the efects of bird flu on man are they dangarous?
124558
While prior H5N1 strains have been known, they were significantly different from the current H5N1 strain on a genetic level, making the global spread of this new strain unprecedented. The current H5N1 strain is a fast-mutating, highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) found in multiple bird species.\n\nCountries that have reported one or more major H5N1 outbreaks in birds (causing at least thousands but in some cases millions of dead birds) are (in order of first outbreak occurrence): Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Turkey, Romania, Croatia, Ukraine, Cyprus, Iraq, Nigeria, Egypt, India, France, Niger, Bosnia, Azerbaijan, Albania, Cameroon, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Israel, Pakistan, Jordan, Burkina Faso, Germany, Sudan. H5N1 has been found in birds in the wild in numerous other countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Kuwait, Poland, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom. Countries with massive bird die offs that do not confirm H5N1 include: Ethiopia.\n\nBird flu is any flu caused by a virus adapted to birds.\n\nIt is also called avian flu, avian influenza and bird influenza.\n\nThe only known such viruses are Influenza A viruses. All subtypes (but not all strains of all subtypes) of this species are adapted to birds, so for many purposes avian flu virus is Influenza A virus (the "A" does not stand for "avian").\n\nHowever most people use "avian flu" to mean H5N1 which is the subtype of the species Influenza A virus that is the world's major flu pandemic threat.\n\nSo "avian flu", "bird flu", "avian influenza", and "bird influenza" all mean the same thing; but are all used to mean these very different things:\n\n    * flu:\n          o flu from Influenza A viruses which are adapted to birds (the technically correct meaning)\n          o the flu acquired from any Influenza A viruses\n          o the H5N1 flu (flu acquired from H5N1)\n    * virus:\n          o Influenza A viruses which are adapted to birds\n          o the Influenza A viruses\n          o the H5N1 subtype of the Influenza A virus.
301711
They advise getting a pneumonia shot as many of the victims died from the pneumonia. Also get this\nLaboratory tests show Sambucol® neutralises Common and Avian Flu Virus H5N1 \nAdded: (Thu Jan 19 2006) \n\nNew research, carried out by Retroscreen Virology has indicated that \nSambucol®, a patented formula, may fight the virulent Avian Flu virus. Results have been presented yesterday, Wednesday, in a press conference held in the Royal Society of Medicine, London. Speakers included Prof. Hannoun, Emeritus Professor at the Pasteur Institute and Dr. Mumcuoglu, developer of Sambucol®. \n\nLaboratory trials held in a leading research institute, Retroscreen Virology \nLtd, associated with the University of London found Sambucol® to be at least \n99% effective against the Avian Flu virus H5N1. Sambucol® was effective at \nsignificantly neutralising the infectivity of the virus in cell cultures. These \nresults will also be presented during the International Conference on Bird Flu: \n“The First Pandemic of the 21st Century. A Central Role for Antivirals”, to be \nheld at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital on January 19th-20th 2006. \n\nDr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu, is looking into further investigations into the \nactivity of Sambucol® against Avian Flu on a wider scale. \n\nIn an earlier study (1995) Sambucol® was found to be effective against a wide range of influenza strains. Laboratory studies conducted at the Hebrew \nUniversity – Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem demonstrated the activity \nof Sambucol® against human, swine, and avian influenza strains. \nSambucol®'s efficacy was also demonstrated in two double blind, placebo \ncontrolled clinical studies. Sambucol® was shown to cut the duration and \nseverity of the common flu by up to half. \n\nENDS \n\nNotes to editors; \nSambucol® is based on an active substance isolated from the black elderberry. \nManufactured by Razei Bar Industries Israel, Sambucol® is available in 17 \ncountries and in the UK is sold in Tesco, leading chemists, independent health \nfood stores and wholesalers from £8.49. \n\nFor photography please visit the following site and enter the log in details: \nFTP address: ftp://pixelit.co.il \nuser name: ftp_razeibar \npassword: 63+84675 \n\n\nFor further press information please contact: Francesca Gaffey/Cheryl Davies, \nCommunique Public Relations, Waterside, No2 Canal Street, Manchester, M1 \n3HE. Tel: 0161 242 5120/0161 242 5108 Fax: 0161 228 7391 E-mail: \nfrancesca.gaffey@communiquepr.co.uk cheryl.davies@communiquepr.co.uk \n\nFor research information please visit: Retroscreen Virology Ltd. at: \nhttp://www.retroscreen.com/ \n\nFor product information please visit: \nRazei Bar Industries (1996) Ltd. At: www.sambucol.com
335481
Realistically, you get it from handling bird feces or from intimate contact with an infected bird (ie you handle a dead bird that has been cut open etc.)  Bird flu is an issue for those in the poultry industry....and then only in certain countries that don't follow sanitary procedures.  That's why it is so common in China but virtually unheard of in the US.  We have strict sanitary standards for the production of food in this country.  In China, most food production would be considered not fit for human consumption and illegal to sell, by our laws.
673828
Its real, but its a non-issue.\n\nBird flu is just BS by the Bush administration to distract people's attention away from the war in Iraq. Its not contageous among people. You have to be exposed to the dander of an infected bird.\n\nREALITY CHECK: Since 1998 when bird flu was discovered in Hong Kong......\n... About 100 people died from bird flu.\n... About 3,000,000 people died from regular flu.\n\nSo which flu do we need to worry about the most?
38014
The bird flu isn't really dangerous now, but it has potential to become a serious threat. The main problem with bird flu is its high resistance to antibiotics. And everytime one of those few people with it are treated, there is the chance that new strains resistant to that treatment will develop. \n\nThe main difference between bird flu and malaria is that we generally have malaria isolated in africa, with few exceptions, where as we dont really know how far bird flu has spread. There's also vaccines to prevent malaria and drugs to treat it.\n\nAlso, bird flu hits and kills a person very fast.. typically wthin 3-4 days. The potential of the bird flu has been compared The spanish flu back in 1919 that killed 50-100 million people in a 1 year time span. In comparison, 1-2 million people die from malaria every year.
442196
Sounds like the flu to me.
672123
It has to do with the level of industrialization of countries, I think.  In the US, for instance, people don't have their children pluck chickens to eat, because we have machines that do it for us.  (The first and most common cases of bird flu in Asia are young boys who pluck chickens, it's this contact with the dead birds bloody body that passes the disease)  If there was a virus in chickens, a)it would die on the dead bird before people bought it because it couldn't feed off the dead bird's cells, or b) it would be killed in our ultra-efficient gas stoves.  We don't like to kill animals or handle their bodies in the US because our level of industrialization is such that we don't have to, so, less chance of bird flu.\n\nIn Africa, the spread of and the inception of diseases also has to do with industrialization because people tend to live closer to wild animals and to forest or jungle (We clear large swaths of land to build huge cities or suburban towns, but in smaller African towns people live nearer to wildlife).  This is why sometimes diseases like AIDS or Ebola will "come out of the jungle", meaning that someone had an encounter with a wild animal who had the disease, and they spread it to others in the town.  People tavelling from town to town or from towns to cities bring the diseases far, but they originate when people have encounters with wild animals.\n\nThe US is just so removed from wildlife because of our high level of industrialization that we don't often get diseases straight from animals: they have to be borne human-to-human to reach us, which I think in these cases is a good thing!
59778
It is called the foot and mouth diseae which attackes cattle like pigs, cows, goats and so on. Looks like livestocks, including chickens that spread the bird flu are not to be taken for the time being. If you worry, take fish only or opt to be a vegeterian instead.Meantime, protection yourself by taking lots fruits becos they contain Vit.C and eating raw garlic or pills form of it.
230874
It depends on what country you are in...here in my place we eat chicken andegg whenever we like to...\n\n\n\nAfghaistan, Albania, Austria, , Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, ,Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, , France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine National Authority, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland,Ukraine and the United Kingdomhave all suffered confirmed outbreaks in poultry or wild birds. (In rare instances, cases have also been reported in cats and Stonemartens.) Other countries are investigating suspected cases.
34808
Flu generally strikes 1 to 3 days after exposure to the virus. The onset of flu often seems sudden: people describe feeling like they've "been hit by a truck." Common flu symptoms include sudden onset, fever and chills, cough, muscle and joint pain, headache, fatigue and weakness. Some people also get a stuffy nose and sore throat.\n\nBoth the flu and a cold are viral infections and can cause symptoms such as coughing and sore throat. A cold is a minor viral infection of the nose and throat. The flu, however, is usually more severe, with higher fevers and the addition of aches and pains.\n:-)
588235
This is a bit of a tricky question. The bird flu virus is evolving and will continue to change through genetic mutations. Right now, the virus appears in two varieties. One that can spread from bird-to-bird and another that spreads from birds-to-humans. The virus has still not evolved to spread from humans-to-humans.The last transformation can be catastrophic, if it isn't (somehow) contained. \n\nIf it can spread from human-to-human, the virus will be more lethal in urban settings. \nHowever, if it can only spread from birds-to-humans, it will spread faster in rural settings, where humans are in closer contact with birds. \n\nOf course, this is assuming that there aren't as many poultry farms in cities  (which might not necessarily be true for all countries).
287345
I am not relying on them. I got my pneumonia shot and am getting this\nLaboratory tests show Sambucol® neutralises Common and Avian Flu Virus H5N1 \nAdded: (Thu Jan 19 2006) \n\nNew research, carried out by Retroscreen Virology has indicated that \nSambucol®, a patented formula, may fight the virulent Avian Flu virus. Results have been presented yesterday, Wednesday, in a press conference held in the Royal Society of Medicine, London. Speakers included Prof. Hannoun, Emeritus Professor at the Pasteur Institute and Dr. Mumcuoglu, developer of Sambucol®. \n\nLaboratory trials held in a leading research institute, Retroscreen Virology \nLtd, associated with the University of London found Sambucol® to be at least \n99% effective against the Avian Flu virus H5N1. Sambucol® was effective at \nsignificantly neutralising the infectivity of the virus in cell cultures. These \nresults will also be presented during the International Conference on Bird Flu: \n“The First Pandemic of the 21st Century. A Central Role for Antivirals”, to be \nheld at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital on January 19th-20th 2006. \n\nDr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu, is looking into further investigations into the \nactivity of Sambucol® against Avian Flu on a wider scale. \n\nIn an earlier study (1995) Sambucol® was found to be effective against a wide range of influenza strains. Laboratory studies conducted at the Hebrew \nUniversity – Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem demonstrated the activity \nof Sambucol® against human, swine, and avian influenza strains. \nSambucol®'s efficacy was also demonstrated in two double blind, placebo \ncontrolled clinical studies. Sambucol® was shown to cut the duration and \nseverity of the common flu by up to half. \n\nENDS \n\nNotes to editors; \nSambucol® is based on an active substance isolated from the black elderberry. \nManufactured by Razei Bar Industries Israel, Sambucol® is available in 17 \ncountries and in the UK is sold in Tesco, leading chemists, independent health \nfood stores and wholesalers from £8.49. \n\nFor photography please visit the following site and enter the log in details: \nFTP address: ftp://pixelit.co.il \nuser name: ftp_razeibar \npassword: 63+84675 \n\n\nFor further press information please contact: Francesca Gaffey/Cheryl Davies, \nCommunique Public Relations, Waterside, No2 Canal Street, Manchester, M1 \n3HE. Tel: 0161 242 5120/0161 242 5108 Fax: 0161 228 7391 E-mail: \nfrancesca.gaffey@communiquepr.co.uk cheryl.davies@communiquepr.co.uk \n\nFor research information please visit: Retroscreen Virology Ltd. at: \nhttp://www.retroscreen.com/ \n\nFor product information please visit: \nRazei Bar Industries (1996) Ltd. At: www.sambucol.com
305795
The bird flu is nothing to panic about right now if you are a smart consumer. The bird flu is still in asia and has not been rapidly spreading in the USA. You will not catch the bird flu is you properly handle and cook all poultry. The only way you can get it is if you go over to asia and handle an infected bird. Other wise you are pretty safe safe! Scientists are working on a vaccine right now so hopfully the bird flu epedimic panic will soon fade away!
330165
right now, you have very little to fear.  the avian flu rarely infects humans and even in the rare instances that it does, it can not be transmitted from human to human.  however, the virus that is currently infecting birds (H5N1) can also infect pigs and while in the pigs it can transform into a strain that can infect humans (do to surface protein affinity--very long story).  that's when you need to worry.  but it hasn't happened yet.
200858
I know this wasn't really your question, but don't get too panicked about this.  There are other, more immediate threats to your health that you should worry about more than if they bird flue mutates.  You're more likely, at least in the immediate future to be run over by a car, for instance, so look both ways before you cross the street!\n\nIf you feel the need to stockpile food, this might be helpful for you psychologically.  Know, however, that they are working on a vaccination that may come in time.
496662
A good time to teach them all about proper handwashing, that will help immensly. Person to person is more common than viral surface exposure. Good handwashing is your first line of defense against colds and flu.
318679
H5N1 is not currently a threat, but the possibility of becoming a threat is very real.  If bird flu were to mutate to a form transmissable from human to human, this could be a potential disaster--similar to the influenza pandemic of 1918 that killed more people than WWI.  The 1918 flu traveled around the world and 20-40 million people died.  It was so bad, it shortened the average life expectancy by 10 years.\n\nRecent DNA studies have shown that this 1918 flu was a bird flu that mutated to infect humans.  It began in people who were in contact with poultry.  This is the reason for all the concern about H5N1--there is the potential for it to happen all over again.  It hasn't happened yet, but if we don't come up with some kind of vaccine, it may be only a matter of time.