View Full Version : Bird Flu- Worried?



Karried
10-09-2005, 08:38 AM
Are you worried about this new bird flu? Are you taking any steps to protect your family?

Should we limit travel? What would you suggest to contain or control this possible killer outbreak? Why do you think it is so publicized in the news recently?

Karried
10-09-2005, 09:49 AM
So it begins:

Tests: Indonesian boy has bird flu



From CNN's Taffy Santiago



JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Preliminary tests indicate a 4-year-old boy in Indonesia has been infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza, according to officials from the national Department of Health's bird flu monitoring center.

If confirmed, the case would be the sixth in Indonesia.

The boy, Herdi Setiawan, is from Lampung province on Sumatra, officials said. Initial tests were performed in Jakarta, and blood samples have been sent to Hong Kong for confirmation of the results. Those test results are expected early next week, officials said.

Four Indonesians suffering from the H5N1 strain have died since July.

Since December 2003, the strain has turned up in at least 10 Asian countries, infecting more than 100 people and killing at least 60. It is believed to spread when humans come in contact with an infected bird or a contaminated surface, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. Human-to-human transmission of the virus is rare and has not continued beyond one other person, the CDC said.

However, last month the World Health Organization warned that an avian flu pandemic among humans was "imminent" and urged nations to prepare to battle an outbreak.

As a result, U.S. officials have sprung into action, hosting a two-day conference earlier this week on preventing the spread of the avian flu and drafting plans to handle a possible pandemic.

On Friday, White House officials met with representatives of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry to encourage them to get involved in the manufacture of a flu vaccine.

MadMonk
10-10-2005, 08:14 AM
I wonder if the virus is as deadly among more developed nations as it is in poorer ones with a lesser health care system. Would the 1918 flu outbreak that killed tens of millions be as bad today? Of course its better to be safe than sorry, but how well does the flu vaccine work? What if another strain develops that the vaccine doesn't cover? As I understand it, thats not an unusual thing to happen. Its scary stuff.