Bird flu has led to the deaths of hundreds of millions of wild and domestic birds and to a small number of human deaths. Right now, however, bird flu remains difficult for humans to contract. Most people who have developed symptoms have had close contact with sick birds, though in a few cases, bird flu has passed from one person to another.

Flu viruses occur naturally in birds and have been recognized for more than 100 years. They are popularly known as bird flu, avian flu, bird influenza or avian influenza, and there are more than a dozen sub-types. They are often carried by wild birds, though it is usually domesticated birds that become sick.

Generally, the viruses do not affect humans, or cause mild illness at worst.

Diarrhea and Abdominal Pain: Diarrhea and abdominal pain has been a symptom in some patients, but not all of them. Watery diarrhea may be a symptom in bird flu cases, but is not a common symptom in regular flu. Diarrhea comes before respiratory symptoms. Two young patients had encephalitis and diarrhea without any respiratory symptoms.

The name H5N1 refers to the type of proteins found in the protein coat of the influenza virus – haemagglutinin 5(H5) and neuraminidase 1 (N1). There are dozens of different proteins that can be present, so that flu viruses called H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2 etc are also known.

Officials of the Kano state avian flu control committee detected the presence of Avian flu among 16,000 chickens on a farm a few days ago, a month after the area was declared free of the virus.

Avian influenza cannot be diagnosed by symptoms alone, so a laboratory test is required. Avian influenza is usually diagnosed by collecting a swab from the nose or throat during the first few days of illness. This swab is then sent to a laboratory, where they will either look for avian influenza virus using a molecular test, or they will try to grow the virus. Growing avian influenza viruses should only be done in laboratories with high levels of protection. If it is late in the illness, it may be difficult to find an avian influenza virus directly using these methods.

The virus has been identified in 12 states, including the largest city, Lagos, as well as around the federal capital, Abuja, since it was first confirmed in Nigeria four months ago.

Avian influenza infection 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. It is the highly pathogenic form of H5N1 that concerns scientists.

Avian influenza (or bird flu) is a highly infectious disease affecting many species of birds, including chickens, duck, turkeys and geese. It can affect commercial, wild and pet birds. There are 15 types of bird flu, but the type that is causing concern at the moment is the deadly strain H5N1.

Avian flu passes from birds to other birds, but there have also been human cases. As of January 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) had confirmed 270 cases of H5N1 in humans in Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam, leading to 164 deaths.

Technorati Tags: Bird, information

The World Health Organization (WHO) makes reports and updates regarding new human cases of infection with bird flu. The only subtype that can cause severe illness to people is Influenza A /H5N1 virus, initially it affects chickens, ducks and other birds by the process of mutation they can become highly pathogenic. Because highly pathogenic viruses can survive for long periods in tissue, water and in the environment, especially when temperatures are low is transmitted very easily in chickens and other birds through direct contact with feces and secretions from infected birds, eggs, feed, water, cages equipment, vehicles and clothing. Public health authorities monitor human illnesses associated with avian influenza. In Hong-Kong occured for the first time infection both in humans and poultry and were killed about 1.5 million chickens.

In China and Hong-Kong avian influenza A (H9N2) virus infection affected two children who recovered. The source was unknown, but suspected the poultry.

In Virginia, 2002 an outbreak of H7N2 among poultry was descovered but,with no human victims. Canada, 2004: human infections among poultry workers with H7N3.

Thailand and Vietnam human infections with H5N1. Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Turkey, 2006: Human infections with H5N1 occurred as a result of contact with infected poultry and with infected death swangs. Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, 2005 two persons have been infected with H5N1 as result of consuming uncooked duck blood. China two cases of patogenic infections with avian influenza A (H5N1) have been confirmed in a family travelling through China. Netherlands, 2003 were reported outbreaks of influenza A (H7N7) in several farms, after which in pigs and people, 90 people were confrmed with bird flu virus H7N7 in association with cases of eye conjunctivitis, one death occured at a veterinarian with acute respiratory distress syndrome and other complications after having direct contact with infected poultry. In New York, 2003 there has been registered one case a patient with respiratory symptoms which recovered in few weeks and tests confirmed it had been avian influenza A (H7N2) virus. Signs and symptoms of bird flu in humans are similar to other influenza viruses: sore throat and cough, fever, muscle weakness and/or pain, eye infections, with life-threatening complications such as: severe viral pneumonia, respiratory distress syndrome, multi- organ failure.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration suggests the following antiviral agents supposed to prevent and treat avian influenza: amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir, and zanamivir. They may be not always effective it has been demonstrated that viruses are resistent to amantadine and rimantadine. In the United States they are not in use any more for the treatment or prevention (prophylaxis) of influenza A. Specialists are monitoring the resistence of avian influenza A viruses to influenza antiviral medications.

For more information about bird flu or even about bird flu vaccine please review this page http://www.bird-flu-info-center.com/bird-flu-vaccine.htm

Technorati Tags: avian, Bird, General, influenza, information, Regarding

What I am looking for is a 2 page (4 pages if you count front and back) information packet about the bird flu pandemic. It is colorful and may be designed for elementary students. If anyone has it, could you copy it and email it to me? I had one and I lost it and I NEED it.

Technorati Tags: about, anyone, Bird, colorful, information, page, Pandemic, thing

French doctor and author of a book on the swine flu scam, Marc Girard, has declared victory in the information battle in Europe surrounding the swine flu vaccine following the decision by the French government to cancel 50 million doses and abandon the vaccine centers under intense political pressure. Some other key turning points in the campaign were: *the decision by the German army in September to refuse to take the toxic Baxter Celvapan jab forcing Baxter to drop mercury and adjuvants at the last moment when seeking EU approval for its vaccine and so triggering a storm of protest inside Germany about the two classes of vaccines with and without adjuvants. *protests by Belgium citizens groups stopping a parliamentary law allowing forced vaccination to go through. *the announcement by the Polish Health Minister and family doctor Ewa Kopacz that she would order the inadequately tested jab for Poland *the legal action by Marc Vercoutere and Christian Cotton that forced French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot to start to account, through her lawyer, in a Paris court on January 4th for the swine flu campaign irregularities. info-wars.org

Technorati Tags: information, internet, made, Possible, Swine, Victory

Product Description
An excellent and detailed information book on the H1N1 Swine Influenza of 2009. Everything you need to know is right here…. More >>

H1N1 Swine Flu Virus Critical Information

Technorati Tags: Critical, H1N1, information, Swine, Virus

Bird Flu, also called avian Influenza, is caused by the Influenza viruses strain A. The most contagious group is H5N1 that produces epidemics and deaths in birds and humans. The disease was first identified over 100 years ago in Italy and since that time cases have appeared all over the world.

The most susceptible of Bird Flu are domestic poultry but all species of birds are believed to be sensitive to the disease. Wild birds though are more resistant to H5N1. Chickens and turkeys are most susceptible.

The infection caused by the Influenza triggers a large spectrum of symptoms in birds, leading from middle illness signs to a fatal ending. Bird flu is a very dangerous condition as it produces wide spreading epidemics in birds and the direct contact is highly contagious to human. The symptoms usually appear sudden and the mortality rate is almost in all cases 100%.

There are few known cases of illness transmission in man, in 1997 in Hong Kong 6 persons died of Bird Flu after a number of 16 got infected. Also susceptible to the disease are pigs. After those cases, the entire poultry population is Hong Kong was destroyed in order to prevent a catastrophic pandemic.

There are 15 species of Influenza virus known, but the most dangerous of all is H5N1 as it can trigger deadly diseases in human and can rapidly mutate producing uncontrollable new types. After they have survived the infection, birds still carry the active virus for 10 days and are able to transmit it on live poultry markets and by wild migratory birds. An increased number of sick human would trigger the risk of an infection with both bird and human infecting virus types. This would represent an opportunity for a pandemic flu transmitted also from human to human not only from sick birds to man.

The first occurring symptoms of the Bird Flu are fever, sore throat and cough. On an Influenza field, other dangerous complications like respiratory distress and multi-organ failure can appear causing a certain death. Different types of viral pneumonia have also been found complicating the Influenza infection.

Bird Flu can affect previously healthy children and adults, but the most susceptible are persons with different chronic conditions. All strains of the virus, of human and animal origin, can now be rapidly and surely be diagnosed with specifically testing. Today, very efficient antiviral drugs have been discovered; they can be used both in treatment and in the prevention of the infection with influenza virus type A. The antiviral grigs have their limitations, as they are expected to be more helpful in previous healthy persons.

The appearance of a new genetic mutation would require at least four months to detect an efficient vaccine for the entire affected area population.

So, if you want to find out more about bird flu prevention or even about symptoms of bird flu please click this link http://www.bird-flu-info-center.com/

Technorati Tags: Bird, information, Useful

Does anyone know a site which shows how the Swine Flu has spread in America. I need to make a chart, any ideas on how to go about this. I need to show the function through the domain and range of swine flu. Help please?

Technorati Tags: about, America, cases, information, needed, Swine