What happened to bird flu?

[Sammylad]

After all the big scares a cuple of years ago over the H5N1 bird flu virus, what is the stuation with it now? The way I understood it, it was when, not if, we would have a major outbreak/ pandemic.

I realise that this became scare story of the month with the british press, as usual, but would be interested to know the situation now?

[bemore]

From what i know of is this.

H5N1 can currently only be caught with close contact with birds, the virus though is getting weaker. This should sound like good news but it isnt. When it mutates and becomes weaker it can then be easily caught and passed from human to human.

There is NO CURE at present, they can only alleviate the symptoms.

The world seems to be stock piling medical equipmet to deal with such outbreaks.

If it happens it could kill 1 in 80 people.

My advice, buy some extra tinned food everytime you go shopping and store it in your attic. You never know......

[Sammylad]

Thanks. It has all gone very quiet about it!

[chazza]

We were just discussing this recently, isn't it funny that as soon as the recession kicked in, the British press forgot all about bird flu!

[MWB]

The timely intervention of the authorities nipped it in the bud.

[jake-the-peg]

It's still there, but not a problem for most people unless they work directly with poultry.

Think is I don't think anybody knows what the probability is of it mutating into a human-human transmissible form is.

If it does it'll be a major problem.

The flu of 1918-19 was a bird flu and it killed tens of millions of people - probably more than died in WWI.

[sqad617]

Humans have no immunity to H5N1 but fortunately it is rare for the virus to be transmiited to humans.

BUT.....viruses have a nasty habit of changing their antigenic structure (disguise) and if that happens and the "new boy" is easily transmitted to humans, who have no immunity, then that means trouble.

WATCH THIS SPACE.

[angel21]

Scary stuff

[No,Knowledge]

God help the birds if ever they catch Man Flu!