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.