Bird flu question

[Nocturnal]

I'm reading this Yahoo article and it's talking about the prepartions being made for when the bird flu hits the USA. Will the flu just kill off a lot of people? From what I understand there is no immunization for this particular strain of the flu therefore if one was infected that person would have to just "deal" with it and ride out the storm, right? And then 9/10 times the person will die?

 

[EngenZerO]

pretty much, yeah.

edit... this is only if the virus mutates and is tranmissble to humans

 

[farmercal]

Only if you are a bird.

 

[Legendary]

The bird flu doesn't kill humans, it kills birds. It does not transmit itself through humans. Humans can only get it by eating or being exposed to infected birds. Once a human has it, it will not spread from that human to another.
That is the current version of the bird flu. If it mutates the ability to transmit between humans, then we have a much bigger problem.

Edit: The exposure must be for a significant period of time.

 

[gigapet]

just scare tacticts.

I dont handle birds so I'm not too worried.

 

[Ogg]

Originally posted by: EngenZerO
pretty much, yeah.

 

[gigapet]

Originally posted by: Legendary
The bird flu doesn't kill humans, it kills birds. It does not transmit itself through humans. Humans can only get it by eating or being exposed to infected birds. Once a human has it, it will not spread from that human to another.
That is the current version of the bird flu. If it mutates the ability to transmit between humans, then we have a much bigger problem.

Edit: The exposure must be for a significant period of time.

The same could also be said for many animal only diseases. If they jump across to humans and become airborne we are in trouble.

like what if mad cow disease could be spread human to human through a hand shake.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: gigapet
like what if mad cow disease could be spread human to human through a hand shake.

Then I think 98% of ATOT'rs would end up with mad cow disease on their groin.

 

[Glavinsolo]

Originally posted by: gigapet

Originally posted by: Legendary
The bird flu doesn't kill humans, it kills birds. It does not transmit itself through humans. Humans can only get it by eating or being exposed to infected birds. Once a human has it, it will not spread from that human to another.
That is the current version of the bird flu. If it mutates the ability to transmit between humans, then we have a much bigger problem.

Edit: The exposure must be for a significant period of time.

The same could also be said for many animal only diseases. If they jump across to humans and become airborne we are in trouble.

like what if mad cow disease could be spread human to human through a hand shake.

Mad cow disease is possible in humans.

A cow eating other cow brains creates the disease. In cultures in Africa were cannibalism takes place the same symptoms are seen.

 

[quikah]

Originally posted by: Nocturnal
I'm reading this Yahoo article and it's talking about the prepartions being made for when the bird flu hits the USA. Will the flu just kill off a lot of people? From what I understand there is no immunization for this particular strain of the flu therefore if one was infected that person would have to just "deal" with it and ride out the storm, right? And then 9/10 times the person will die?

NO! The fatality rate is nowhere near 90%. I am not even sure it is 1%, influenza is always dangerous, we just don't have very effective treatments for this particular strain yet. The young and elderly are most at risk, however anyone can die from any influenza.

About 700,000 died in the US from the 1918 influenza pandemic. Last number I heard floating around for this one is estimated at 2,000,000.

 

[MiniDoom]

Seems like each year there is something new to scare us. Sars, mad cow, west nile now bird flu. Have fun living in fear.

 

[tfinch2]

Scare tactics.

If it were to transform that would be one thing. If it hits the US it won't be that big of a deal. I mean if it was that bad, wouldn't it have spread like wildfire through China or wherever a few humans contracted it?

 

[zephyrprime]

Originally posted by: gigapetThe same could also be said for many animal only diseases. If they jump across to humans and become airborne we are in trouble.

like what if mad cow disease could be spread human to human through a hand shake.

Yes but I think you are wrongly belittling the possibility of this happening. Every strain of flu that afflicts the human population each year comes from animals. So, a jump to the human population is something that numerous flu strains has managed to do in the past.

We can only hope that the flu mutates slowly enough that a vaccine will be able to be developed for it in time.

 

[Glavinsolo]

The real question is if there was a vaccine available for administration right this second would you take it? I for one would most definitely not.

 

[FeuerFrei]

"They" have developed a vaccine that prevents bird flu in animals. Just heard it this morning.

 

[gigapet]

Originally posted by: FeuerFrei
"They" have developed a vaccine that prevents bird flu in animals. Just heard it this morning.

arent people animals? and birds....not animals also?

 

[49erinnc]

Yet another case of media sensationalism. I think I still have a couple batteries lying around from when the world was going to end over Y2K. :roll:

When Hong Kong was hit with the bird flu, I think a whopping 6 people died and that was before there was even a great understanding of the illness. My sister already has a bird flu survival kit put together. I'm very ammused by the overly paranoid such as herself.

 

[Azndude51]

Originally posted by: Legendary
The bird flu doesn't kill humans, it kills birds. It does not transmit itself through humans. Humans can only get it by eating or being exposed to infected birds. Once a human has it, it will not spread from that human to another.
That is the current version of the bird flu. If it mutates the ability to transmit between humans, then we have a much bigger problem.

Edit: The exposure must be for a significant period of time.

What if a bird pooped on me and I didn't clean it off? Would that count?