Bird Flu - Answers to 10 Important Questions

by Brian McGregor


Most people know that bird flu is beginning to emerge as a serious health threat to the world.

There are real concerns and in this article we give answers to 10 questions which many individuals are asking about bird flu.

1. What is Bird Flu?

Avian influenza or 'bird flu' is a highly contagious disease of birds, caused by influenza A viruses. In birds, the viruses can present with a range of symptoms from mild illness and low mortality, to a highly contagious disease with a near 100% fatality rate.

The bird flu virus currently affecting poultry and some people in Asia is the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the virus.

As the virus can remain viable in contaminated droppings for long periods, it can be spread among birds, and from birds to other animals, through ingestion or inhalation.

All bird species are thought to be susceptible to avian influenza. Migratory birds such as wild ducks and geese can carry the viruses, often without any symptoms of illness, and show the greatest resistance to infection.

Domestic poultry flocks are particularly vulnerable to epidemics of a rapid, severe and fatal form of the disease.

2. Can Bird Flu Infect People?

People are rarely infected with bird flu viruses. Those who have become infected have had close direct contact with infected birds.

The first documented cases of bird flu infecting people occurred in Hong Kong in 1997 and this was also the H5N1 strain of virus. Investigation showed that close contact with live infected poultry was the source of the infection.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is mounting evidence that the H5N1 strain has a unique capacity to jump the species barrier and cause severe disease, with high mortality, in people.

3. Can Bird Flu Travel From Person to Person?

There is no firm evidence that the H5N1 strain which caused the outbreaks in South East Asia has acquired the ability to pass easily from person to person or to sustain transmission.

So far, while some instances of spread from one person directly to another have been reported, these have been isolated one-off occurrences with no further spread to people, and the route of transmission remains unconfirmed.

4. Have There Been Previous Outbreaks of Bird Flu Affecting People?

The first documented cases of bird flu in people appeared in Hong Kong in 1997, when 18 people infected with an H5N1 virus strain were admitted to hospital, six of whom died. The source of infection in most cases was traced to contact with diseased birds on farms, and in live poultry markets.

As of 13 October 2005, 117 reported cases of H5N1 infection in people have occurred in four countries - Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Sixty of these have been fatal.

5. What is the Source of the Current Outbreak of Bird Flu?

The outbreak now concerning health experts began in poultry in South Korea in mid-December 2003, and has affected birds in many countries in Asia, Russia, and most recently Turkey and Rumania. It involves a variant of the same virus subtype as that associated with the 1997 Hong Kong outbreak.

6. What is the Risk of a Human Influenza Pandemic?

A pandemic can be broadly described as a massive epidemic. It occurs on a much greater scale than an epidemic, spreading around the world and affecting many hundreds of thousands of people across many countries.

Experts are concerned that the virus could adapt, giving it greater affinity for humans. Or that it could exchange genes with a human flu virus, thereby producing a completely new virus strain capable of spreading easily between people, and causing a pandemic. By necessity, if a new strain were to occur then few people, if any, would have a natural immunity to it.

7. What Can I Do to Protect Myself and my Family?

There is some evidence that recent H5N1 viruses are susceptible to a class of antiviral drugs called neuraminidase inhibitors.

The UK Government is expanding its stockpile of antiviral drugs against the contingency of a flu pandemic, whether due to an H5N1 or another new strain. On 1 March 2005, the Health Secretary announced the procurement of 14.6 million treatment courses of the antiviral, Tamiflu - enough to treat a quarter of the UK population.

Individuals can purchase Tamiflu privately. The manufacturer, Roche, is working hard to supply what is required. World-wide demand, however, has increased dramatically recently and there may be shortages.

8. Is a Vaccine Currently Available for Bird Flu?

The present position is that there is no vaccine for bird flu.

There are, however, several potential vaccines at various stages of testing and production. Whether these will be suitable for use against a new pandemic flu strain depends on how much the pandemic strain may have mutated and changed from the original H5N1 virus strain used to create the vaccine.

9. What is the Advice for Travellers?

Travellers to areas experiencing outbreaks of the disease in poultry are recommended to avoid contact with live animal markets and poultry farms.

Travellers should not attempt to bring any live birds or poultry products back to their own country.

10. How Can I Keep up-to-date With Bird Flu Matters?

The following organisations have sections on avian influenza which provide useful and regularly updated information:

Health Protection Agency http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/avianinfluenza/menu.htm

DEFRA http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/avianinfluenza.htm

World Health Organization http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/index.html

UN Food and Agriculture Organization http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/subjects/en/health/diseases-cards/special_avian.html

Bird flu has the potential to be the basis of an influenza pandemic. The experts are predicting that there will be a pandemic, although it is not possible to say when it will occur.

The message is to be alert and be aware of the advice being given by your government.


About the Author
Brian McGregor is author of the ebook 'What You Need to Know About Bird Flu'. This publication outlines the bird flu issue in much more detail, and is available free from: http://www.workwinners.com/bird-flu/d-bird-flu.htm

H5N1 - The Bird Flu Pandemic Threat

by Carole Nickerson, GlobalBirdFlu.com


What is Avian Bird Flu?

Bird Flu is nothing new. There are actually many different kinds of bird flu caused by any one of the 20 strains of influenza virus mostly affecting chickens, ducks, turkeys, and other birds.

The type of avian influenza which has scientists worried and reported recently in the news is called "H5N1". Scientists have discovered that the H5N1 bird flu virus originated from a farm in Scotland in 1959. 40 years later, the virus has become highly pathogenic (highly infectious) among birds and in recent years has made steady progress in infecting humans.

Bird flu H5N1 is transmitted by contact with the saliva, nasal secretions and feces of infected birds, making it very easy for other birds to become infected. One of the concerns with this is that migratory birds can become infected and thus making it easy for it to spread all around the world. The first report of human infection occurred in Hong Kong in 1997. Outbreaks have occurred among poultry in 8 Asian countries from late 2003 - 2004. More than 100 million birds either died from the disease or were killed to prevent further spread. In March 2004, it was believed that the problem was under control. It wasn't. Just a few months later in June, new deadly outbreaks began to occur and the outbreaks have been ongoing.

By July 2005, over 100 cases were confirmed in humans resulting in 60 deaths.

As the H5N1 Bird Flu Virus positions itself within the human population, it increasingly gains opportunities to mutate into a highly infectious human-to-human form.

And the process has already started.....

There have been a few cases of human-to-human infection. In one case, a child had caught the virus from a bird and became ill. Her mother held her for 5 days until she died. Shortly after, the mother became ill and died. In another case, two nurses became infected after caring for sick patients who had been infected. Human-to-human infections so far appear to only occur in cases where there is very close contact.

If the H5N1 Bird Flu finally does mutate successfully, it could be passed from person-to-person as easily as the common cold. Because these types of diseases don't generally infect humans, our immune systems are not prepared to fight them. We have no natural defense.

A pandemic occurs when an influenza virus like H5N1 mutates and spreads rapidly amongst the world population causing serious illness or death. It can't be predicted, but with what we've learned from past pandemics and similar viruses, we can get a better idea of what to expect.

Famous Pandemics From The Past:

* 1918-19, "Spanish flu," - More than 500,000 people died in the United States, and up to 50 million people may have died worldwide.

* 1957-58, "Asian flu," - 70,000 deaths in the United States.

* 1968-69, " Hong Kong flu," - 34,000 deaths in the United States.

One thing everyone suspects is that we are long overdue for a pandemic, which is believed to occur every few decades. It has been more than 30 years since the last one.

The Symptoms...

Unlike some of the more feared diseases such as ebola or smallpox where the effects are striking, bird flu in humans can closely resemble any other kind of flu bug you pick up.

Fever, cough, sore throat, aches & pains... it's as simple as that. In other cases there may be eye infections, pneumonia or severe respiratory problems. Of course the biggest symptom of all would be death. But it's also important to remember that in the US, about 100,000 people each year are hospitalized for your conventional holiday flu that we have all suffered from at one point or another, and about 36,000 die every year from it.

Symptoms really depend on which strain of influenza virus you have. Because of the nature of H5N1 Bird Flu, it's potential to cause serious illness and death go beyond what our bodies can handle. The incubation period for bird flu isn't well known, but symptoms generally begin appearing within 1 to 5 days after infection.

You must meet all of these conditions in order to entertain the possibility of having bird flu:

- Temperature of 38 C / 100.4 F - Cough, sore throat, breathing problems - A history of contact with infected animals and/or people or if you travelled to an infected area.

In North America, there is a lot of talk about planning & preparedness, however, that's all it really is - talk. A lot of countries have been stockpiling vaccines and putting on a brave face to prevent mass panic and rightfully so, but it's also known that there is a lot to this story which isn't being revealed. Some may actually be choosing not to report outbreaks much in the same way as occurred with SARS.

The truth of the matter is that even with all our advancements in science, medicine & technology, we are still vulnerable.


About the Author
Carole Nickerson is a writer & web developer who has been writing on various topics of interest since 1998. To read more on the topic of bird flu, visit GlobalBirdFlu.com

Don't Take it Personally

by Carole Tyler


Dealing with people in the public realm can be a challenge. Each day, it's possible to run into people who are rude, critical, or downright mean. Your natural inclination may be to be rude and nasty right back. But, if you have let yourself mirror their behavior before, you know that you don't feel good about yourself when the day is done.

It's much better to not take it personally. To do that, use empathy and reason. Reason tells you that this person doesn't know you, so it's definitely not personal. Empathy tells you that such a person's lack of civility could be because his or her life's experiences have hurt them deeply.

I know of two groups of this type of abusive people. Here's how I understand them: There's one group who lives life in "fight mode." From their life's experiences, it's what they use as protection against the world. They want to appear big and strong. They want to hurt you before you hurt them. It may be hard for you and me to understand, but the other group of mean people "choose" to be that way. These people, too, are hurting, and their life's experiences have somehow made them "want" to be mean.

If you are motivated to be successful with your personal development, treat all people with kindness, gentleness and civility no matter how disagreeable they are. Don't take it personally. You never know what a difference you could make in their lives if you treat them with care. It could cause them to look inward. That's a great gift to give someone, you know? Looking inward is the starting point of a whole new world!


About the Author
Carole Tyler has spent years searching for the "secret to life" and she loves to share what she's learned. Read more articles at her "motivational magnets for a dollar" store at http://www.giftmagnets.com

Bird Flu How To Protect Yourself

by Gary Granai


Bird Flu is spreading around the world as fast as wild birds fly. The birds are carrying flu with them as they migrate. They infect local, non migratory birds that in turn infect local chickens, ducks, turkeys and so on.

Bird flu is spread to humans primarily by contact with chickens, ducks and other poultry. But it is also spread by contact with any other infected birds. So even if you live in the city, the local pigeons can carry bird flu to your window sill.

Humans appear to become infected with the virus not by eating infected poultry, but by contacting infected matter or preparing them for consumption.

Dust and viral particles seem to be a primary cause of human infection. "We believe those particles are inhaled and that's how people become infected." said Dick Thompson, a spokesman for the World Health Organization, in Geneva. He added, "It's very difficult to stop the movement of this virus now."

Children are particularly at high risk to bird flu because they may play where birds carrying bird flu may be found. And it is not only contact with the infected birds that is a problem. Feathers and feces carry the bird flu virus. So a child may contact pigeon feces on a window sill, walk through it on a city sidewalk, pick up some feathers or play with a neighbors caged bird.

Likewise you may walk through pigeon or other bird feces and unknowingly transport bird flu into your home.

The World Health Organization advises that you should not keep pet birds, you should avoid contact with any live birds, feces, feathers, waste or dead birds. You should wash your hands and any clothes that may have come in contact with the bird flu virus.

They also advise that you remove your shoes outside your house to prevent bringing any bird flu virus into the house. To clean your shoes, put plastic bags over your hands, cover your mouth with a cloth and wear goggles. Clean them with soap and water before you bring them into the house.

The World Health Organization advises that you do not eat dead poultry. Now that is a rather amazing warning since it seems that most people do not eat live chickens. And since many people in the west buy their chickens, dead, in supermarkets, they are unable to determine whether the chicken, in a live state had bird flu or not. They must either take the appropriate cautions about eating poultry or not eat it at all.

All chicken must be cooked so that there is no pink meat. The internal temperature must reach at least 70 degrees centigrade or above. The world health organization says that such meat is safe to eat.

But the person preparing the food and the preparation area are at risk from bird flu. So you may prepare the food well, but contaminate your kitchen with bird flu.

The eggs in your refrigerator can be dangerous. Eggs can also carry bird flu virus on their shells and inside their shells. You should wash all eggs before putting them there and if you break one, you should thoroughly cleanse the area.

The World Health Hrganization says that hard boiled eggs that have been boiled at least 5 minutes and whose internal temperature has exceeded 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Public health officials have recommended that people in regions known to harbor avian influenza get vaccinated against human forms of influenza. Practically speaking, the way that it is spreading, that is everywhere.

There are 4 influenza drugs: amantadine and rimantadine which help fight certain strains of H5N1 infections, and Tamiflu and Relenza which are both drugs classified as neuraminidase inhibitors and are said to help against most strains of H5N1. In any case, it is wise to note at least the cautions in this article and adhere to sanitary practices in general.


The World Health Organization has published a great deal of information about bird flu that it wishes to be spread by NGOs and the media. This article is written to support that effort. You are asked to spread this information as far and as wide as possible. Because sales of antiviral drugs, which might confer protection, have outpaced manufacturers' ability to make them, the information in this article is particularly important, so please spread the word. Publish it and pass it on to your friends and family. It may save someone's life - even your own.

You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, give proper author credit by including the information about the author as shown in this page and follow all of the Go Articles Guidelines For Publishers.

© 2005 Gary Granai. You are free to use material from this article in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site links.


About the Author
"Gary Granai is the Director of The Poland Chamber, Inc, http://www.polandchamber.com.pl , an NGO that is actively disseminating World Health Organization Information about Bird Flu worldwide. You can read other information about Bird Flu at http://www.masterpage.com.pl . You can get information about the 4 influenza drugs: amantadine and rimantadine which help fight certain strains of H5N1 infections, and Tamiflu and Relenza