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Bird Flu-Latest News
Here we will try and keep you up to date on the latest events as they happen!! BIRD FLUE SURVIVAL GUIDE AVAILABLE HERE! Update 5th April 2006 BIRD FLU OFFICIALLY IN BRITAIN Controversy and accusations of too little too late have been aired on National television, as the whole of the UK braces itself for what seems the inevitable news, that the Swan Found Dead on a Scottish Beach in Fife, did indeed die of the H5N1 Strain of the Bird Flu Virus. Prelimerary tests are positive for Bird Flu, and it is Highly Likely that it is of the H5N1 Strain. A leading Virologist accused DEFRA and the Goverment of not ordering Vaccines months ago, when other European States did so! A 3 KM Quarantine and Observation Zone has been put into place around the site of the Swans Discovery. Worringly, the Swan was already decomposed when found, and so had been dead a couple of days. Meaning that the virus has been in the UK that length of time also, giving the possibility that other Birds, Animals or even People could have been exposed to it. The coming days will be a crucial observation period for wildlife and domestic animals too!
Update 4th April 2006 FOUR PEOPLE INFECTED WITH BIRD FLU IN EGYPT WITH TWO DEATHS SO FAR World Health Oranisation Labs in Britain have confirmed that samples taken from Four suspected "Human Cases" of Bird Flu in Egypt have tested positive for the deadly H5N1 Strain of the Virus.Two of those infected have died of the virus, confirming its frightening 50% Mortality Rate is still continuing! Update 30th March 2006 BIRD FLU VACCINE INEFFECTIVE Trials of the first "Bird Flu" vaccine in the USA has found that it is only effective in 50% of the people, it is administered toeven after the required two doses! These findings were released after the US Goverment had reportedly ordered $162 Million worth of the H5N1 Vaccine last year, in readiness for a human pandemic of the virus! Test are continuing, including the use of a third dose! Update 16th March 2006 BIRD FLU DEATHS IN HUMANS LIKELY TO TOP 100 WORLDWIDE SO FAR! The results of tests on three women who died in Azerbaijan are being awaited, although it is highly likely that they died from H5N1 Avian Flu. The three women were all aged between 17 and 21 years old. If tests are positive then Azerbaijan will be the eighth nation to report Human Deaths from Bird Flu, and this would push the Human Bird Flu Death Toll beyond 100! It is not known how the women were exposed to the Virus, but it was reported in Birds in the region last month.
Update 14th March 2006 REPORT SUGGESTS THAT THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF A BIRD FLU PANDEMIC ARE GOING TO BE SEVERE BUT SHORT! The International monetary Fund (IMF) has reported its theories on the effects of a worldwide Avian Flu Pandemic. It states that initially most businesse and institutions would suffer as workers are either sick, caring for other sick family members or staying away from work to avoid contact with the virus! This should subside as recovery takes place. All forms of Industry would be affected, including Banking, Communications and Financial services as staffing levels reach all time lows. This would have a knock on effect across the whole economy worldwide, slowing down communications, money transfers and transportation of goods. Fiscal Industry would also be afected as Countries shift their spending to the supply of resources,Anti Viral drugs, Masks etc. To contain and fight the outbreak!
Update 6th March 2006 MORE CATS TEST POSITIVE FOR BIRD FLU Three Cats at an Austrian Animal Shelter in Graz have tested Positve for Bird Flu. The shelter is believed to have unknowingly taken in some infected Birds during Feburary! This increases the concern that the virus could be transmitted to the Feline population by Airborne means, rather than actually eating infected Birds! Cat and Dog owners in Germany have been advised to keep their Animals indoors or on a leash in infected areas! Update 2nd March 2006 BIRD FLU THREATENS MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS It has been reported that should the virus mutate to a form that can be transmitted from human to human, then major sporting events such as the world cup would have to be cancelled. It would pose a logistical nightmare to have hundreds of thousands of people moving throughout Europe to decend on Germany for World Cup rounds. Coughing and sneezing over each other, and providing a perfect scenario for the virus to migrate in a human form back home with the supporters. Update 28th Feb2006 BIRD FLU SPREADS TO DOMESTIC ANIMALS It has been confirmed that a cat found dead on the German "Baltic Sea" Island of Reugen, has tested positve for H5N1 Avian Flu. It is the first known case of any other animal besides birds being infected in Europe!! It is unknown whether Cats could pass H5N1 to humans easier than is the case with Birds at the moment! Update 19th Feb2006 FRANCE INOCULATES POULTRY AS EXPERTS MEET ON CRISIS France began inoculating what is estimated to be around one million Free Range Ducks and Geese on Monday, amid fears of the further spread of Avian Flu. The birds are destined for the production of Frances Famous Foi Gras Pate, and cannot be practically reared indoors. Meanwhile a large contingent of veterinary experts from fifty countries are meeting in France to debate the best course of action to tackle and try to control the epidemic in the bird and Animal population. Update 19th Feb2006 HUGE BIRD CULL IN INDIA A huge cull of approximately half a million Birds is underway in India after sveral thousand Birds died from H5N1 Avian Flu on a farm in Maharashtra in Western India! Update 09th Jan 2006 BIRD FLU NOW OFFICIALLY IN EUROPE!! This is the second update for the 09th of January. It is worrying groundbreaking news!!....The Turkish Bird Flu Outbreak has crossed the River Bhosphorous, the dividing line between Europe and Asia and has now reached Turkeys "Industrial Capital" Istanbul. This has been met with a cull on domestic and farm fowl in and around the Historic City. Some say this is too little, too late!! Human cases of suspected Bird Flu are awaiting tests. Every new case of human infection brings the possibility of the virus mutating, into a form easily transmissable between humans! Update 09th Jan 2006 Deadly Virus Is Heading West As It Spreads Across Turkey! With Five New Cases of Human Infection! Within the space of a week, the Deadly Bird Flu Virus has spread across Turkey and is now as far West as Ankara, which is Turkeys Capital City. Last week, two children in the Eastern Province of Van, and were confirmed Victims of Bird Flu. The virus. These are the first confirmed human deaths from the Virus outside of South East Asia. Three cases were reported close to Ankara yesterday, bringing the total number of probable H5N1 Avian Flu infection in Humans in Turkey to 14! The WHO is only confirming two deaths out of Three in Van to be caused by H5N1! Although the odds are high that the other "probable" 12 cases are indeed Bird Flu in Humans. There are rumoured to be at least 48 suspected incidents of Bird Flu infection in Turkey, which is a very frightening statistic, as the Deadly Virus spreads towards Europe. Update 24th Dec 2005 Virus May Be Becoming Resistant To First Line Of Defense! There has been a reported case of Tamiflu resistance by the H5N1 Avian Flu virus. It was a member of a victims family being given a low dose of the Anti Viral Drug as a precaution, who then went on to develop the virus, and it resisted treatment to the Anti Viral Drug. It has now been urged that Tamiflu is only administerd within 48 hours of Flu symptoms, to help prevent Immunity building up, in any Human Variant of the deadly Bird Flu.The frightening news there is that people maybe denied Tamiflu if their symptoms are too advanced, even though it may possibly help them survive the attack. Also Tamiflu is the main Anti Viral Drug being stockpiled around the world, including the UK. The other Anti Viral Drug that showed promising results against the H5N1 virus is Relenza.
Update 21st Dec 2005 Indonesian Boy Dies From Bird Flue in Capital of Jakarta A Ten year old boy has died in a hos[ital in the Indonesian Capital of Jakarta from H5N1 Avian Flu. Resulta are also being awaited on the cause of death of a 39 year old man, also from Indonesia, whon is thought to have died from the deadly Bird Flu. Update 8th Nov 2005 Organizations Meet To discuss Pandemic Tactics Several of the Most Influential bodies in the world are currently holding a meeting in Geneva between the 7th-9th November,to discuss theor joint tactics in the outbreak of a Bird Flue PAndemic. Also being discussed is the control of the Virus in the Animal Kingdom, to help prevent it Mutating into a readily transmittable Human Form. These Organizations include, The World Heath Organization, The Food and Agriculture Organization, The Organization For Animal Wealthfare and The World Bank!! Update 7th Nov 2005 WHO Releases Cumulative Human Bird Flue Infection and Fatality Figures The World Health Oranization has released a report with the Total Number of Human cases of Avian Flu, H5N1. All of these have been in South East Asiaa, the Total Number being 124 people infected with the dealy Bird Flu. The Number resulting in Death was 63. That gives an Official Fatality rate for the virus of more than FIFTY PERCENT! Update 6th Nov 2005 China Testing Suspevted Human Cases of Bird Flu China has asked for outside help to test three suspevted cases of Bird Flue in Humans, including the death of a Twelve Year Old Girl last month from Flu like symptoms! Update 31st Oct 2005 Bird Flu Creeps Further into Europe It has been confirmed that Ten Swans found dead in a Pond in Croatia were killed by the Deadly Avian Flu H5N1. Also just has wild Bird imports had been banned, Germany announced that two Swans had been found dead there with the suspected cause being Bird Flue. Update 29th Oct 2005 Ban on The Import Of Wild Birds!! Earlier tis week the European Union agreed a ban on the importation of Exotic Birds, to reduce the risk of further spreading of Avian Flu, this however has not been extended to Poultry yet! Update 23rd Oct 2005 Britain Calls For A Ban on The Import Of Wild Birds!! Britain has called for a ban on the importation of wild birds into Europe, to help stop "Back Door" instances of infection and the spread of the Deadly Avian Virus. This would impact some businesses, especially retailers of exotic Birds such as Parrots etc. Update 22nd Oct 2005 Bird Flu Found in UK and In Sweden!! This week a Parrot in Quarantine in the UK died of the H5N1 Avian Flu Virus. It was being Quarantined along with other birds, including some from Taiwan. All the remaining birds were humanely culled. Britain insists its status is still "Diseaes Free" as the virus was nipped in the bud in quarantined conditions!! In Sweden a Duck has died of a strain of Bird Flu, near the capital of Stockholm. It is not yet confirmede to be of the H5N1 Strain, though this is the most likely cause!! Update 20th Oct 2005 Death Of Man In Thailand From H5N1 Avian Flu A man has died in Thailand after eating an infected bird. The 48 year old man ahd cooked and eaten a sick chicken. He was admitted to hospital with suspected Phneumonia, but tested negative for Bird Flu. Only after his death did he test positive. The mans Seven year old son has also been admitted to Hospital with suspected Bird Flu.The death is the 13th Human death from Bird Flue in Thailand since the disease first emerged. Update 19th Oct 2005 Fresh Outbreak of H5N1 Bird Flu in China The Xinhua News Agency has reported the deaths of 2,600 Birds from the Avian Flu. The outbreak occurred in Inner Mongolia at a small Poultry Farm close to the regions Capital of Hohut. Update 19th Oct 2005 United Kingdom have announced Bird Flue everybody in the UK is to be offered Immunisation. If a Pandemic ocurrs an you show symptoms of the
Flu, you should contact your GP immediately.
The Department of Health today announced plans to buy 120 Million Doses of H5N1 Bird Flu Vaccine when it becomes available. That is eough for every person "Officially resident" in the UK. That is enough Bird Flu Vaccine for two doses per person, as that is the amount that is said to be needed to protect a person against the Avian Flue.
Although a welcome move from the UK Goverment, it still doesn't alleviate all fears as:-
Although there is presently no proven vaccine developed
for Bird Flue, there are precautionary measures that........
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