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Medical Forum / General / General / August 2005bird flu
I am hearing about bird flu in verious forums, news etc. This bird flu is mainly found in asia. Do we really need to worry about the people who live in say usa, canada for this disease? Per xandy13 b via MedKB.com: >I am hearing about bird flu in verious forums, news etc. This bird flu is >mainly found in asia. Do we really need to worry about the people who live in >say usa, canada for this disease? Not until it mutates to a strain that can be spread person-to-person (or airline passenger-to-airline passenger). Then, by all accounts I've read so far, we need to be *really* worried. I'm worried now - just don't know what to do. How it's mitigated somewhat by all three physicians that I've bounced it off of reacting in the vein of "Huh?".... leading me to conclude that there isn't a lot of buzz in their professional circles and that maybe I'm overreacting.  SignaturePeteCresswell Bird flu - known technically as avian influenza - is a highly contagious viral disease affecting mostly chickens, ducks, turkeys, quails and other birds, and was first identified more than 100 years ago. It can be caused by any one of about 20 different strains of the influenza virus. The recent outbreaks in Asia, however, have been largely caused by a highly contagious and virulent strain, known as H5N1. (The name H5N1 refers to the specific nature of two proteins, haemagglutinin and neuraminidase, found on the surface of the virus.) But friend now there is nothing to worry about as I have heard that anti virals are coming up to fight against this disease.As long as you donot get information about these anti virals follow the following precautionary measures.Avoid all direct contact with poultry, including touching well- appearing, sick, or dead chickens and avoid places, such as poultry farms and bird markets, where live poultry are raised or kept, and avoid handling surfaces contaminated with poultry feces or secretions. If you become sick with symptoms such as a fever, difficulty breathing, or cough or with any illness that requires prompt medical attention, a U.S. consular officer can assist you in locating medical services and informing your family or friends. Per lopez176 via MedKB.com: >But friend now there is nothing to worry about as I have heard that anti >virals are coming up to fight against this disease.As long as you donot get >information about these anti virals follow the following precautionary >measures.Avoid all direct contact with poultry Two points: -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) We're not talking about H5N1 here. H5N1, as you observed, can only be contracted from birds. Instead, we are talking about, for want of a better name, "H5Nx" - namely the apparently-inevitable mutation of H5N1 what will allow it to spread from airline passenger to airline passenger. I don't anybody around where I live is worried about dead chickens. I'm worrying about uncle Min from 'Nam visiting the USA branch of the family or cousin Shana on leave from medical duty in Thailand.... Or Gus from work who was at the airport yesterday and had some stranger cough in his face. 2) My information is that at least one anti-viral (TamiFlu) reliably stops the disease as long as it is taken as soon as the disease begins and continued for the prescribed course. This may sound good, but only for people with the power to prescribe and therefore obtain same immediately; or for people who, one way or another, are able to stockpile a course or two of the antiviral in question. An MD I know has been shipping TamiFlu to colleagues in SE Asia. On the other hand; for us civilians who start coughing on Thursday and can't get an appointment with an MD until Monday, antiviral's don't sound so promising. Somebody will surely chime in that the other option is to present oneself at the local ER. But if one does that every time one starts coughing of feeling a little bad, I don't know how long that would last for given individual. I'd guess it's in the single digits. Right now, my personal bottom line is that I need to figure out a way to stockpile enough TamiFlu to treat my extended family and/or get them immunized. But I haven't heard of a vaccine being released - and when it is, release 1.0 will probably be against H5N1... Anybody know what the lag time is between the initial outbreak of a new virus and public availability of vaccine? SignaturePeteCresswell "!QED! !Quoof! !Quack Yak! !Get Back! !Get Back ~ ! !Quoof! !Quack Yak! !Get Back! !Quoof!" ~ Stainsbury "O, Yaks dance merrily, O Yaks prance prettily, if verily, for Vanitas Veritas & Vain Vivaldi Glorias Vividly ~ ! !Prance! !Prance! !Prance! !Prance! !Prance! Pull your pants down ~ ! O, Dance of Yaks merrily, prance of O Yaks prettily, if verily, for Vanitas Veritas and ~ vain of Vivaldi Glorias Vividly! Lower your ~ trousers! O, danse de Yaks merrily, prance de O Yaks prettily, si verily, pour Vanitas Veritas et ~ vain de Vivaldi Glorias Vividly! 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