Minis On The Edge Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 Are you Concerned about the bird flu? Do you think there is enough being done to prevent an outbreak here in the USA? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatColorado Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 When you're talking about a potential pandemic, I don't know if it's possible to be ready for something like that. You can stockpile boat loads of vaccine, yet any flu adapts/mutates rather quickly rendering the initial vaccine useless. I voted no, not because I don't take it seriously but because, as an average citizen, I have no power to prevent it from happening. If it happens then you take steps to take care of yourself and your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrellandmelissa Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 I voted no due to the fact that the number of people that have died from this disease ever, is a lot less then those that die every year due to the regular flu in the united states. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakyshaky Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 Stupid question but what is the bird flu? I assume we are not talking about flyig creatures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted December 12, 2005 Author Share Posted December 12, 2005 Hi There Shaky. The bird flu has everything to do with birds with feathers. I guess it's a big thing in Asia right now. The accurate name for it is the Avian influenza (also known as bird flu). It is a type of influenza virulent in birds. It was first identified in Italy in the early 1900s and is now known to exist worldwide. Though it affects birds, there have been more than 100 confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza viruses have been reported since 1997 and it's a concern that it is spreading faster than it had in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nameless1 Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 I voted no, not because I don't take it seriously but because, as an average citizen, I have no power to prevent it from happening. What she said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrellandmelissa Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 Hi There Shaky. Though it affects birds, there have been more than 100 confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza viruses have been reported since 1997 and it's a concern that it is spreading faster than it had in the past. *** Tracy, "ordinary but deadly flu kills 47,000 Americans, on average, each year" that is why I am not so concerned about it" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniMadWoman Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 When we say birds, we're mostly talking about chickens, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakyshaky Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 how do you catch bird flu? Bird sneezes? ( trying to be funny and serious) or in the case of chicken do you have to eat it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted December 12, 2005 Author Share Posted December 12, 2005 Yeap you are right Melissa! I was just answering Shaky Question because she had no knowledge of the bird flu. I feel the same way Ruby felt on this one. I have noticed people getting worried a little more because the media has decided to promote this story about the bird flu more. Viruses are so unpredictable that we could waste billions of dollars trying to get prepared and as she stated, the vaccination won't work because Viruses mutate and change easily. Sometimes they disappear with no known reason why and then may pop up again like this one did. I read an article in the paper yesterday and I think the media sometimes over do a story by talking about "what could happen". As you stated Melissa, the "Real" flu kills more that this bird flu has in one given year. I feel the media can make people worry more than they should at the moment (As if we don't have enough to worry about, right ) I also voted no. B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted December 12, 2005 Author Share Posted December 12, 2005 how do you catch bird flu? Bird sneezes? ( trying to be funny and serious) or in the case of chicken do you have to eat it. That's why I buy my chicken after they are dead > Don't want them sneezing on me either . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatColorado Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 You get bird flu from handling infected birds, most/all? of the people who have contracted the flu raise chickens and other poultry. The fear arises from the possibility of the flu mutating and instead of just being passed from infected bird to human, it will be possible to spread from infected human to other humans. When we say birds, we're mostly talking about chickens, right? Birds kept indoors should be safe from it. I haven't seen any statistics on the effect of the flu on the wild bird populations. I know on the farms if one bird has it, they destroy them all to keep the contamination from spreading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniMadWoman Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 Take it from someone who has 14 of them (not chickens), birds do sneeze!! That's why I buy my chicken after they are dead > Don't want them sneezing on me either Too funny Tracy!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallhouset Posted December 13, 2005 Share Posted December 13, 2005 I'm not worried about getting the bird flu, but, I do have chickens as pets and I'd hate the thought of having to kill them if the virus were found in my area. I don't think we would be able to do it any more than we could kill our cats, they are as much a part of our family as Maggie and Iggy. I know it sounds strange to have chickens for pets, but they are alot of fun. Sort of like having several 3 year olds running around all the time getting into everything they aren't supposed to. terri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 13, 2005 Share Posted December 13, 2005 I have no power to prevent it from happening That may be true, although there are a lot of things you can do to slow it down, including taking the current flu vaccine to build flu antibodies in your blood to help fight off the viri/ viruses & get EVERYONE in your house to practice scrupulous handwashing. I voted "yes" because I'm concerned with the media frenzy that takes a new story such as this one & tries to stir up panic with it. Also, as a retired public health employee, the idea of a pandemic raises the neckhairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaN Posted December 13, 2005 Share Posted December 13, 2005 I voted no also, not because I'm not worried about it, but that there is only so much a large country can do to avoid a medical occurance such as this. Also, we have much more sanitary conditions when it comes to handling poultry then some of the countries where this outbreak has happened.... My husband used to have chickens--and it isn't a weird thing to have them as pets, even more than geese. Geese and chickens (especially roosters) make great 'watchdogs' or so my hubby used to say. Our outdoor cats keep all the birds away... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 I fear now I'm concerned about the burd flu! The first cat in Europe got infected! I think my poor cat will have to stay indoor this summer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doogster Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Oh God, do I really want to get into this? BTW, I voted 'no'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyn Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 I voted no, not because I don't take it seriously but because, as an average citizen, I have no power to prevent it from happening. If it happens then you take steps to take care of yourself and your family. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I also voted NO, If people handle chicken the proper way and make sure its cooked throughly and as Cat said take the proper steps to take care of your family then all should be well. I know that this summer we had a BIG problem with West Nile I had many birds drop dead in my yard with living so close to the river and all and had the Health Department out here more times then I can count. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 I wasn't really concerned about the bird flu until the last weeks. But now it arrived in Europe, Germany and Austria (even Vienna) included. I'm not afraid to get infected by eating chicken but it scares me a bit that cats can get infected by wild birds too. How shall I protect my cat from having contact with birds and how shall I protect myself from my cat? And what if doves get infected too? In most big cities there are hundreds of them... I hope that the media is just overvaluing the threat of this flu and that we will find an effective medicament soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted March 1, 2006 Author Share Posted March 1, 2006 I personally getting a little concerned about the spread of the bird flu. I have been reading more about this also in the past few months and I am more concerned I think because of how hard the governments are trying to downplay it. They make a bigger deal about the seasonal flu (Which has just wiped me a my household out for the past 3 days which is why I have been Missing in Action LOL). Working at a drug company taught me the harder you work at keeping something quiet because of Unknown factors, the bigger the deal may become if worse comes to worse. I am concerened but not "worried" I think being concerened and Worried are 2 different things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doogster Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 And BTW, how you clean your chickens, makes no difference. Unless they were alive when you bought them, and cleaned them immediately after killing them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 This month's issue of the National Geographic has an article about the bird flu. It just came, so I haven't read it yet, but because of this question I shall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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