BirdFlu: Still a Threat???

candy · #1 (**permalink**) 27-11-2007, 04:24 AM

Today, after reading about the increased of people being infected with this disease, I am more than ever worried about it... as of 17 October 2007 ,there have been 331 cases and 203 death. For me, I find it as an alarming situation and it is no more something to be taken lightly. I have found about many more things that people have to be aware of. People have to be informed of these things because I think that this will decrease the amount of Avian Flu cases...One example of what people have to be aware of is that the H5N1 virus is sensitive to heat...I don't think that everyone is aware of this...even I didn't know about it and came to know about it only after having read on a report on (http://www.dru - link deleted) It is a pdf file and there are all the things that need to be known on Avian Flu and everything associated to it. Do you think same as me??Do you too think that we must not take Avian Flu lightly??

NickCantle · #2 (**permalink**) 27-11-2007, 05:38 PM

I think that there is a happy medium. I think that if you get the balance right between living life and getting on with it and being cautious then it becomes something that can be dealt with. Of course my views will differ to yours, and of course I have concerns as many people do, but I'm not prepared to let those concerns get to me and make me worry. I take life as it comes and I am fully aware of such things, maybe not in such detail but I know the deal...I think that if the middle ground is found, then it makes life a much more smooth process. Well, to me anyway.

Nick

Queen bee · #3 (**permalink**) 27-11-2007, 09:00 PM

I think we should take it seriously, but not too seriously. Obviously it pays not to get paranoid, like not touching eggs with a bargepole and stuff. However, remember that most of these deaths are in LEDCs (aka Poor countries) where people basically live in very close proximity to their livestock, sharing households, food, etc. so disease spreads well between them, and hygiene and healthcare isn't like it is over here, so you are unlikely to catch it. I should be the one worrying, living on a chicken farm.

Of course we should help these poor countries to overcome this, but don't go counting down your days if you get a sniffle.

Gill Catton · #4 (**permalink**) 27-11-2007, 09:18 PM

Apparently 3000 people die every year in car accidents.
200 odd people die at work, mostly poor chaps working hard on building sites...

300 people ever? in the world?
no not worried at all myself. Scientists are researching this and the multitude of diseases that may one day become an issue and this is what matters. Just in case it does one day mutate into something we need to worry about.

I can't help but feel that its not good to go through life looking for the next dark cloud

NickCantle · #5 (**permalink**) 28-11-2007, 03:07 AM

Agreed there Gill.

Nick

eeyore · #6 (**permalink**) 30-11-2007, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

200 odd people die at work,

OMG - right thats it I'm stopping work right now and never doing any again

Seriously though more people have died from normal flu , far more from lung cancer , far more from aids, more from mrsa. in fact more have died from the common cold.

At the end of the day this is the latest in the long run of media hyped scare stories - remember SARS ? - yes if the virus mutates it could be deadly but this is true of any virus , supose the aids virus mutated so as to be spread by coughts and sneezes ? , come to that suppose the common cold mutated to become deadly ? anything is possible but imo it doesnt do to go through life fearing the worst.

btw could a mod type person edit the typo in the subject line of this thread , as i think its fair to say that bird flu is considered more of a threat than a "treat"

Kayleigh · #7 (**permalink**) 30-11-2007, 01:05 PM

The one thing that concerns me the most is our stupidity in bringing bird flu into this country from abroad as Matthews did, and the infection is exposed to the wild bird population.
We are more likely to pass infection onto wild birds than they are to infect domestic chicken farms.
As there is still no proof that the outbreak was caused or brought in by wild birds. There are still no infected wild birds found with the disease. You have to ask your self where the outbreak came from as I believe it did not come from wild birds.

zan · #8 (**permalink**) 30-11-2007, 01:59 PM

I think it's one of those things where you just have to trust the people in charge. Making the public aware that Bird Flu\SARS etc exist is probably good enough, as long as it doesn't turn into a giant scare story. if the virus mutates, all we can really do is hope they find it and produce an effective vaccine in time for most people to benefit. It's a scary prospect, but I try not to worry abotu the things I can't do anything about.

NickCantle · #9 (**permalink**) 30-11-2007, 02:14 PM

Hi Zan, I think you've got a good attitude towards the situation.

Quote:

It's a scary prospect, but I try not to worry about the things I can't do anything about.

That line did it for me. It's so true.

Nick

Kayleigh · #10 (**permalink**) 30-11-2007, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zan

I think it's one of those things where you just have to trust the people in charge. Making the public aware that Bird Flu\SARS etc exist is probably good enough, as long as it doesn't turn into a giant scare story. if the virus mutates, all we can really do is hope they find it and produce an effective vaccine in time for most people to benefit. It's a scary prospect, but I try not to worry abotu the things I can't do anything about.

I agree what is the point in worrying about a flu pandemic. The virus may never mutate, but there was a flu pandemic in 1918 and bird flu hadn't mutated then.... The people working in close proximity to birds in the poultry industry need to sort out their hygiene regime to stop any infection spreading.