Apocalypse...What do you think the chances are that this Avian bird flu will do us all in? Should I prepare?
371568
No won't kill more than about 50% - that's what 125 million Americans - that'll kill the property market. 25 million British citizens and 25 million illegals. 200 million Europeans. The Chinese will have a big problem. The pigeons will have a bigger problem. But if you own shares in the company making the anti viral drug they're all stocking up on - good news - you're bloody rich!
333578
im from indonesia, its so damn dangerous in my country. the bird flu has spread everywhere. you must take care for your pet.
528508
Okay, take a deep breath. You are correct. The bird flu may or may not mutate, there may or may not be a pandemic, but all families need to be prepared for emergency situations. You need to discuss Disaster Preparedness with your parents again. Your concern is legitimate, but becoming hysterical will not help your cause nor solve the problem. For starters, your family needs to have a three month supply of water, toiletries, food, and regular medications for every member of your household. You can telephone the local office of the American Red Cross, ask for Disaster Services, and they will mail you a list of information on how to prepare and what to buy. I hope we never have to face this situation, but we need to protect our families for any emergency. Good luck !
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
4462
Rylog,\n Birdflu infected upto 133 members as per some records. This is only infected when they got in touch with those birds or their excreta.  But the whole world is getting worried if it across from human to human. Upto now all infections are from bird to human, not human to human. Example for human to human infections are winter flu, but we got vaccine for that. Where as for birdflue, there is no vaccine as such. Roche, a company  which manufactures TamiFle might help for this. Scientists are still working on the vaccine. \n\nHope this helps..
141270
Whatever ...\nBoth will now die due to the avian flu ..
552349
It has been fatal in 56% of cases (up to 1st may)\n\nCheck out www.bbc.co.uk and search for bird flu. They have a detailed explanation of it that is easy to understand. Whats more, the information on it is correct!
203990
Have you heard, watched, or read ANYTHING about the bird flu?!
252186
No way to tell how bad it would be if the virus changes enough to become readily contagious in humans, as most of the  'regular' flu viruses are. \n\nAvian flu viruses have some common characteristics  which allow them to infect birds, and the 1981 "Spanish flu" (which killed maybe 40 or more million worldwide. Enough has now been recovered frmm improperly prepared human bodies buried in the Arctic permafrost in 1918, to be certain the samples found must have a bird flu virus oringinally. 1918 was our species' (ie, humans) only known encounter with a human contagious avian flu. \n\nIf this one changes (no one knows quite how it would need to so) to become human infectious, then it'spossible we'll have a 1918 type epidemic. If we do, the death toll will be high as there are far more people on the planet, they are packed tightly together in many places, and there's a goodly bit of malnutrition, existing diseases, stres, warfare, etc that the death toll is likley to higher on a percentage basis than last time. \n\nNote VERY carefully: we do not know what will have to happen to the virus for it to become contagious in humans. Nor, if it does, whether it will retain the high mortality rate in such folks it currently has. And so most anything said about it is speculation. No matter who says it -- doctor, politician, civil service staff, vendors of stuff to help and some of which will be stuff that's illegal to bring into the country, etc. Avoid going along with anyone who's pushing some agenda (including sales and profit). \n\nNo final nor easy answer.
1134808
Bird flu?\n\nAre you just a bad speller or is this a joke?  Not that I mind either way; but if you're just a bad speller then ignore my answer!
1040019
Curing this flu is no easy matter, avian influenza is so deadly that it is right behind anthrax on the bio-defense list, as a possible terrorist weapon. There are two ways to try to dodge the flu. One is to kill all infected birds. The other is to develop a vaccine before the disease shifts. Because this strain requires four times the usual vaccine dosage it is impossible to produce the 600 million doses our population needs. Current supplies could provide vaccine for 15 million people; that’s only 5% of our population. Accumulated data paints such a frightening pathogenic picture that WHO issued an urgent warning that a flu pandemic could affect billions of people worldwide. Billions because, unlike our annual flu outbreaks, everyone is vulnerable, regardless of age or health. To make matters worse,in Germany, on February 26, 2006, the virus demonstrated its adaptability when a domestic cat  was found dead from  avian influenza. A few days later, an infected stone marten was discovered. This shows us that the virus is changing. Last week it was believed that 6 members of an Indonesian family had all died of avian flu, which could indicate that the virus can now spread through human to human contagion. If a pandemic does strike we will immediately lose 40% of the country's work force. President Bush got less than half of the $7.1 billion he asked for to fight this flu. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist warned Americans that state and federal authorities are "woefully underprepared" to enforce quarantine provisions and distribute medicine, food, and other vital supplies in response to an avian flu pandemic. There isn’t medical equipment or staff enough to handle this outbreak. There are pitifully few ventilators and not enough coffins or cemeteries to bury the dead.  Perhaps as many as 1.7 million Amjericans  will die as the flu cycles through our country.Bush has said he will deploy the U.S. military to enforce a quarantine on areas where infection is found. Well, that’s just ridiculous. Where will the manpower come from? \nThere really isn’t a good solution to the problem. There isn’t enough vaccine; people are going to die. Remember birds distribute the virus through their fluids and feces so watch where you step and stay clear of ducks, they are carriers of the virus but are unaffected by it.  So the best bet is to stock up on water, canned foods and Tamiflu, stay in your own home, limit visitors severely, watch over your old folks and the infants and keep them as washed up as possible, wash your own hands often and pray. But be careful what you pray for … this flu might never be a problem ... it could be some other strain of man-killer flu entirely.
217729
I think both also.\nI have to say though that there is a very real possibility that over the next few years this virus will mutate so that it can be spread from person to person.\nViruses generally adapt to their hosts and mutate as neede but this process takes time. Right now it is only spread from infected bird to human, if it mutates so that the person infected by the bird can also spread it to other humans we will have a huge problem. There is no cure right now and its fatality rate is quite high.
612261
I will graciously let the world be doomed. \nAnyway it is pretty tiring hearing all that apocalyptical stuff they throw to you and nothing happens. It could be exciting, you know... To see it happening at last!
170543
i agree with you...i think that it might be the next big pandemic.
869350
his estimate is low.\nvery low.\nthis plague , when it mutates into human to human contact,\nwill cause world wide chaos,\nand will kill 200 milion people.\n\ni lost my grandmother, 2 uncles, and my father was almost\nkilled from the 1918 - 1919 Flu Pandemic.\nthat pandemic killed 50 million people worldwide.\nrecent research indicates that flu was an avain strain.\nthe world has almost 3 times the population now,\nand with the fast transit of people and goods that exists today\nit will spread rapidly when it mutates.
1081587
I work in the health field, and people are already asking if we have the vaccine yet. As far as I know, there won't be any vaccine until maybe six weeks after the virus mutates to human-human transmission, because they can't even make one until then.  Even then there will only be a few million doses. So, being that I'm part of  the first line of patient contact, we'll probably be wearing masks, triaging people through the back door of the clinic, and most likely have a quarantined waiting area. That is, if it ever happens. \nRegarding the family who all came down with the flu and seven of the eight members died -- weren't they all hanging around the same chickens? Doesn't mean it was human to human.
162706
YES...if the bird was sick before being cooked. And, YES, through eggs if the bird was sick or if not cooked thoroughly. This bird flu is really getting serious now...the question is not "if" it will turn into a pandemic, but "when". And, people are still being careless about live chickens here in China...the wet markets are still butchering chickens, with their blood spurting out all over the floor and possibly into vegetables, etc. I don't know what it will take before everyone realizes how grave this problem is becoming. Unfortunately, it may take the sacrifice of human lives condensed into an area before peoples' lives elsewhere will be saved. The gene is just figuring out how to mutate from human to human - and that's all it will take.