I heard Bird Flu is in Scotland. I live in Nothern England. Will I catch it? Is there anything to worry about?
135589
yes,,, but why you worried about only that,, u can also worried about:\ntuberculosis,, malta fever,, cancer,,AIDS,, and alot  alot
212261
The highly pathogenic form of H5N1 avian influenza virus has not been found in wild birds in North America. \n\nIn 2005, a low pathogenic form of H5N1, which is not thought to pose a danger to poultry or humans, was found in wild ducks in Canada. There is a chance that infected wild birds from Asia could bring the highly pathogenic form of the virus with them during spring or fall migration to North America. \n\nThe US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Geological Survey (USGS), Alaska Department of Fish & Game, and public health agencies are working together to test thousands of waterfowl and shorebirds for the virus in Alaska, and field sampling is being integrated with surveillance programs throughout the United States and Canada.
275358
In Scotland it's quite normal to have conversations with strangers- usual justsmall talk about the weather or public transport that hasn't turned up.  When i was visiting friends in the South of England though and I did the same thing people looked and me strangely and tended to ignore me.  seems it's not onlt personal but cultural
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.
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
161824
just go to a search engine and search for "bird flu". You'll find a ton of information
36205
I live in a country where the bird flu has just hit. Thank god it's put under control - but a precautions list was released in the paper recently. Generally, you can still eat the chicken and its eggs (even if it is sick) - but they will have to be THOROUGHLY cooked. That means, no runny yolk from eggs, and no pink parts on the chicken. It has to be really, really cooked that the chicken is completely white, and bone marrows are burnt dark brown. No blood. No pink parts.\n\nThe virus (if present) in the chicken will die from the heat. So no worries there...\n\nAlso, when dealing with chickens - it's best to wear rubber disposable gloves and avoid contact with the chicken at all costs. Always scrub and wash the tools and place where you cut the chicken for preparation. Wear a mask if you want to..\n\nThe bird flu is here, and it just made cooking a whole lot harder. But the good news is: you can still eat at your favorite KFC... =P
92449
Influenza, or ‘flu’, is a highly contagious acute viral infection that affects people of all ages. It typically starts suddenly with fever, chills, headache, aching muscles, general prostration and a cough or other respiratory symptoms. Most people recover without complications in 1-2 weeks\n\nMany of the symptoms of flu are similar to those of the common cold (see Common cold), and many people incorrectly refer to a heavy cold as ‘flu’. Viruses cause them both, but flu affects the lungs much more that a cold does. Also flu doesn’t usually give you the same congested ‘heavy headed’ feeling that a cold does.\n\nThe majority of fit, healthy people can treat the symptoms of flu at home using remedies commonly available from pharmacies.  Antibiotics are not prescribed for flu as they have no effect on viruses. They may rarely be necessary to control complications, especially serious chest infections or pneumonia.\n\nIt is usually advised that otherwise healthy people should stay at home and in bed for as long as the acute symptoms persist, this is usually for two or three days after the symptoms peak. It is important to drink plenty of fluids and to treat the symptoms as necessary. See the encyclopaedia entries on colds, sore throats and coughs for symptom relief. \n\nThere is more information on the NHS direct website about Flu and the Common cold, just perform a search
343616
You'll need to know if you're allergic to eggs or not, it's not recommended to get the flu shot if you are [I know it sounds silly, but it's true] when you arrive they'll ask you to sign a waiver/agreement that says you are not having any flu-like symptoms at present - such as dizziness, nausea, cough, etc. If you are sensitive to shots or vaccinations you may want to bring a magazine, they'll probably ask you to wait for 10 minutes or so after you get the shot to make sure you aren't experiencing anything abnormal. Other than that, you're all set.
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.
582991
It's the latest viral mad bird infection.  Good luck.
331168
I would call your local health department and alert them. If you pick up the birds use gloves and place them in some type of receptacle so they can be transported. I think in this day and age it would be helpful for you and the public.
458484
Get the flu shot! You've gotten many good answers. While new strains of the virus are always occurring, at least you can protect yourself from those known. They do NOT make you sick, (per annie7951) If you already have the virus & it's not known, you may "assume" it made you sick, but will actually make your flu less severe when it becomes apparent. Please! I never "bash" anyone on this site, but the comments of "orangen" (something or the other) were erroneous at best as to flu shots being a "money making scheme."  Much bias against pharmaceutical companies (some justifable) but they work very hard on the "new strains" to make them effective. I hate to think of the potential of epidemics if no one got flu shots. I've been taking them for years, have NEVER had any reaction, & NEVER get the flu. Until, if you decide to get one, when you are "out"--stores, shopping carts etc., be careful not to touch your face with your hands & wash your hands THOROUGHLY as soon as you get home. I've seen check-out people coughing into their hands & then handling my items. I always suggest that if they HAVE to cough, (or sneeze), to do so in their sleeve ELBOW if no tissues are available. Pharmaceutical companies even provide vacines one can get free at some drugatores or clinics. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...
227038
I'll take you points in sequence:\n\n1) No one, government or otherwise, can protect anyone from this flu __IF__ it mutates and becomes contagious in people. For reasons which are not clear, most flu viruses are highly contagious; if this is one, after it leans how to infect humans, there will be no possible quarantine which can possibly have any effect. The Hong Kong flu jumped from Hong Kong (where it was first seen) to the East Coast of the United States, without much of a progression across the Pacific nor in the other direction through Asia and Europe and across the Atlantic. No one knows how. Nor do we know in any other case of pandemic flu spread. And it spread more or less everywhere else too. If this virus, after it becomes readily infective in humans, is that contagious, it will be everywhere eespite anything anyone, or any government, can do. \n\nThe only known way to protect anyone from such a virus is with a vaccine, and until the mutation of the existing virus so it can infect humans easily, there is no way to build a vaccine. Not against a virus which doesn't yet exist. \n\n2) the Tamiflu shot isn't all that effective against regular flu. It decreases symptoms some, but is hardly a cure. Or much protection either. And the same is true for the only other drug we have which has any effect on teh usual flu. No one really knows whether either of these will make any difference to people infected with this H5N1 strain of avian flu if it makes the jump to contagiousness in humans. \n\n3) There is no vaccine now, so there's no vaccine to made available to anyone. Or withold from anyone either. There is a vaccine against the bird flu that currently exists, but that virus is hardly a danger to anyone except chickens and other birds. More folks die from falls every day than this virus has killed in the last decade. Of the 200 some folks known to have been infected with it, more than half have died, which is a very serious mortality rate. But thst's over ten years in countries all over the globe. This virus is not, as things stand today, a threat to humans anywhere, except economically to those who raise poultry or who depend on wild birds of some kind. \n\n4) Experience with pandemics and other things in our species' past does NOT support your claim that we will all die if this flu arrives. Thus far, no disease has managed to kill everybody; we all do, after all, have ancestors who survived. The Black Plague, which is perhaps the worst sudden plague we've experienced (and that's historically documented) killed between 20% or 35% of the population of Western Europe over a couple of decades once it appeared in this or that area of Europe. England has the best surviving records and teh toll might have been a few percent higher there. This was and is a disease of rodents (and their fleas) in the Eastern Asian steppes and had never been seen in Europe until it was brought West with Genghis Khan's armies. Only it traveled fast enough that a flareup of plague woulnd't burn out before the next stop. That plague is now endemic in the Western North American plains and we know that it arrived by ship from China in the late 1800s. Some scholars even think they know the name o fhte ship. It's been spreading across the Plains ever since. Gophers and prairie dogs are the resevoir here. \n\nAnother example of a disease encountering an immunologically naive human population is smallpox. It is quite contagious, and quite deadly even amongst those descended from survivors. Among those whose ancestors had not encountered it, smallpox is more than terrifying. It was the secret weapon that accompanied Cortes into Mexico and which allowed him (with a couple of hundred men) to defeat the large and organized military Aztec empire. Even so, it didn't kill every one. Tuberculosis was also new to Native Americans, and has been especially deadly when it infects them. In fact, many generations later, it i
116252
There is nothing the governments can do. There simply is not enough of the vaccine for birds to make it worthwhile vaccinating. It is safe to eat infected meat. Despite any stories in the press, or what you hear from your mate down the pub, H5N1 is an ordinary avain (bird) flu virus. Cook your chicken for over 20min at over 70degrees, and you'll be fine.\n\nPlease bear in mind as well that if it mutates into a viable human pathogen it will take approximately 6months to come up with a useful vaccine, and 6months to produce enough for the UK.\n\nWould just like to point out that it requires just ONE mutation for H5N1 to spread between humans. Its called a genetic shift - a bird flu virus (in this case H5N1) and a mammalian virus enter the same cell, and there is swapping of DNA. Remember - one mutation is all it takes.
554877
It is, but its just not news worthy anymore. Here in the UK the DEFRA are still monitoring birds that have died suddenly, particluarly wild birds such as swans and ducks.
39039
No. Also, with bird flue being so wide-spread, I wouldn't really like anything raw coming from a bird.