[KenW]

There have been various reports and concerns over the years but lately it seems as if the H5N1 strain has begun to rear its ugly head again raising concerns about a lethal pandemic. There was a great report in National Geographic a few months ago and lately more and more reports are beginning to surface via news services.

Nasty stuff and the experts are concerned...very concerned. All it takes is a mutation or a convenient mixing vessel and we've got a problem...a big one.

H5N1....we don't wanna go there.

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

Yay, a new excuse to miss work, perhaps forever!

-Matt

 

[AML]

This is a major concern. In Australia at the moment, they are saying "not if" but "when" is it going to hit here. Our government has been stock piling the vacination and the media are really starting to have a field day with the fear factor element.

I'm actually very concerned about this bird flu, as i'm on a very restricted organic diet (due to severe chemical sensitivities), of only fish and chicken. :|

Another thing i thought of last night was, how does this affect animals like cats and dogs who eat chicken meat? My cat's main diet is made up of mainly bird meat, like chicken and turkey. His favourite biscuits are made of chicken.
As cat owners would know, cats ARE very finicky about their food, and if we eventually need to change his diet it's going to be a MAJOR problem.

I'm not sure what the consumption of chicken is like in other countries, but here in Australia it's consumption is enormous.

If this bird flu hits Oz, the US,Canada etc, it's going to have HUGE ramifications.

 

[Lazarus Short]

...on rense.com on the bird flu, as they have been following the unfolding disaster more closely than anyone I know of.

Laz

 

[RedLeader]

honestly at this point there has been ALOT of media hype and coverage, and not a whole lot of substance or action. And I'm hoping thats the way it stays, that this is just the media blowing something else out of proportion.

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedLeader honestly at this point there has been ALOT of media hype and coverage, and not a whole lot of substance or action. And I'm hoping thats the way it stays, that this is just the media blowing something else out of proportion.

Lets hope so. My understanding is that this strain has been around since 1997. Although, as we all know, the media has a tendency to play the fear card to get audiences to tune in.

 

[hugz]

as i said to a friend... "there is no bird flu"

i dont mean this in the literal sense, but i beleive it's little more than media hype. Every few years we get the warnings of the next disease that's going to kill us all. I'm still alive though.

The media's product is not their stories, but your eyes. they sell your eyes to advertisers and that's how they make their money. you're not the client, but the product. Thus, hype and fear is needed to keep your eyes in the right direction.

I'm willing to be quoted on it- bird flu will not be a big deal.

I'm still waiting for SARS!

[size=xx-small]/then again, i've been known to say "there's no such thing as terrorism"[/size]

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hugz as i said to a friend... "there is no bird flu" i dont mean this in the literal sense, but i beleive it's little more than media hype. Every few years we get the warnings of the next disease that's going to kill us all. I'm still alive though. The media's product is not their stories, but your eyes. they sell your eyes to advertisers and that's how they make their money. you're not the client, but the product. Thus, hype and fear is needed to keep your eyes in the right direction. I'm willing to be quoted on it- bird flu will not be a big deal. I'm still waiting for SARS! [size=xx-small]/then again, i've been known to say "there's no such thing as terrorism"[/size]

Gotta agree with you re: the media. I know a lot of people were worried about SARS, I clearly recall many people wearing masks on the subways during that period of time. Like i said, lets hope this blows over and it doesn't spread from person to person...and if it does, the gov'ts of the world better take necessary precautions and keep this sucker from spreading...look at what happened with sars, with airplane travel this sucker spread out to some big cities around before being contained...say, whatever happened to sars?

 

[zotjen]

Quote:

I'm actually very concerned about this bird flu, as i'm on a very restricted organic diet (due to severe chemical sensitivities), of only fish and chicken.

All reports indicate that eating cooked meat is perfectly safe. Of course, if there is a major outbreak, consumption will go way down regardless. Plus, there could very well be a shortage due to the number of poultry killed to stop the spread of the flu.

 

[raisin]

It's reaching critical mass- this strain is now spreading around the world in the bird population, with sporadic mammalian infection. Once enough of this DNA is floating around, chances are, that the slight mutation neccesary to make it readily contagious to humans WILL happen.
Reports tell of the virus already developing resistance to the two anti-virals that were being counting on to provide some sort of defense, before a vacine could be developed. Unfortunately, by the time a vaccine is developed and manufactured, the coming Pandemic will have already run it's course, and hundreds of millions of people will be dead.
Just joking folks, it could be swine flu all over again!

 

[KenW]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hugz as i said to a friend... "there is no bird flu" i dont mean this in the literal sense, but i beleive it's little more than media hype. Every few years we get the warnings of the next disease that's going to kill us all. I'm still alive though. The media's product is not their stories, but your eyes. they sell your eyes to advertisers and that's how they make their money. you're not the client, but the product. Thus, hype and fear is needed to keep your eyes in the right direction. I'm willing to be quoted on it- bird flu will not be a big deal. I'm still waiting for SARS! [size=xx-small]/then again, i've been known to say "there's no such thing as terrorism"[/size]

Unfortunately, the concerns are real and I don't think it's "media hype". This report was from yesterday:

Quote:

Four more human cases suspected in Thailand Samarn Haoherm, a 48-year-old neighbour of Bang-orn Benphad - who died of bird flu on Wednesday - was taken to Than Chao Khun Paiboon Hospital in Phanom Thuan. The three other suspected cases were reported by Paholphonyuhasaena Hospital in Kanchanaburi, with the youngest amongst them a three-year-old girl. Doctors said they were all under medical supervision and close observation.

What scientists and researchers fear is an outbreak much like the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. We tolerate the flu virus fairly well because our bodies and immune systems have seen variants of the strain and since each year, they are similar enough, our bodies can fight and win that struggle. Having a strain that is primarily infectious in the animal kingdom cross and become virulent with humans is extremely dangerous. So far, it hasn't made the jump to the point of being easily passed but as another poster said...with the right mixture of DNA and/or mutation, the possibility is there. Several countries have already obtained a good deal of vaccine which they believe will be effective and while the US doesn't have nearly enough, they do have plans for mass production if the need were to arise.

Not fear mongering here. I just find the whole thing fascinating. Bird flu virus...a pig as a genetic mixing vessel....just very interesting stuff. Hope it doesn't happen but hey, anything is possible.

 

[Jmmmmm]

Hype.

This is just the media's VOTY (virus of the year), blown out of proportion. Remember west nile? I know it keeps me up at night.

If it became transmittable between humans (which I bet will never happen, at least to a significant extent), the only thing we have to worry about (in the US, at least) is our government's response. It has proven less than competent in similar instances in the past. As long as appropriate measures are taken, it won't become a big deal.

Obviously the possibility is there, but the same possibility exists for thousands of viruses not currently being hyped by the media. The only thought I will give to it is while typing this ...

 

[Big D]

Currently there are no documented cases of bird flu being transmitted from human to human (one suspected case, but not confirmed). You'll also note that cases of bird flu in humans are found in rural areas of Asia where these birds often roam free and can come in and out of people's houses. This enables the close contact required for bird to human transmission, given that influenza is transmitted in respiratory droplets. How many people in the developing world are in frequent conatct with chickens? The first cases of bird flu in the West are likely to occur in people working with live poultry, as you cannot contract flu from a dead animal.

Also the flu would have to mutate to allow human to human transmission. Who's to say that the strain won't become less virulent as a result? Sadly we are due a flu epidemic as we haven't had one for a few years. Please don't jump on the inevitable media bandwagon of everyone dying. This is a normal cyclical process that happens every 3-5 years.

To put things in perspective I am an anaesthetist and intensive care doctor in the UK and the Department of Health have not even issued guidelines for how a potential outbreak would be dealt with as this will exhaust intensive care facilities (which normally run at 95-100% capacity in the UK anyway) almost immediately. Personally the only way to expand capacity is by cancelling all elective surgery during the outbreak and use the operating theatre facilities for ventilating patients.

Basically the bird flu may happen at some point in the future, it might not. If it does happen it will likely affect the young and elderly most, as normal influenza would. However it is likely more people would die than normal. The UK estimate I have seen quoted (by the Chief Medical Officer) is an estimated 50,000 deaths vs the 10,000-15,000 people who die every year of influenza.

 

[allenf]

From the UK's Department of Health website:
"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."

"H5N1 is able to infect people because it is able to cross the species-barrier. In human populations, where domestic pigs and wild and domestic birds live in close proximity with people, the mingling and exchange of human and animal viruses can more easily occur."
Link:
Is this scaremongering/hype or are the govt doing exactly what they were elected to do?

 

[Elec]

They almost have to. If they don't bring it up this time and we all die, then there will be outrage. From uh...whoever didn't die. So if they make every one seem like the end of the world, at least they've got it covered and only have to deal with us

'ing at their predictions of doom.