not exhibiting any of the disease's symptoms. Once it's possible to get the infection through as simple a medium as a kiss, the epidemic will get out of control, he explained. A simple exchange of kisses on the cheek can lead to several infections ranging from tuberculosis, meningitis, herpes and hepatitis B to mild and easily-cured illnesses like bronchitis, scarlet fever, measles, German measles, common colds, boils and abscesses. "The kissing lips can never be free of the person's saliva, droplets and skin contact, explained Ashur. "Some 17 diseases transpiring as a result of kissing have been detected. But the severest of these is mononucleosis, which has been puzzling doctors over the years, he said. Infectious mononucleosis is ironically commonly called the kissing disease and sometimes shortened to just mono. An infection that is usually caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), it is very common and most people are exposed to the virus at some time in childhood. Ashur says it is difficult to detect because it is accompanied by flu symptoms like a high temperature, throat congestion and aching bones and stomach. But do such warnings of infectious diseases signal an end to sexual intimacy? No, says Ashur, stressing that couples can lead perfectly healthy sex lives based on the hygiene of the individuals. The anti-kissing campaign that started late last year is gaining momentum, especially when the awareness about contagious diseases is increasing rapidly with the bird flu panic and deaths caused by diseases like hepatitis. The campaign started within the premises of the National Research Center in Cairo. "We began by spreading awareness about the ill-effects of kissing amongst our staff, revealed Ashur. "It was then highlighted in TV programs and newspaper and magazine articles. Ashur pointed out that it is a slow process, but like campaigns targeting polio, women's circumcision, bilharzia and dehydration in babies, it is starting to show some results.
