 Viral Diseases |
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Viral Diseases
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Symptoms of Influenza Virus Infection
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There is more than just one influenza virus. There are actually a number of different influenza viruses and they all have the ability to mutate or change. Sometimes they change slowly over time (this is referred to as drift), but sometimes they change suddenly (this is referred to as shift). The symptoms of influenza are usually more severe when a virus has made a sudden shift. Experts say that these shifts occur about every ten years and are the major causes of pandemics or world-wide epidemics.
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Latest Info On Avian Influenza Outbreaks
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The most recent info on avian influenza available from the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that Indonesia has had a total of 69 confirmed human cases, since 2003. The avian influenza statistics compiled by WHO include only confirmed cases of human infection and death resulting from infection with the H5N1 virus. Any influenza virus that infects birds is referred to as avian influenza. Only influenza type A viruses infect both people and birds. Of the influenza A viruses that have been found in both birds and people, scientists are most concerned about H5N1. This virus has caused death in humans, while humans have been infected with other strains of avian influenza (H7 and H9) they have only caused mild illness and have only been found in people who had contact with sick or dead birds. H5N1 is believed to have been transmitted by human to human contact in one family in Indonesia in 2006.
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Facts About the Flu Shot
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In order to protect yourself from the influenza virus, you may be considering getting a flu shot this year. In order to help you make an informed decision, here are some facts about flu shots and vaccines in general.
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Symptoms of Bird Flu
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Although wild birds carry the viruses, they are usually unaffected by symptoms of bird flu. It is domesticated birds (chickens, ducks and turkeys) in which avian flu symptoms cause sickness and sometimes death. The symptoms of bird flu in domesticated poultry may be mild causing ruffled feathers and low egg production or severe causing disease that affects multiple organs and death in 90-100% of flocks in as little as 48 hours. It is believed that the degree of difference in avian flu symptoms is related to the strain of the flu virus infecting the birds.
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Avian Flu Info
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The avian flu info that you hear on the nightly news and that your neighbors tell you about may differ form what you can read in reports from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) or the World Health Organization (WHO). All that most people want to know is "what is bird flu" and "how easy is it to get".
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