How To Give Yourself And Family The Best Protection From Flu And Bird Flu

Submitted By: Sarah K. Jenkins

The flu has been an irritant for some time. However, at one time it actually caused worldwide devastation, killing millions of people. Although this type of effect has not been felt from the flu for many years, with the onset of bird flu this is becoming a very real possibility. With this being a concern, people should arm themselves to the full extent to avoid this from occurring.

There are several common-sense precautionary measures that can be taken to protect yourself and your family against being infected by this potentially deadly virus.

The first is to avoid places where the bird flu virus already runs rampant. As of now, the bird flu outbreak is primarily in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Although it is expected to spread worldwide, you should not save it the trouble by traveling where you can become infected more easily. If you must travel to these areas, avoid poultry farms or other high risk areas. On the same note, try to avoid contact with sick people. Simply distancing yourself and your family from the disease can be one of the most effective preventive measures taken.

If you come in contact with sick people, or even as a general rule of thumb, wash your hands often, with antibacterial soap, and practice good hygiene in general. The regular flu virus is spread by saliva and mucus being transmitted to others. If someone coughs in your face, this may not be able to be avoided; however, if you touch something that is contaminated, you will just as likely become ill – unless you wash the virus away before it makes its way into your body.

Another precaution you should take in preventing the infection of bird flu is to properly handle and cook all poultry. While the jury seems to be out on whether or not there are cases of the flu due to undercooked poultry, reliable sources are reporting there have been. Even a suspicion should be enough to encourage certain precautions, not to mention proper handling is just a good practice. Likewise, properly clean all surfaces that have come in contact with raw meat and wash hands after handling.

Should you or a family member become ill, you should seek medical advice. There are medications that can be administered that lessen the impact of many flu strains, but they are only effective if given early in the disease. For this reason, treatment must be sought immediately.

About the Author:
Sarah is an acclaimed writer on medical matters, and has written extensively on the subjects of Attention Deficit Disorder, Bird Flu and Crohn’s Disease. For more of her articles, go to http://www.imedicalvillage.com now. visit www.imedicalvillage

How Bird Flu Differs From Regular Flu

Submitted By: Sarah Jenkins

Most of us are familiar with the flu. Every year, you probably go to your doctor to get a flu shot, or perhaps you take your chances with the virus and just hope you do not end up in bed. However, the new bird flu that has made so much news lately is considerably different than the regular flu we are accustomed to dealing with.

The regular flu has a myriad of symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, headache, body aches, fatigue, nasal congestion, and sneezing. Many people will recover from the virus within a couple of weeks; however, others will develop pneumonia, bronchitis, or other life-threatening complications. Chronic disorders are also sometimes aggravated by the flu, causing complications as well. Although such complications are possible, they usually do not lead to death unless the carrier is already in poor health. Healthy people may suffer with the flu, but will rarely have any lasting effects or die as a result of contracting the virus.

Bird flu, on the other hand, is a very different ailment. There are actually several strands of avian influenza, also known as bird flu. Many of the various kinds are not harmful to humans; however, one in particular has caused a great deal of controversy recently. H5N1 is a strand of bird flu that has arisen in Asia, which has resulted in the death of over half of the people that contracted it.

The two viruses are similar in that they are both influenza viruses. They also show similar symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat, etc., as detailed above. The primary difference in the two strands is the impact of the illness on humans that contract it. The regular flu is usually only lethal to those in very poor health, while the bird flu takes the lives of almost all that become infected.

Another difference is how the viruses are spread. The regular flu virus is usually transmitted in droplets of saliva and mucus as infected people sneeze or touch objects that other people later come in contact with. However, avian influenza is not passed from human to human, but through direct contact with infected fowl or their feces.

The regular flu is common in the United States, as is the vaccine. However, the bird flu is currently only being identified in Asia. Although many people think within a short period of time it will spread worldwide.

About the Author:
Sarah is an acclaimed writer on medical matters, and has written extensively on the subjects of Attention Deficit Disorder, Bird Flu and Crohn’s Disease. For more of her articles, go to http://www.imedicalvillage.com now. Click here now and read more of her articles.

How To Know If Your Flu Symptoms Are Actually From Bird Flu

Submitted By: Sarah Jenkins

Since the onset of a bird flu outbreak, many people have gone to their doctors in a panic that they may have contracted bird flu. Although hypochondria may play a minor role, the similarity of some of the flu strains may as well be at fault. While the beginning symptoms of bird flu mimic those of the regular flu, there are subtle differences to watch for.

The initial symptoms of bird flu include fever, sore throat, body ache, and cough – basically the same symptoms of the seasonal flu. While you can rule out a common cold because of the inclusion of body aches, you may not be able to tell which flu strain is at hand. Specifically, a fever of 102 to 104 degrees for a period of 3 to 4 days is common. Likewise, headaches, severe muscle aches, and nasal congestion are also on the list of signs of bird flu. The length of these conditions should be watched to identify possible concerns.

Once these symptoms begin to manifest, you should seek medical care. Many people will try to “tough it out”, but with the possibility of death as a result, going to the doctor should seem less intimidating.

There are certain signs that should send you to the emergency room or doctor immediately. Symptoms lasting for more than ten days or that are severe in nature may be an indication your body is not able to defend against the infection at hand. Painful breathing, difficulty in breathing, or bluish skin are also concerns you should watch for. Pneumonia is a common result of the flu, one that is the primary reason for flu deaths. Therefore, pain in the lungs or signs that your body is not getting adequate oxygen may point to a more severe problem.

Fainting, dizziness, or confusion are also red flags that should lead you to the doctor’s office, as well as obvious warning signs like excessive vomiting, dehydration, and complications arising from other medical issues.

While many of the initial symptoms are the same for various flu strains, the primary difference apparent with bird flu is the severity of the effects. It worsens quickly, and due to the reaction of the immune system after infection, the body is not able to recover. This is the concern with bird flu and should be remembered when trying to differentiate the regular flu strain and bird flu.

About the Author:
Sarah is an acclaimed writer on medical matters, and has written extensively on the subjects of Attention Deficit Disorder, Bird Flu and Cohn’s Disease. For more of her articles, go to http://www.imedicalvillage.com now.

Bird Flu Causes Symptoms Information with Treatment

by Juliet Cohen

Although their symptoms are similar, SARS is caused by completely different viruses. Influenza viruses also are more contagious and cannot be as readily contained as SARS by isolating people who have the infection. Scientists fear the bird flu virus could evolve into a form that is easily spread between people, resulting in an extremely contagious and lethal disease The two viruses could recombine inside the victim's body, producing a hybrid that could readily spread from person to person. The grimmest scenario would be a global outbreak to rival the flu pandemic of 1918 and 1919, which claimed millions of lives worldwide. For now, researchers are trying to develop a vaccine that would protect people in the event of a bird flu pandemic.

Causes of Bird Flu

The common Causes of Bird Flu :

Bird flu (or Avian flu) is currently being used to describe the influenza virus, H5N1, which is producing a highly contagious and rapidly fatal disease, leading to severe epidemics in birds.

Bird flu is caused by different subtypes of influenza A virus affecting chickens, ducks and other birds Viruses which cause mild disease can mutate into viruses that can cause serious disease (highly pathogenic).

Symptoms of Bird Flu

Some Symptoms of Bird Flu :

Cough

Fever

Sore throat

Muscle aches

conjunctivitis

Treatment of Bird Flu

Antiviral medications used to treat human flu viruses help to reduce the symptoms of bird flu, but it's not yet clear whether these work for the current type of bird flu.

Oseltamivir (brand name Tamiflu) and zanamivir (brand name Relenza) antiviral medications used to treat regular flu may be helpful in the treatment of bird flu.

However, their effectiveness against the H5N1 subtype of the virus is uncertain, and there are also concerns about the availability and cost of these medications.

About the Author
Juliet Cohen writes health articles for health diseases and disorders. She also writes articles on women beauty tips.

Flu Virus And Bird Flu - Can Flu And Avian Flu Be Cured With Antibiotics?

By Ian Mason

To understand this, let us first have a look on what Flu and Avian Flu is.

What is flu?

Flu is a disease which has the following symptoms. They are fever with temperature above 38 degree centigrade or 100 degree Fahrenheit. You may also suffer from chills, muscular pain, severe headaches, tiredness, and a loss in your appetite, soreness of the throat, cough and chest pain. The symptoms may last for a few days and will heal with medication. Some of the people may suffer from this, which may last for a few weeks. What is obliviously needed is a good rest and you are required to consume large quantities of water preferably warm. Symptoms in children may include abdominal pain. This should not be confused with appendicitis. Children may also suffer from convulsions.

Drugs to treat the flu are limited. Drugs like Amantadine and Rimantdine have been around for a number of decades. But recent studies have shown that they are that effective against the type B influenza. New drugs have been introduced in the market. They are sold by the trade name of Tamiflu with Oseltamivir as its main composition. There is another drug known as Zanamivir. This drug is sold by the trade name of Relenza. This drug is also highly effective against flu. Both these drugs are used and highly effective for both types of flu i.e. the type “A” influenza and the type “B” influenza.

The flu is caused by the virus. Generally the virus is found with two protein factors, the H factor and the N factor. There are sixteen different H factors and nine different N factors. A combination of these factors gives one the flu virus. The H1N1 virus has caused the Spanish influenza in the year 1918. This virus has killed an estimated 40 to 50 million people all over the world. And let me tell you that the flu can be avoided by one simple measure. You should take your annual flu shot regularly. Most of the common flu can be tackled with this flu shot.

What is avian flu?

Avian flu is a strain of the virus that I have been discussing in the preceding paragraphs. They consist of enormous groups of viruses (a combination of the H factor and N factor) that are infecting the birds. Sometimes these viruses also find other species as hosts. Here they mutate taking the host and develop into a new strain of the virus. Most varieties of the avian influenza do not affect the human species. But when it does infect human species then it is found to be deadly. The particularity of the avian influenza is that it has so far not caused infection among humans. And if this takes place then we are doomed, for a new strain would have developed and this can be quite dangerous.

What are antibiotics used for?

Antibiotics are primarily, a drug to cure, one of bacterial infections. The flu being a viral infection will not find a remedy in antibiotics. In viral infections when one is infected by the influenza and the flu has reached proportions of the pneumonia. The bacteria in the body start to inflate. This is going to require antibiotics.

From the above facts that I have stated, it is very clear that you will be quite sure that avian flu and flu cannot be treated with antibiotics.

Learn more about human and avian flu viruses, and how Tamiflu can protect you and your family from possible death. This site also offers information on the flu viruses, symptoms, and how to prepare for the threat of a flu pandemic.

Avian Bird Flu: How Far The Virus Can Effect Humans?

By Joann Grant

The naturally occurring flu virus in the birds causes the Bird Flu in the avians. This disease is also termed as the Avian influenza. Usually the wild birds are the carriers of this deadly virus. Unbelievable but true, they themselves remain unaffected by them. This virus in turn spreads to the other domesticated birds like the chickens, turkeys and ducks, who are the ones that get affected. The virus after developing further in their body causes sickness and sometimes even death in the infected birds.

The symptoms after the infection of the flu virus ranges widely. The infected bird might suffer from some mild symptoms like low rate of egg production and even ruffled feathers. And the symptoms can be as severe as failure of the various organs of the bird resulting in the death of the bird within 48 hours of viral infection.

Humans are generally not infected by this virus. But still there have been several reported cases of human infection. A human can encounter this virus only if he is directly or indirectly in contact with the infected domesticated birds. Once a human being is infected he will show symptoms like high fever, sore throat, muscle cramps and cough. These are all the common symptoms that you come across in a flu. In the severe form of the disease, symptoms like Pneumonia, eye infections and various acute respiratory disorders can be seen. All the symptoms depend on the strain of virus with which the person is infected.

But these symptoms are not the final verdict on the confirmation of an infection by the virus. This is because all the symptoms that have been discussed above are the common symptoms for a typical flu and the various other viral infections. So in order to diagnose the viral presence properly, you need to have some pathological tests done. Within the first few days of the appearance of any of the symptoms, take a little swab of your nose or the throat to a laboratory for the required tests. In some cases a blood test may also be needed to be done.

There are many flu viruses that infect the birds and the humans. But only the H5N1 virus is the most deadly of them all, killing many at one go.

There is a general perception among the people that eating egg or chicken products can infect them with the virus. But this is not true. The bird flu virus is destroyed, if present in food product if they are properly cooked. Proper cooking also kills the other viruses and bacterias present in the food products.

Avian bird flu is not very contagious among the human. But if you remain in very close proximity with an infected person, there are chances that the virus passes on to you. The biggest concern with the bird flu virus is that, they mutate. Their mutation can be the only reason for it to take a shape of a pandemic.

Currently no vaccine is available for avian bird flu. There are only some preventive measures that you can follow to protect from this virus. Of them the most important is the maintenance of proper personal hygiene.

To get more information on bird flu, bird flu virus and bird flu vaccine visit http://www.isitbirdflu.com/

Bird Flu

by Bob Taylor

Hop on your personal computer today and get a quick update of all current events such as the avian pandemic. It pays to be on top of things. It is a good idea to read all you can regarding the recent avian pandemic. Find out what scientists and health officials are doing to prevent a mass outbreak of this deadly illness. Before we know it, the avian pandemic could be in full-effect. I simply hope and pray that they've created enough of the vaccination to go around.

I can still recall when the West Nile virus came about a few years back. This was a huge deal. Heck, folks were freaking out over it left and right. But, could you really blame them? It practically made me dread summer. Suddenly we have to watch out for killer mosquitoes. I was buying bug spray like a madman. After all, this West Nile virus does not have a cure. Apparently once you're afflicted with it, you can only treat the symptoms. That's always a major bummer. The elderly are really at risk since their bodies are not as strong. So anyway, now we have the avian pandemic upon us.

Get a load of all the troubles we humans grapple with. Will the madness ever end? Now you know as well as I do that things will probably only continue to worsen. Just check out the nuances to our sickness and disease list. Suddenly we're battling an avian pandemic. This is ridiculous if you really think about it. Is it just me who feels this way? We are actually talking about a bird flu. The mere concept sounds absurd. We shouldn't be able to contract anything from a bird or fowl. What is going on these days? Is this a covert attack planned by Bin Laden and his group of thugs? Now, the big question remains; what are we going to do about it? This could get really messy, and quick.

What can we do to prevent this terror? Should we avoid all eggs and poultry? Hey, I've got a great idea. I saw a news clip of a Middle Eastern gentleman feeding a pigeon with his mouth. YUCK! Why don't we all refrain from doing things like this? That should help prevent the avian pandemic. I often wonder if some individuals actually have a brain or they're just running on pure desire to live.

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About the Author
Believing in good balanced diet, taking vitamins and minerals. Daily exercise, yoga, stretching, breathing exercises, drinking enough water, meditation, relaxation, positive thinking, and trying to be happy.