Those who have been following the news of the world have invariably heard of the recent bird flu panic. This very dangerous strain of the flu has claimed quite a number of lives in the world and has literally terrified the populace of many countries. Despite the danger of this particular flu strain, many people truly do not know what the bird flu actually is.
Bird flu (avian influenza) is a virus that is found in the intestines of all different species of birds. Avian flu is highly contagious and can be transferred from bird to bird and can lead to an epidemic among these feathered creatures. While many times avian flu proves to be harmless to birds, at other times it can prove fatal and lead to the deaths of many of these poor winged animals. In general, avian flu is not contagious or dangerous to humans. However, the possibility of infection in humans is a very real risk. When infected with avian flu, it is highly possible that a human being could suffer a fatality. Recently, there has been a significant increase in avian flu infections in human beings in countries in Asia, particularly Indonesia and Vietnam. In these countries, Vietnam in particular, there has bee a pronounced number of fatalities in human beings.
The reason that people contract bird flu is because they are exposed to birds that are infected with the virus. Contrary to popular belief, the possibility of a human being getting infected with the virus is rare, but when an outbreak does occur, it can spread and spread. This is basically what has happened in the populated areas of Southeast Asia that are experiencing a bird flu epidemic.
So, while rare, epidemics can break out and, sadly, an outbreak of such an epidemic can prove fatal and the occurrences of the outbreak generally occur without warning.
The bird flu virus is the current virus that has been scaring people away from eating at KFC. People might think that the bird flu virus might cause them to die.
What the media is doing, is only trying to scare a lot of people from the bird flu virus. This is maybe because of the pandemic that we have experienced before from other flu that have killed millions.
The most famous of all the flu is the pandemic that happened during 1918-19. The Spanish flu killed more people than World War 1. 500 million became ill of this virus and around 40 million died.
That’s why for every new flu virus that’s been arising, people get worried right away. Scientist will try to prevent viruses from getting a lot worse like the 1918-19 pandemic. The media on the other hand serves to inform the people of the potential threat.
Another thing to worry about is that 36,000 people die everyday of ordinary influenza virus in the United States alone. Can you imagine how much worse a pandemic can cause?
Also every 3 to 4 times in a century there will always be a chance that a flu pandemic may hit. What if the bird flu virus is already among them? That’s why people form the media and scientist grow deeply worried.
The flu can basically achieve these things because it has the ability to mutate. It can change quickly and outwit the vaccines that have been created for previous flu strains. Then they take the immune system by storm.
The flu can also grab the genetic material of other viruses and also jump from one species to another. There are times where the transfer needs to be done via an intermediary. Such as the West Nile Fever, this needs a mosquito to be transferred.
The viruses that have transferred from animals to people are not something new. This has been happening since the 1980’s. The new virus that ahs been scaring people of that comes from animals is the bird flu.
Bird flu’s symptoms usually start out quite simple and the infected person might think that it’s just an ordinary flu. The infected person will experience muscle aches, sore throats, colds and cough. However, it may lead to the immediate death of the infected person.
Currently, people who have died form bird flu are still not abundant to call it a pandemic or worry about an outbreak. What worries the health officials is the possibility it becomes an outbreak when it mutates and can transfer from one person to the other. That’s why its better the media and the health officials worry about this thing a whole lot before we get another pandemic like that of the Spanish Flu.
Both Scott Byers & Michael Colucci are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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