With bird flu dominating the news lately, it has left many people wondering why it is such a concern. An outbreak of a virus in Asia may seem like it would have little impact on our daily lives; yet many people have become obsessed with the disease. Is it possible there may be more than meets the eye with bird flu?Bird Flu, also known as avian influenza, is not a new virus; it has actually been around since the early 1900's. So why the big...more
With bird flu being on every television station and newspaper, it is easy to get caught up in the panic surrounding this new viral outbreak. However, do you find yourself wondering if this should really be a concern? Do you remember when everyone was becoming hysterical over the likelihood of killer bees sweeping the United States? I do not know about you, but I have yet to be chased down by an African Honey Bee. So, what are your real...more
Influenza is in no way a new ailment to plague the people of the world. However, a new deadly strand of the virus has everyone running for cover. How do you avoid catching flu, including the dangerous bird flu that threatens so many? First, it should be explained that bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is a virus much like the regular flu we are accustomed to. It is transmitted in much the same way, through droplets of saliva and mucus. However, bird flu is currently only transmitted from infected birds to humans and can not be passed from human to human like the regular flu. The main concern arises with bird flu as it is expected to mutate and at some point be transmitted by humans as well. Until this takes place, bird flu is only passed from infected birds to humans by way of direct contact with the animal or its feces.The current outbreak of bird flu is taking place in Asia; therefore, there is little concern of catching the virus unless you are in that region and handling fowl. However, once the virus mutates it will be transmitted much like the standard flu and may be avoided in much the same way.The obvious first step in lowering your risk of catching the virus...more
With Bird Flu in the news, people are wondering where it may be safe to avoid this deadly virus. While the answer to this question may be very simple now, in a few weeks or months, it may be a different story.The first outbreak of the deadly strain of bird flu in humans was in Hong Kong in 1997. A major outbreak then occurred in January of 2004...more
Bird flu was first identified in the early 1900's and has since spread worldwide. Also known as avian influenza, this virus has caused considerable concern due to the mutation of a particular strain of the disease. Although this virus previously only infected birds and other types of animals, namely pigs, since 1997, it has also been known to...more
A pandemic is a global epidemic in which an infectious disease breaks out over a large geographic region. A flu pandemic is, of course, an epidemic of a strain of the influenza virus. With the recent media coverage of bird flu, many people are becoming educated on avian influenza, pandemics in history, and the likelihood another may occur.There have actually been several pandemics or epidemics of various flu strains in the last century. One of which, the Spanish Flu, surfaced in 1918 in Massachusetts and spread worldwide, killing 50 million people. This particular strain, H1N1, has been reconstructed by the Center for Disease Control to study the molecular make up of the virus.The Asian Flu spread from China in 1957 to the United States and led to the death of 70,000 people. Likewise, the Hong Kong Flu was identified in the U.S. in 1968 and led to 34,000 people dying. This strain of the flu virus is still in circulation today.If you look back into history, there is record of influenza pandemics varying in intensity at 20-40 year intervals. So, to answer the question, "how likely is a flu pandemic", the answer would have to be relatively likely. However, the history books...more
Most people are aware of the threat of bird flu and the possibility of it creating a pandemic, a worldwide epidemic of an infectious disease breaking out and affecting a large geographic region. Although the virus affects an extensive geographic...more
There are three types of influenza viruses: A, B, and C. Of these, type A is further classified into subtypes, H and N. Type A affects people and numerous animals, while B and C typically affect humans only. Each type varies in severity, with A...more
With the rising popularity of this natural oil, is it just hype or can it really help to improve and protect your health?So is fish oil good for you?The answer is yes as long as it is pure and here's why.Quality fish oil is rich in...more
Bird flu is a serious and dangerous virus. With so much controversy over this deadly disease, it is a good idea to have some kind of idea what you are up against. Knowing how the virus lives and spreads makes it easier to protect yourself from...more
Nowadays, more and more people are facing the big health problem high blood pressure which has become increasing serious. Do you know anyone around you who has spent too much money in curing this problem but only to find everything...more
The infection process with bird flu is not particularly complicated. As with other strains of influenza, the virus itself is passed from host to host, although bird flu is not transmitted from human contact like other strains of the flu. However,...more