bird flu

[glasgowchick]

Flu is extremely dangerous for many reasons, I know a guy here whose heart was so damaged by Flu, that he ended up having a transplant. Flu can damage all the vital organs as well as severly weaken the immune system allowing secondary infections to get a hold, especially pneumonia.

K

Hi Kowalski, I never knew flu could be that bad..My son has had pneumonia 3 times..He does have chest problems among others..But as I have said, I have never felt so ill in my whole life when I had that bout of flu..I always thought the ones who died or had serious problems with the flu were the ones who had immune problems or like heart problems..Guess I will be going out wearing a mask as well as my kids LOL!!!!!!!.

 

[Kowalski]

LOL, masks might be an option, along with anti-viral drugs, there are plenty available on the net. If Panic sets in though, stocks are going to go like wildfire, some sites are reporting a strong run on anti-virals.

Always check with your Doc first though.

Cheers

K

 

[Darkdale]

Little things that are neglected might become big things, Dark. I agree there's no point in worrying about something inevitable, but it would be good for world nations to monitor and prepare against this type of thing. The WHO and CDC both consider the possibility of mutation "likely" and are closely watching the situation.

Please see my previous link/post about the "Spanish Flu". It could happen again. But in the meantime, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

Good (oh, just because mutation is likely, doesn't mean that a dangerous mutataion is likely), but I'm glad you aren't going to lose any sleep over this! I'm fine with being concerned though. Concern is merely pre-emption.

 

[Darkdale]

okeydoke. Wow, was I misinformed! As usual, I'm somewhat of a research geek, I've gone and really looked into Bird Flu and damn. I couldn't have been more wrong. This really does appear to be an issue of, will Bird Flu mutate this week, this year or will we be on edge for five to ten years? The current world population is 6,446,131,400 and scientists believe that if the Bird Flu mutates it could kill up to 200,000,000; targeting specifically densely populated third world countries and industrialized cities. So that's like, what, 3 out of every 100 people in the world?

Once the flu mutates it will take 6 to 12 months to come up with a vaccine, but almost all the damage will have been done within the first two weeks. With travel being what it is, it will travel much more quickly than the "spanish flu". So, what can we do? It appears the answer is nothing. While some scientists say that we can do x, y & z to build our immune systems, a vast majority of scientists seem to believe that it's the people with the strongest immune systems that will suffer the most as the flu targets and then turns the immune system on its' person.

Remember when SARS hit China? All those pictures we saw of people wearing masks as they walked down the street, went to school, went to work etc? That's the only real protection we can have.

Because this flu is contagious before symptoms arise, containment seems relatively impossible. So I think that 200,000,000 number might be a little low. If you look at where a majority of the US population is located, these fifty cities would be at the most risk .

This would cripple the world economic and thrust the industrialized world into utter chaos. Which I find interesting, because the government is fishing around the idea of putting the military in charge of handling such a pandemic. Yet, the Military couldn't possibly control the entire country. This could make for a very, very interesting time in World History.

Now, it doesn't do any damn good to be afraid of anything, so fear is an inappropriate emotion at this point; but if I were me, which I am!, I'd start looking into buying myself some of those nifty little masks and some hand sanitizer!

Anyway, my apologies for being so blasé about this thing and for doubting the statistics and such that were given; I’m just so used to people panicking over every single little thing, that I tend to be overly skeptical (at least, so it would appear).

 

[Darkdale]

Hi Kowalski, I never knew flu could be that bad..My son has had pneumonia 3 times..He does have chest problems among others..But as I have said, I have never felt so ill in my whole life when I had that bout of flu..I always thought the ones who died or had serious problems with the flu were the ones who had immune problems or like heart problems..Guess I will be going out wearing a mask as well as my kids LOL!!!!!!!.

That's a good idea. Interestingly, during the spanish flu, men would go to work healthy and be dead before they got off work. If the Bird Flu operates in the same way, it will attack the immune system, turn it on the person, infect the lungs and death will be very, very fast.

Which is the only real good thing about the virus; because it will kill people so quickly that spreading it will be harder to do.

Masks and hand sanitizer seem to be handy to have; and bottle water.

 

[Halcyon]

Has everyone forgotten SARS? That was bird flu, it was contained, it was human-human contagious. Bird viruses moving to mammal populations has been a possibility since there were first birds and mammals living in close proximity i.e. the whole of human history and beyond.

There's no need to panic. The threat will always be there, but we aren't totally stupid as a species, there's a reason we have quarantine.

 

[Darkdale]

There's no need to panic. The threat will always be there, but we aren't totally stupid as a species, there's a reason we have quarantine.

What we are talking about isn't easily quarantined. I don't think there is any reason to panic, but we ought to be prepared. it doesn't quite seem like we are. Not for this.

 

[michel]

I am not sure from where I read it, but apparently the most danger from the spread across Europe is from bats. The latest I have heard is as follows:-

2005-10-09
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Bulgaria has ordered a monitoring on wild and domestic birds at the Danube River side.

The measure comes after on the opposite bank Romania detected apparent bird flu.

Although Bulgaria has not uncovered any cases of the disease yet, the country is largely seen as the next most likely spot of the outbreak.

Awaiting the latest tests, Bulgaria is ready to suspend poultry imports from Romania.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I am not being funny, but Garlic has been known to be extremely effective in boosting the immune system;[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]http://www.garlic-central.com/garlic-health.html

Health Benefits and Uses

Garlic health benefits and medicinal properties have long been known (1). Garlic has long been considered a herbal "wonder drug", with a reputation for preventing everything from the common cold and flu to the Plague! It has been used extensively in herbal medicine (phytotherapy, sometimes spelt phitotherapy). Raw garlic is used by some to treat the symptoms of acne and there is some evidence that it can assist in managing high cholesterol levels. It can even be effective as a natural mosquito repellent.


In general, a stronger tasting clove of garlic has more sulphur content and hence more medicinal value. Some people have suggested that organically grown garlic tends towards a higher sulphur level and hence greater benefit to health. In my experience it certainly tastes better and I buy organic whenever possible.

Some people prefer to take garlic supplements. These pills and capsules have the advantage of avoiding garlic breath.

Modern science has shown that garlic is a powerful antibiotic, albeit broad-spectrum rather than targeted. The body does not appear to build up resistance to the garlic, so its positive health benefits continue over time.

Healthy Antioxidant

Studies (2) have shown that garlic - especially aged garlic - can have a powerful antioxidant effect. Antioxidants help to protect the body against damaging "free radicals".

So you know what to do folks - go stink out the virus!:biglaugh:



[/font]

 

[Darkdale]

lol (how come no one has jumped on me for being misinformed?)

 

[michel]

lol (how come no one has jumped on me for being misinformed?)

I expect because you admitted to not having looked into it; honesty takes the wind out of people's sails.....

 

[Kowalski]

I expect because you admitted to not having looked into it; honesty takes the wind out of people's sails.....

OK,tell him that I told him so, and everbody else too.

Cheers

K

 

[painted wolf]

well not to be a fear monger but I've heard estimates as high as 358 million ... if you take the percentages killed by the Spanish flu. 50% of the global population was infected and 5% was killed.

Just 5% but thats still a huge number... The problem with the new Avien Influenza is that it has a tendancy to attack the lungs in particular and this is why it is so . Most flu's leave the lungs relitively unscathed, naturally most flu's are more adapted to humans.

Another big fear is the role of Pigs as viral mixing tanks. Pigs are capable of catching both human and avian flus quite easily... once in a pig the flu strains can mix and share genetic material makeing new and unpredictable viral strains.

wa:do

 

[painted wolf]

thought I'd add an update... bird flu is now in Turkey (in turkies no less :biglaugh: ) and in ducks in Romania... its now spreading out of Asia and to the rest of the worlds bird populations.

Hooray for migration....

wa:do

 

[Kowalski]

Just keep hoping it doesn't mututate, into a new strain which can jump human to human. This is the greatest threat facing the human race since the 1918 pandemic by so called Spanish-Flu.

Cheers

K

 

[michel]

Well, from what I hear it;s only the Elderly, young Children and asthmatics who are at worst risk; okay, so I fit two of those selections.............HHHHHHHELLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPP :biglaugh:

EU holds bird flu crisis meeting
EU veterinary officers have begun an emergency meeting to discuss new measures to prevent bird flu spreading.


Tests results showing whether bird flu detected in Romania is the lethal H5N1 strain found in poultry in Turkey are now due on Monday.

Nine people who had contact with other suspected bird flu cases in Turkey were taken to hospital for tests.

The European Commission has banned imports of live birds and poultry products from both Turkey and Romania.

The World Health Organization says there is a high probability that the Romanian birds did carry that strain.


In both countries, the sites of bird flu infection have been close to areas favoured by migratory birds.




The EU veterinary officers meeting in Brussels will look at measures to try to reduce the chance of contact between wild birds and poultry in high-risk areas, which could include requiring some poultry to be kept inside.

Drugs

A separate EU meeting of bird flu experts is expected to issue advice on the potential risk for humans who come into contact with migratory birds.

EU foreign ministers are to hold emergency talks on the bird flu threat on Tuesday when they meet in Luxembourg for WTO negotiations.


We have never seen such demand for flu vaccine
Mirela Radu Pharmacy manager in Bucharest



European countries are being urged to stockpile anti-viral drugs after it was confirmed that avian influenza found in Turkey was the H5N1 type that can be fatal to humans.

In the Turkish and Romanian capitals, some pharmacies have run out of anti-flu medicines because of heavy demand.

"At the start of October we put about 1,000 vaccines on sale," said Mirela Radu, manager of a pharmacy in Bucharest.

"Today, we are out of stock. We have never seen such demand for flu vaccine."

Stringent measures

Turkey's Agriculture Minister, Mehdi Eker, insisted measures were in place to contain the bird flu found in Kiziksa, 120km (80 miles) south-west of Istanbul.

He said more than 5,000 birds had been slaughtered and a safety cordon would remain in the area for three weeks, unless more cases were reported.






Two families, making up nine people, who were in contact with pigeons in a separate area were taken to hospital for observation, state-run Anatolian news agency said.

The pigeons were being bred on the roof of a house in Manisa's Turgutlu district, near Izmir in western Turkey, when several died.

"There is no sign of illness in the nine people, but we have taken all the people who have been in contact with the birds under observation," local health official Osman Ozturk was quoted as saying.

"The houses of the two families have also been disinfected."

Turkey's environment ministry has banned the hunting of wild birds amid fears hunters could catch bird flu from them.

Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou has warned that the EU should be ready for a potential human flu pandemic.


The H5N1 strain has killed more than 60 people in South East Asia since 2003. However, of those only one is suspected to have died after catching the virus from another human.


BIRD FLU OUTBREAKS IN 2005 (H5N1 STRAIN)
The H5N1 strain remained largely in South-East Asia until this summer, when Russia and Kazakhstan both reported outbreaks
Scientists fear it may be carried by migrating birds to Europe and Africa but say it is hard to prove a direct link with bird migration

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/europe/4340690.stm

Published: 2005/10/14 13:44:25 GMT

© BBC MMV