What can bird flu do to you?
109083
Key Facts About Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) and Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus\nE-mail this page\nPrinter-friendly version\nWhat You Should Know About Avian Flu\nKey Facts\nInfections in Humans\nQuestions & Answers\nCurrent Situation\nThis fact sheet provides general information about avian influenza (bird flu) and information about one type of bird flu, called avian influenza A (H5N1), that has caused infections in birds in Asia and Europe and in humans in Asia. Also see Questions and Answers on the CDC website and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the World Health Organization (WHO) website.\n\nAvian Influenza (Bird Flu)\nAvian influenza in birds\nAvian influenza is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses. These influenza viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. However, avian influenza is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them.\n\nInfected birds shed influenza virus in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. Susceptible birds become infected when they have contact with contaminated secretions or excretions or with surfaces that are contaminated with secretions or excretions from infected birds. Domesticated birds may become infected with avian influenza virus through direct contact with infected waterfowl or other infected poultry, or through contact with surfaces (such as dirt or cages) or materials (such as water or feed) that have been contaminated with the virus.\n\nInfection with avian influenza viruses in domestic poultry causes two main forms of disease that are distinguished by low and high extremes of virulence. The “low pathogenic” form may go undetected and usually causes only mild symptoms (such as ruffled feathers and a drop in egg production). However, the highly pathogenic form spreads more rapidly through flocks of poultry. This form may cause disease that affects multiple internal organs and has a mortality rate that can reach 90-100% often within 48 hours.\n\nHuman infection with avian influenza viruses\nThere are many different subtypes of type A influenza viruses. These subtypes differ because of changes in certain proteins on the surface of the influenza A virus (hemagglutinin [HA] and neuraminidase [NA] proteins). There are 16 known HA subtypes and 9 known NA subtypes of influenza A viruses. Many different combinations of HA and NA proteins are possible. Each combination represents a different subtype. All known subtypes of influenza A viruses can be found in birds.\n\nUsually, “avian influenza virus” refers to influenza A viruses found chiefly in birds, but infections with these viruses can occur in humans. The risk from avian influenza is generally low to most people, because the viruses do not usually infect humans. However, confirmed cases of human infection from several subtypes of avian influenza infection have been reported since 1997. Most cases of avian influenza infection in humans have resulted from contact with infected poultry (e.g., domesticated chicken, ducks, and turkeys) or surfaces contaminated with secretion/excretions from infected birds. The spread of avian influenza viruses from one ill person to another has been reported very rarely, and transmission has not been observed to continue beyond one person.\n\n“Human influenza virus” usually refers to those subtypes that spread widely among humans. There are only three known A subtypes of influenza viruses (H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2) currently circulating among humans. It is likely that some genetic parts of current human influenza A viruses came from birds originally. Influenza A viruses are constantly changing, and they might adapt over time to infect and spread among humans.\n\nDuring an outbreak of avian influenza among poultry, there is a possible risk to people who have contact with infected birds or surfaces that
974473
might make you a bit sick
268476
Avian influenza is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses. These influenza viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. However, avian influenza is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them.\n\nInfected birds shed influenza virus in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. Susceptible birds become infected when they have contact with contaminated secretions or excretions or with surfaces that are contaminated with secretions or excretions from infected birds. Domesticated birds may become infected with avian influenza virus through direct contact with infected waterfowl or other infected poultry, or through contact with surfaces (such as dirt or cages) or materials (such as water or feed) that have been contaminated with the virus.\n\nInfection with avian influenza viruses in domestic poultry causes two main forms of disease that are distinguished by low and high extremes of virulence. The “low pathogenic” form may go undetected and usually causes only mild symptoms (such as ruffled feathers and a drop in egg production). However, the highly pathogenic form spreads more rapidly through flocks of poultry. This form may cause disease that affects multiple internal organs and has a mortality rate that can reach 90-100% often within 48 hours.\n\nHuman infection with avian influenza viruses\nThere are many different subtypes of type A influenza viruses. These subtypes differ because of changes in certain proteins on the surface of the influenza A virus (hemagglutinin [HA] and neuraminidase [NA] proteins). There are 16 known HA subtypes and 9 known NA subtypes of influenza A viruses. Many different combinations of HA and NA proteins are possible. Each combination represents a different subtype. All known subtypes of influenza A viruses can be found in birds.\n\nUsually, “avian influenza virus” refers to influenza A viruses found chiefly in birds, but infections with these viruses can occur in humans. The risk from avian influenza is generally low to most people, because the viruses do not usually infect humans. However, confirmed cases of human infection from several subtypes of avian influenza infection have been reported since 1997. Most cases of avian influenza infection in humans have resulted from contact with infected poultry (e.g., domesticated chicken, ducks, and turkeys) or surfaces contaminated with secretion/excretions from infected birds. The spread of avian influenza viruses from one ill person to another has been reported very rarely, and transmission has not been observed to continue beyond one person.\n\n“Human influenza virus” usually refers to those subtypes that spread widely among humans. There are only three known A subtypes of influenza viruses (H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2) currently circulating among humans. It is likely that some genetic parts of current human influenza A viruses came from birds originally. Influenza A viruses are constantly changing, and they might adapt over time to infect and spread among humans.\n\nDuring an outbreak of avian influenza among poultry, there is a possible risk to people who have contact with infected birds or surfaces that have been contaminated with secretions or excretions from infected birds.\n\nSymptoms of avian influenza in humans have ranged from typical human influenza-like symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches) to eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases (such as acute respiratory distress), and other severe and life-threatening complications. The symptoms of avian influenza may depend on which virus caused the infection.\n\nStudies done in laboratories suggest that some of the prescription medicines approved in the United States for human influenza viruses should work in treating avian influenza infection in humans. However, i
99532
no, there are many different strains of flus out there. Bird flu is just one of them. I copied some facts from the website listed below, there is a lot of useful info there. \n\nIt's hard to say where the various strains of flu come from. The best way to try to prevent it is by washing frequently or using hand sanitizer. \n\nBefore I start work everyday, I sanitize my keyboard, and my telephone in case someone before me was using it and  you know, knock on wood, I have not been sick this year. Maybe a slight cold, but not the flu. \n\nMind you, you may not be fortunate enough to escape it, but keeping your hands and property clean are great precautious measures. Check this info out and go to the website as well ;)\n\nWhat Is the Flu?\nFlu is the common name for influenza (pronounced: in-floo-en-za), a virus that attacks the respiratory system.\n\nThere are three different types of the flu virus. Types A and B can cause widespread flu outbreaks (although type B usually causes less severe symptoms than type A). Type C is fairly rare and causes only mild symptoms.\n\nUsually when you're sick with a virus, your body builds up a defense system by making antibodies against it, so you don't get that particular virus strain again. Unfortunately, flu viruses mutate (change) each year, so you aren't protected from the disease forever. Some years the change in the flu virus is slight, so even if you get the flu it's a mild case because the antibodies give you partial protection. But every 10 years or so the flu virus undergoes a major change, and many people get severe cases. These large-scale outbreaks are called epidemics. If they spread worldwide, they're called pandemics.
695844
YOU GOT SICK FROM THE SPRAY THEMA FLU HELPS\nIF ITS FLU
88176
Flu generally strikes 1 to 3 days after exposure to the virus. The onset of flu often seems sudden: people describe feeling like they've "been hit by a truck." Common flu symptoms include sudden onset, fever and chills, cough, muscle and joint pain, headache, fatigue and weakness. Some people also get a stuffy nose and sore throat.\n\nBoth the flu and a cold are viral infections and can cause symptoms such as coughing and sore throat. A cold is a minor viral infection of the nose and throat. The flu, however, is usually more severe, with higher fevers and the addition of aches and pains.\n:-)
134487
Bird Flu is transmitted in the respiratory secretions of infected birds.  It is unlikely you'd ever contract the disease unless you had very close contact with live or recently deceased chickens.  Cooking kills the virus.  Currently (thank goodness), it cannot be transmitted from human to human like regular flu can.
369646
The flu virus family is a big one. Some are characteristically bird flus, others are swine flus, others are human flus, ...\n\nThere's a considerable similarity amongst them (a family, right!)  and under some circumstances, a bird flu can swap bits with a pig flu or a human flu, producing a new variant. It's likely that this happens most often in SE Asia where duck ponds, people (including children) and pigs all live in very close quarters. This is probably the way the major flu pandemics (remember the Hong Kong flu?) in humans get started. \n\nUsually, bird flus don't bother people or pigs, and vice versa. But sometimes, there's enough of a crossover that a bird flu acquires the ability to infect people and spread easily. It happened in 1918, and that flu epidemic spread rapidly and killed something on the order of 40 or 50 million around the world in about 18 months. We know it was a bird type flu because the virus has been reconstructed in a research lab. These guys went looking for folks who'd died from that flu in the Arctic North and been buried in the permafrost. It took more than a decade, but it's recently become clear this flu, the 'Spanish flu', was a bird type flu. \n\nin the case of the current avian flu, it's not yet (if it ever will) acquired the ability to spread easily from human to human. It seems that you must be in close contact with infected birds to have much of a chance of catching it. But if you do, it's very dangerous. The mortality reat in the first few hundred reported cases was something like 50% and that's very very high. More recent cases in Europe seem to have a lower mortality rate, but that may primarily be an artifact of better care (eg, learning from prior cases). \n\nThere is little understanding of what changes would be required for this bird flu variant to become human infectious. There has been some speculation that it may be a few as two different gene changes. And perhaps the change(s) will never happen; no one has much of a real idea about the chances. And it's possible that, if it becomes infectious in humans, it will lose the lethality it currently has in humans. Or not, which is the scary case. \n\nTreatment for flu viruses is traditionally best via vaccine. However, since flu viruses change regularly and the vaccines are typically variant specific, it hasn't been possible to get it precisely right. Which variant will be the major issue in the coming flu season is hard to predict, but having guessed, it takes quite a while to produce the vaccine. It's a bit of a guess and isn't always gotten right. The avian flu is no different. \n\nA vaccine against the current variant would be pointless for humans, as it doesn't infect us very well. And if the virus changes to become infectious in humans, we don't really know how to develop a vaccine against a virus variant we haven't yet seen. And after we see it, it will take some months to produce the vaccine for it. \n\nWhat are the chances of drug treatment against a human infective variant of this avian flu? Not good, just as there aren't very good drugs against any virus infection. We have one or two drugs, of which Tamiflu is thought to be the best of a not very good lot. Governments have begun stockpiling it, against possible need. \n\n======\n\npossibilities\n\n1) The virus never acquires the ability to infect humans easily and to be highly contagious. If so, the current plague among birds will eventually burn itself out and there won't be much further issue. \n\n2) The virus will never acquire the ability to be highly contagious, but will learn to infect people much better than it can manage now and will retain its lethality. More people will die before the pandemic among birds finally burns out. Death toll might be in the thousands or hundreds of thousands, as compared with hundreds to date. it think this unlikely as the flu viruses have all had excellent c
825370
Not likely to be flu, you get very severe muscle pains with that.
544984
"Symptoms of avian influenza in humans have ranged from typical human influenza-like symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches) to eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases (such as acute respiratory distress), and other severe and life-threatening complications. The symptoms of avian influenza may depend on which virus caused the infection."
465710
nothing. basically the flu shot is putting a weak flu virus into your body. that way your body can develop an resistance against it.
172490
Human flu symptoms are:\n\n    * fever\n    * cough\n    * sore throat\n    * muscle aches\n    * conjunctivitis\n\nCases of bird flu are more likely to cause breathing problems and pneumonia, and can be fatal.
48536
Also, if u don't eat birds (if ur a vegetarian) u won't get the bird flu. Vegetarianism also has a lot of other benefits. The PETA and Vegan Outreach websites have a lot of info on that.
98319
Kill all affected birds, human in direct contact with those birds are prone to bird flu, last 3 years 92 people are dead from bird flu and all were bird handlers.\n\nThere is no harm in eating well cooked chicken and egg.\n\nIt has not yet spead from humam to human but danger is still there.
306979
If you keep your parakeet isolated from other birds, it should have a very minimal chance of contracting the disease. The bird flu is spread by contact. It is possible that it might contract it from contact with you or your family. Wash your hands before coming in contact with the cage or the bird. There is also the possibility of having it on your clothes or shoes, but there is not a lot you can do about that. It will also help to keep the cage clean. Clean it daily. Also do not let the bird out of the cage. It might pick up the virus from around the house.
151139
It is called the foot and mouth diseae which attackes cattle like pigs, cows, goats and so on. Looks like livestocks, including chickens that spread the bird flu are not to be taken for the time being. If you worry, take fish only or opt to be a vegeterian instead.Meantime, protection yourself by taking lots fruits becos they contain Vit.C and eating raw garlic or pills form of it.
406919
First things first: Bird Flu in a human is of minimal concern until the virus learns how to go from person to person.  The presence of AIDS has nothing whatever to do with that; it just makes the AIDS victim more susceptible to the virus, when it finds its way on board.\n\nOnce it becomes able to spread from person to person, if it retains its virulence (not a guarantee, but it's a bet that we'd better hedge) it'll decimate the population.  The AIDS victims might go faster, and have a higher mortality rate--frankly, it's not unlikely that such would be the case--but it would be devastating.\n\nFURTHER CAVEAT!!!  If, as appears likely, a functional vaccine against Avian Influenza (what docs call Bird Flu) is available by the time that happens, the AIDS patients will be likely to suffer more, but they won't be alone; other immunologically compromised folks (the malnourished, the frail elderly, the multiply-chronically-ill, and others) will be easy victims, too.  The younger and vigorous will have a much better chance if there is a vaccine.  The same is true if novel neuraminidase inhibitors are developed to treat the disease, too.\n\nThis is a remarkably superficial analysis, but I think it contains the basics.