The Bird Flu.
 

First, the bird flu has to jump the species barrier... it ain't a big barrier, but still an if... don't eat chicken

Second, it would potentially kill as many as they suspect but that is only for those who don't treat themselves... think France a few years ago during that heat wave when they couldn't figure to stay cool and drink plenty of fluids

Third, normal flu detection kits are able to discern the avian flu, despite A and B strands and hybrids

Fourth, the strand for the bird flu has already been identify and a treatment is nearing the end of development



This ain't SARS

get over it

Japher, why are you telling me to get over it?

I see you on here a lot, but I don't pay a lot of attention towads you - are you the local forum *******?

Japher, why are you telling me to get over it?

I see you on here a lot, but I don't pay a lot of attention towads you - are you the local forum *******?

I don't know what the stars mean, I would assume jackass, but then that ain't censored.

I'm saybing "get over it" because I don't know why you or anyone would freak out about birds getting sick after what I had said

This ain't SARS


Which wasn't much of a thing either (globally speaking).

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
There's just a lot of hysteria over the bird flu.

Granted, there's nothing wrong with a bit of precaution, but fearmongering is a bad thing.

The main point to remember is don't touch any wild birds, particularly their carcasses and droppings. As far as I can tell from the news, H5N1 (the nasty strain of the bird flu virus) isn't all the infectious. Here we collected over 200 dead birds in a week but only 5 or so of them were killed by the bird flu. And certainly there's no evidence of it mutating. Except for the people being diagnosed with it.

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
SARS was nothing. Malaria is way worse, killing millions each year. Yet most of us don't hear about it, full stop. SARS was more about a country being so inept and corrupt in its public health practices that threat of an epidemic originating from it became a worldwide concern. SARS served an important lessen. And thankfully, we have much more information about the bird flu than would be expected without SARS. But we covered this before, when you made the same inaccurate post.

Poor birds....

Originally posted by DaShi
SARS was more about a country being so inept and corrupt in its public health practices that threat of an epidemic originating from it became a worldwide concern. Ah, yes. DaShi and his One Trick. You can almost hear the axe grinding, too.

Note the use of such terms as "epidemic" and "worldwide cocern" that is an indication of hysteria on DaShi's part.

Originally posted by DaShi
But we covered this before, when you made the same inaccurate post. According to DaShi, that is.

Originally posted by Oerdin
This is a storm in a tea cup. Regular flu kills hundreds of thousands, bird flu has killed a handful in the entire world over its entire existance, but everyone only wants to bird flu. Leaving aside the fact that "everyone only wants to bird flu" makes it sound like a dance craze from the 60's http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/cute.gif ...

This is very true. In fact, my wife just started working for the branch of the WHO that deals with immunization; measles, mumps, polio, japanese encephalitis, etc. These are diseases that are far more destructive than bird flu has proven to be or is likely to prove to be. They are also diseases that are devastating poor SE Asian countires right now. Yet money, personnel, and other resources for immunization have been cut at WHO in order to funnel them to bird flu. That's a real problem.

Worried?

I say you dismiss this stupid panicking - the government is simply trying to entertain the people and take their thoughts away from the wrongdoings in the country.

Originally posted by Sn00py
Yet, my father sends me this message (icq):

...

they say the likley hood of people catching it from each other is 100%...it will kill 50% of those who catch it...
Nonsense

Naw, you just ate under cooked chicken at a dodgy kabab shop. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ies/tongue.gif

It has been found on Swans on the German island Rügen, only 200 km from here. I have lots of swans and ducks crapping in my garden and on my dock whenever the water is open.

It might be a good idea to lock up the kids next summer. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/frown.gif

There is a difference between "Spanish flu" which was just regular flu with one mutation to make it more virolent and speculating about a virus which can only spread from birds will mutate into spreading among mammals. Please be honest enough to admit that.

IIRC, the Spanish flu mutated from a strain of influenza that did not infect humans either. It infected pigs mainly, again IIRC...

Originally posted by Oerdin
There is a difference between "Spanish flu" which was just regular flu with one mutation to make it more virolent and speculating about a virus which can only spread from birds will mutate into spreading among mammals. Please be honest enough to admit that.
IIUC many scientist believe that many pandemics start when a flu virus circulating in a non-human species manages to spread from humans to humans. South China is often a starting point for pandemics (though NOT the Spanish flu, IIUC) due to humans, pigs and poultry living in close proximity - pigs being able to harbor both human and avian flues, and genetic interchange between the flu viruses taking place in the pig cells.

But of course we dont KNOW that the bird flu will mutate to human to human transmission. But its certainly not a vanishingly small probability that it will. ANd if it does, it could well start a very dangerous pandemic.

It is called the Spanish Flu, Alva, because that is where it got the majority of the press attention. This is because Spain did not have censorship, due to not participating in WW1...

Originally posted by alva
Poly quiz IIXX: the short edition

Why was it called the Spanish flu? Because people at the time thought it came from Spain. IIRC the Spanish called it French flu. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/wink.gif

But not with my flare.

Style takes time. Besides the good stuff needs repeating.