Oh no...

[Hawkeye]

If they just took their goddamn time and contained this in Vietnam or wherever, this wouldnt be such a big problem. Those farmers didnt want to lose their chickens, and now the whole world is at risk. That is incredible.

[Teek]

I wouldn't worry too much about it until it grows a bit more in proportion. udsuna has just been reading The Stand too much.

[udsuna]

Actually, I was thinking Outbreak was a more appropriate parallel. The Stand SUCKED. And I'm making a cautious estimate. All it takes to put the entire species in peril is three ingredients-
1 something new and unpredictable (check).
2 incompetent leadership (BIG check)
3 irresponsible citizens (check and understatement of the century)

[Shoden]

Theres not definate it's going to hit the UK but it's smart to brace ourselves, I'm getting a flu jab for once coz no way I'm putting up with an extremely bad flu.

[Rengori]

This is one of those things where it is better to try and kill all the birds at risk and take the finacial hit. Don't let stuff develop. Kill before it gets to that point.

An a for effort, but I doubt it'll work.

Shoden: I'll get a flu shot when it reaches America. Which if we're lucky, won't be for a while. But we're not, so I might as well get a doctor's appointment soon.

[udsuna]

Uh.... guys.... flu shots aren't going to work. Unless they develop one specifically for THIS virus, it won't help at all. Which is what they're trying to do right now.... if normal rates are any indication, it'll be ready about this time next decade.

[nik0tine]

Sounds like media scare tactics to me. I'm not too worried.

[lordblazer]

On THAT, we most avidly agree. Although the Bubonic's 1/3 of the population of Europe record will probably not be reached. It has an edge, of sorts: you can only catch a strain of flu once. After that, you're immune until a sufficiently mutated version finds you, and even then you're more resistant- which is why current flu's are little more than an annoyance. Bubonic is a bacteria- it can infect the same host many, many times over. Eventually it WILL get you, if you're constantly getting repeat exposure. And since it's rats and fleas that are carriers, you get PLENTLY of exposure. At least, in medieval europe where people didn't bathe.

lol Europe wasn't the entire world. though. You would have to add in a population of 80 million. During those times.

Probaly 50 million. I'm talking Earth's population of humans of course


Man anyway this bird flu htingy is bad.. Its sut a kick int he ball sack right there.

[ShunNakamura]

First day: no symptoms, not yet contagious.
Second day: contageous, a little tired feeling.
Third day: REALLY sick, headaches, nausia, throwing up, fever all that jazz.
Fourth day: even more sick, same symptoms, however you're weak from the strain of the prior day.
Fifth day: if it's anything like other high-power flu strains, the fever would probably cause mild hallucinations by now- the weakest of those infected (young children and the elderly) are in real danger, and some may already have died.
Sixth day: now many adults are in danger- those more vulnerable due to other illnesses, at least, are at serious risk.
Seventh day: if you're healthy, and lucky, the fever should break, if not: you're probably going to die.
Eighth day: if you made it this far, you've survived the flu, and should be forever immune to its effects in the future. It'll probably be several more days before you've recovered: it's been almost a week since you've been able to keep any food down, and you've probably been losing almost all of your water to sweating. And you're almost surely still contagious. For a couple days or so, at least.

Wow... All I can say is I wish I had only be sick for a total of 10-12(you did say several more days) days from an illness. Took me from mid december(or november don't recall which) to the end of April/Early May to shake what the doctor told me was Bronchitis. Ughh... that was awful. Actually many of the symptoms you listed I had. I threw up more those few months then in my life all added up. Not to mention being feverous for months on end is awful. I am still of the opinion that it was either a real bad case of Bronchitis or something worse.

Anyways this could really suck. I sure hope if it does spread it won't be that bad.

[fire_of_avalon]

Eh, if I'm gonna die might as well die from something crazy.

And I liked The Stand >:O!

[Teek]

Yeah, I didn't think The Stand sucked at all.

[Leeza]

I thought The Stand was excellent.

From the information on this site, I'm not too worried about the bird flu because it doesn't look like it's easy to catch, unless you're in contact with an infected bird.



How Avian Flu Spreads from Birds to People

It is important not to confuse human cases of avian influenza with cases of human influenza. Human influenza ("the flu") is a common respiratory disease that spreads easily and rapidly from person to person. Although different strains of avian flu virus circulate year-round among birds, the virus does not usually spread to people.

In rare instances, however, people do contract avian flu. The exact mode of transmission from birds to people is not known, but most human cases of avian flu have been traced to direct contact with live infected birds or their droppings. The scientific evidence to date shows that avian flu virus does not spread easily or rapidly from one person to another.

[Rengori]

I thought The Stand was excellent.

From the information on this site, I'm not too worried about the bird flu because it doesn't look like it's easy to catch, unless you're in contact with an infected bird.



How Avian Flu Spreads from Birds to People

It is important not to confuse human cases of avian influenza with cases of human influenza. Human influenza ("the flu") is a common respiratory disease that spreads easily and rapidly from person to person. Although different strains of avian flu virus circulate year-round among birds, the virus does not usually spread to people.

In rare instances, however, people do contract avian flu. The exact mode of transmission from birds to people is not known, but most human cases of avian flu have been traced to direct contact with live infected birds or their droppings. The scientific evidence to date shows that avian flu virus does not spread easily or rapidly from one person to another.

People are more woried about the chance of the virus mutating so that can easily spread from human to human.

[Madame Adequate]

It doesn't really matter if it hits Europe or not from a direct Human perspective. Most transportation throughout the world is now so easy that a form which can be transmitted from person to person would be a massive danger wherever it started. However, it should still be contained because the fewer places it exists in - ie the fewer number of birds infected - the lower the chances of it mutating.

But still, this sounds like a scare tactic to me. I don't think it terribly likely to mutate in the exact manner required, but hey, maybe it will. I'm not terribly worried though. I'll worry about it when it actually starts happening.

[Shlup]

People are more woried about the chance of the virus mutating so that can easily spread from human to human.

That's the way I heard it too.