Avian Flu

Yeah, let's not derail.

I really meant this to be more for awareness of what we can do for ourselves. Not another boring political blame-fest.

moving on.......

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Chai Tea wrote:

I was watching GMA this morning and they were saying that this flu actually effect healthy people between the ages of 20 and 40 more severly than other age groups!

Wow, first time I've heard that!

Love to learn stuff.

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Yikes. I don't like the sounds of that ChaiTea. Crying or Very sad

I've got the flu right now...what are the symtoms of Avian Flu? How can they tell when you have it?

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Right now it's only goes from bird to human, not human to human.

However, they're thinking sooner or later it will mutate into something that will go from human to human.

Actually, I can't really say it's haha funny, but it's funny how they say it will mutate into something else, like it's Planning to become a certain thing.

Symptoms?
Don't really know, I imagine like others flu's, but worse.
Fever, problems breathing, all over aches and pains I guess.

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Oz is really worried.

We are stockpiling anti viral agents. In fact, the government appears to have bought them all, and preparations are made to begin manufacturing vaccine.

When it happens, it will begin in our region, and we expect to be the first western nation infected. Though, air travel being what it is, who knows?

We are apparently sending anti viral agents to Indonesia, and have stopped imports of chicken meat from Asia. Indonesia currently has a number of human deaths from avian flu, and they were very concerned cos they were unable to find a nearby bird vector, so they were worried this was it: the first proven human to human infection. It seems to have died down, though, and they were questioning the lack of bird contact, too.

It is worrying there, cos lots of people live very close to their poultry, and sometimes pigs (which is a species avian flu has already made the leap to.)

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dlowan wrote:

Oz is really worried.

We are stockpiling anti viral agents. In fact, the government appears to have bought them all, and preparations are made to begin manufacturing vaccine.

When it happens, it will begin in our region, and we expect to be the first western nation infected. Though, air travel being what it is, who knows?

We are apparently sending anti viral agents to Indonesia, and have stopped imports of chicken meat from Asia. Indonesia currently has a number of human deaths from avian flu, and they were very concerned cos they were unable to find a nearby bird vector, so they were worried this was it: the first proven human to human infection. It seems to have died down, though, and they were questioning the lack of bird contact, too.

It is worrying there, cos lots of people live very close to their poultry, and sometimes pigs (which is a species avian flu has already made the leap to.)

Chickens are so nasty anyway.....phew, the smell.

Yeah, you're pretty close to the area infected, aren't you.

What are some of the plans individuals there are talking about taking for themselves, besides a vacine?

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Lol! I do not know that individuals can do a lot.

Like maybe take lots of zinc and exercise and be healthy and such?

And not go out if the flu strikes?

I might buy a bit of extra food and hole up on weekends, if it begins, but I am pretty philosophical about death et al. What is the point of worrying? Something is gonna kill me. Sooner or later, I won't be worrying about having missed some life when I am dead!

We have a pretty good public health system here, though it is breaking down from underfunding. I will do whatever they suggest makes sense. I work in a hospital, so I am likely to know about an outbreak pretty quickly, and they will be concerned about infection control, so I will hear about methods that are being used.

Masks and washing yer hands, I guess!

C'est la vie, what will be will be.

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Commentary on avian flu and fear of it -

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/01/HOG7BEVV551.DTL

However,
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/09/30/birdflu.drugs.reut/index.html

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As I mentioned here[/color] we had a very nasty outbreak of Avian Flu, but there was no evidence of people getting sick at all.

I think it depends where it's happening.

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It is a big (pandemic type) problem for humans if it mutates to where it can not only cross from birds to humans, but also to where it can move from human to human.

It seems to be considered highly likely that it will do this soon....but mebbe not.

The drama in the latest Indonesian deaths was thay initially they could find no bird vector, indicating that the human to human mutation might have occurred.

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It seems appropriate to post this story on this thread at this time.

So why is this only appear to be happening in SE Asia at this time? Anyone have an answer?

New UN pandemic czar says survival of "world as we know it" may be at stake
at 16:15 on October 2, 2005, EST.
HELEN BRANSWELL

TORONTO (CP) - A flu pandemic could fundamentally alter the world as we know it, warns the public health veteran charged with co-ordinating UN planning for and response to the threat.

Inadequate - and inequitably shared - global resources and the uncertainties inherent in trying to predict the behaviour of influenza combine to create planning dilemmas that are "monster difficult," Dr. David Nabarro said in an interview describing his new job and the challenges ahead.

Progress will demand appealing "to people's recognition that we're dealing here with world survival issues - or the survival of the world as we know it," Nabarro explains.

"And therefore we just can't go on approaching it with sort of business-as-usual type approaches."

The former head of the World Health Organization's crisis operations was seconded to the UN to co-ordinate world response to both the ongoing avian influenza outbreak in Southeast Asia and preparations for a human flu pandemic.........

Complete story here.[/color]

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eeyikes.... This year I will get a flu shot. I got hit with a doozy a few years ago, my sinuses haven't been right since then. I didn't get a shot last year because of the shortage. this year, I'll do it. I figure if you are healthy when you get the flu we can't vacinate against, maybe you'll have a better shot at surviving it.

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This would be a different bug, Little k.

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different than what I had, than what I'd be vacinated against? I know, I know....

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Both.

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Right. It can't hurt to have a flu shot, right? And, what else can I do about it?

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Nope and nothing, as far as I know.

You and your chooks don't live in, do you?

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Flu shots only protect against their particular strain.
Since the vacines take time to develope, or even prepare, it's always a guessing game which one to go with. Still, it's a good idea, and I plan to get one.

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