does all flu come from birds?
99532
no, there are many different strains of flus out there. Bird flu is just one of them. I copied some facts from the website listed below, there is a lot of useful info there. \n\nIt's hard to say where the various strains of flu come from. The best way to try to prevent it is by washing frequently or using hand sanitizer. \n\nBefore I start work everyday, I sanitize my keyboard, and my telephone in case someone before me was using it and  you know, knock on wood, I have not been sick this year. Maybe a slight cold, but not the flu. \n\nMind you, you may not be fortunate enough to escape it, but keeping your hands and property clean are great precautious measures. Check this info out and go to the website as well ;)\n\nWhat Is the Flu?\nFlu is the common name for influenza (pronounced: in-floo-en-za), a virus that attacks the respiratory system.\n\nThere are three different types of the flu virus. Types A and B can cause widespread flu outbreaks (although type B usually causes less severe symptoms than type A). Type C is fairly rare and causes only mild symptoms.\n\nUsually when you're sick with a virus, your body builds up a defense system by making antibodies against it, so you don't get that particular virus strain again. Unfortunately, flu viruses mutate (change) each year, so you aren't protected from the disease forever. Some years the change in the flu virus is slight, so even if you get the flu it's a mild case because the antibodies give you partial protection. But every 10 years or so the flu virus undergoes a major change, and many people get severe cases. These large-scale outbreaks are called epidemics. If they spread worldwide, they're called pandemics.
639471
Look!  First thing is first the only people who have gotten the bird flu live with birds lots of birds I would not worry about it. It wastes time and energy and why dwell on it when it is not here yet?
867049
They dont, birds do. Humans can not catch a virus from birds tho, so there has to be a middleman (well pig). Birds give the virus to hogs, who then with a little twist of the virus give it to humans (hence the first name of swine flew). The best place for this to happen is a place that has both foul & pigs (a farm) so that is why you always hear about chickens & ducks (but it can be any bird).
503848
Bird flu is a viral infection that infect avain species. At the moment it cannot be passed onto humans. But obviously the major concern is to poultry farmers who have alrge stocks of chickens. \n\nIt may also be able to mutate so that the virus can pass onto humans and it has a chance to do so the more birds it infects. So preventing the spread is the best thing we can do just now.
186223
no, reason being, that the virus for the common cold is ever changing. this is the same reason why we are seeing new strains of flu every year. and also the reason for the current strain of the bird flu. new strains are formed from the old viruses and they become stronger and immune to whatever "cures" we come up with. unless you can completely kill the virus, it will come back.
106602
I am afraid that the virus that causes bird flu will mutate and become airborne. That would be like the black plague. However, as of now, there is no need to panic. Even when the disease enters the US, for as long as there is no human to human transfer, just fowl to human, there is no need to panic. Just like any virus, the disease is self-limiting. What we have to do to prevent it is to boost our immune system and keep our bodies healthy
306979
If you keep your parakeet isolated from other birds, it should have a very minimal chance of contracting the disease. The bird flu is spread by contact. It is possible that it might contract it from contact with you or your family. Wash your hands before coming in contact with the cage or the bird. There is also the possibility of having it on your clothes or shoes, but there is not a lot you can do about that. It will also help to keep the cage clean. Clean it daily. Also do not let the bird out of the cage. It might pick up the virus from around the house.
316579
No. Bird flu only kills birds, plus about 100 unfortunate humans to date.  But if it mutates into a form that can be transmitted from human-to-human, then a lot of people might get sick (10%? 20%? who knows).  The pandemic would last until practically every person on earth had been exposed to the virus.  That's what happened last time around, with the "Spanish Flu" epidemic of 1918-1919.
284944
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/facts.htm
156476
NO\nEvery year flu vaccines are produced, The vaccine is different each year as virologists try to figure out which strains of flu will be ciculating the next flu season. The vaccine is to prevent those flus.\nThere is a vaccine undergoing testing in China I believe for avian flu but it is nowhere near ready for use in humans yet.\nThe regular flu vaccine will not protect you against the avian flu, not even a little bit.
593378
I assume you're referring to the bird flu that's currently spreading through western europe. It's important that you remember that very few birds can carry the disease; however, one of the ways that the disease spreads to humans is by contact with the feathers. The most likely ways of a human contracting the virus, though, are constant contact with the faeces of birds, as well as regular contact with their beaks. Of course, since birds preen their feathers using their beaks, it is possible that the virus could survive for a short time on the feathers, and so could be passed onto humans. If you're in any doubt as to whether you may have contracted the disease, you should go to a doctor immediately. Bird flu usually manifests itself first in the form of a minor eye infection, but can spread through the body quickly depending on the strain.\n\nIn the UK, the deadly H5N1 strain has only been confirmed to date in a single dead swan, and there are no confirmed cases of it being passed on to humans in the UK.\n\nBreeds of birds you should be especially careful with are swans, geese and ducks, as they are particularly susceptible to it and may carry it for several weeks without showing any symptoms whatsoever. Also, as they are migratory birds the risk of them carrying it from another country are greatly increased.\n\nAll that said, I wouldn't be too concerned about it; as long as you're careful and you're not in regular physical contact with birds you should be alright.\n\nAlex
154127
No, I don't think so. My understanding is you would have to be living in very close surroundings with poultry that have the virus, or in close contact with live birds.\n\nHowever, I guess we'll be discovering new stuff about bird flu for years to come.
414099
The Bird Flu is the H5N1 flu virus. Unfortunately, you cannot tell the difference if you have the regular flu or the Bird Flu because their symptoms are quite the same, except that the Bird Flu results in death after a week or so. Be very careful, it's dangerous and is spreading accross the world at an alarming pace.
720706
(m)\n\nThe symptoms of bird flu (Avian influenza) are\nSore throat\nCough\nFever\nPneumonia\nRespiratory distress\nRespiratory failure\nLife threatening complications\nThe symptoms of bird flu can depend on which virus caused the infection. If you have flu like symptoms the chances of you having Bird flu are very very very very small. Bird flu is a virus that primarily affects birds. Humans have caught the disease but only in a few very rare cases in the Far East and in Turkey. All people who have caught bird flu had close contact with infected birds.
134487
Bird Flu is transmitted in the respiratory secretions of infected birds.  It is unlikely you'd ever contract the disease unless you had very close contact with live or recently deceased chickens.  Cooking kills the virus.  Currently (thank goodness), it cannot be transmitted from human to human like regular flu can.
112976
In humans, avian flu viruses cause similar symptoms to other types of flu. [21] These include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, conjunctivitis and, in severe cases, severe breathing problems and pneumonia that may be fatal. The severity of the infection will depend to a large part on the state of the infected person's immune system and if the victim has been exposed to the strain before, and is therefore partially immune. In one case, a boy with H5N1 experienced diarrhea followed rapidly by a coma without developing respiratory or flu-like symptoms, suggesting non-standard symptoms.
81722
Bird flu is spread by migratory birds and traveling people.