The threat of some sort of pandemic is still very much on the minds of public health officials. The most recent concern is the bird flu affecting Southeast Asia. It’s just one of many threats being addressed.
So far, scientists have recorded 249 human cases of the deadly strain of bird flu with 146 of these patients dying from the bird flu.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, M.D., National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases: “Sooner of later we’re going to get confronted with another influenza pandemic. It may not necessarily be the one th’atscirculating around now among chickens in Southeast Asia, but this should at least give us the impetus to get ourselves better prepared.”
Dr. Fauci: “We don’t understand what are the protective mechanisms that you need to protect someone against HIV infection, and until that scientific discovery occurs, we cannot predict how long it’s going to take to get an HIV vaccine.” –>
California Bird Flu - Avian Flu - H5N1Bird Flu in California
Bird flu death toll mounts
A nine-year-old boy has died from bird flu hours after he was admitted to a hospital in the Indonesian capital, becoming the nation’s 51st confirmed fatality.
The country also reported another suspected death, while four patients showing symptoms of the virus were being treated.
Indonesia has been criticised for not doing enough to stamp out the virus and it is viewed by many experts as the weak link in global efforts to ward off a possible pandemic.
Source - Sapa
Indoensia Confirms Another Bird Flu DeathIndonesian woman dies of bird flu
Travelling to an area with the bird flu? You need to be prepared.
Considering the areas most impacted by bird flu are in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, it is advisable to stay clear of these regions. However, circumstances may arise that necessitates travel. In which case, you need to know how to protect yourself in these areas from contracting bird flu.
More specifically, travelers should avoid any contact with poultry, including those held for agricultural use or wild birds. Any area potentially contaminated with bird feces should also be avoided. Currently, bird flu is only being transmitted from poultry to humans and not from human contact; therefore, you should assume every bird you see is potentially infected, as that very well may be the case.
You should also take special care not to ingest undercooked poultry, poultry products, or dishes made with poultry blood, as the virus may still be active in such dishes.
You also need to avoid contact with sick people or people that are exposed to poultry. This may seem excessive, but the bird flu virus is expected to mutate and be transmitted through human contact. If this were to occur, you could easily catch the disease from someone else. It is better to be cautious and alive than the alternative. Likewise, you may also consider avoiding crowds, as densely populated areas are an ideal breeding ground to spread disease.
More tips available from Bird Flu Prevention.
Bird Flu Prevention through Hand WashingBird Flu Prevention Blog
MOSCOW, SEPT. 25, (BNA)–RUSSIA ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY THAT ITS LABS HAD SUCCESSFULLY CONDUCTED AN EXPERIMENT IN SEARCH OF A HUMAN IMMUNIZATION VACCINE AGAINST THE LETHAL STRAIN OF BIRD FLU.
THE ANTI-BIRD FLU VIRUS NEW PROTECTION STUDIES LAB DIRECTOR AT THE FLU SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE SAID THE RESULTS OF TWO DIFFERENT VACCINES TRIED ON SIX GROUPS OF TWENTY VOLUNTEERS WERE HIGHLY POSITIVE. NONE OF THE VOLUNTEERS SHOWED COMPLICATIONS AFTER BEING GIVEN THE ANTI-FLU VACCINES, SHE ADDED.
China Working on Bird Flu VaccineBird Flu Vaccine has Limited Success
A 59-year-old farmer has died of bird flu in north-eastern Thailand. The man died on 10 August near the Lao border, according to Kumnuan Ungchusak, a senior health ministry official.
He was believed to have been in contact with sick chickens shortly before he became ill. Thailand is one of the countries hardest hit by the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, recording 17 fatalities since 2004.
Bird Flu Pandemic is a Global problem
Globally, more than 130 people have died of bird flu since late 2003. Most have been in East Asia, with Indonesia registering more human deaths than any other nation.
The virus has also spread to Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Millions of birds across the –>
Bird flu death toll mountsAre You Bird Flu Prepared?
The federal government has issued guidelines for families and individuals to prepare for a possible influenza pandemic (bird flu pandemic). The recommendations include a section about stocking health and hygiene items (such as alcohol based sanitizer, masks, disinfectants) for “an extended stay at home.”
Are you prepared if the bird flu pandemic hits?
Are You Bird Flu Prepared?Get Informed and Prepare for the Bird Flu