We have been repeatedly warned by leading medical professionals and government health officials that a severe influenza pandemic is a very real possibility, with potential global death tolls exceeding 100 million. We are told that a pandemic will likely last 12-18 months in multiple waves, and to expect widespread social disruption. We are told that we need to stockpile non-perishable food and water, as our food supply chain and utilities may become severely degraded or completely inoperative. Yet there is little information available from them on how families can prepare for such a long term traumatic event. 
In the last few years, the avian flu, or bird flu, has become a growing worry around the world. Although avian influenza once infected only birds, the new avian flu virus that has emerged from Asia can be passed on from birds to humans with deadly results. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are closely monitoring what could be the next deadly flu pandemic, especially the possibility of the virus mutating into a strand that could be transmitted from human to human. "Avian Flu" examines the history and science of this disease, as well as how it affects the body. This book also discusses the symptoms and treatment, bringing forward vital information on this timely topic.| Bird Flu Vaccine |
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 Effective bird flu vaccines against a pandemic virus are not yet available to the public. Some clinical trials are now under way to test effectiveness of different possibilities. Vaccines are produced each year for seasonal influenza but will not protect against pandemic influenza. Although a vaccine against the H5N1 virus is under development in several countries, no vaccine is totally ready for commercial production and no vaccines are expected to be widely available until several months after the start of a pandemic.The irony of it is really related to how a vaccine works. Only after an illness has spread, can an effective vaccine be perfected. Because the vaccine needs to closely match the pandemic virus, large-scale commercial production will not start until the new virus has emerged and a pandemic has been declared. Current global production capacity would not meet the demand expected during a pandemic. There are some drugs that are available for treatment. Two drugs (in the neuraminidase inhibitors class), oseltamivir (commercially known as Tamiflu) and zanamivir (commercially known as Relenza) can reduce the severity and duration of illness caused by seasonal influenza. The efficacy of the neuraminidase inhibitors depends on their administration within 48 hours after symptom onset. For cases of human infection with H5N1, the drugs may improve prospects of survival, if administered early, but clinical data are limited. The H5N1 virus is expected to be susceptible to the neuraminidase inhibitors. An older class of antiviral drugs, the M2 inhibitors amantadine and rimantadine, could potentially be used against pandemic influenza, but resistance to these drugs can develop rapidly and this could significantly limit their effectiveness against pandemic influenza. Some currently circulating H5N1 strains are fully resistant to these the M2 inhibitors. However, should a new virus emerge through reassortment, the M2 inhibitors might be effective. For the neuraminidase inhibitors, the main constraints – which are substantial – involve limited production capacity and a price that is prohibitively high for many countries. At present manufacturing capacity, which has recently quadrupled, it will take a decade to produce enough oseltamivir to treat 20% of the world’s population. The manufacturing process for oseltamivir is complex and time-consuming, and is not easily transferred to other facilities. So far, most fatal pneumonia seen in cases of H5N1 infection has resulted from the effects of the virus, and cannot be treated with antibiotics. Nonetheless, since influenza is often complicated by secondary bacterial infection of the lungs, antibiotics could be life-saving in the case of late-onset pneumonia. WHO regards it as prudent for countries to ensure adequate supplies of antibiotics in advance. |
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bird flu - Google News
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Op-Ed Contributor - New York Times
Novavax Wins Flu Vaccine Deal in Spain; Shares Surge - Washington Post
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Experts divided on treatment for birdflu patients - Reuters
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Swine flu deaths top bird flu toll - Financial Times
 CTV.ca | Swine flu deaths top bird flu toll Financial Times The latest figures from the World Health Organisation show there have been 311 confirmed deaths around the world from the H1N1 swine flu ... Swine flu: alert, not yet alarmed Egypt reports another case of A/H1N1 flu FACTBOX-Worldwide spread of flu outbreak |
Two more flu A/H1N1 deaths reported in Aisa-Pacific region - Xinhua
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Op-Ed Contributor - New York Times
 Times Online | Op-Ed Contributor New York Times After decades of ignoring the influenza threat, the 2005 emergence of a virulent strain of H5N1 bird flu spawned global concern. ... Travel bans not yet decided over flu pandemic WHO 'set to declare flu pandemic' Swine flu is officially a pandemic. But don't worry ... not yet ... |
Google Video - bird flu
Bird Flu 101
The most recent strain of avian influenza has scientists speculating about a worldwide pandemic. Find out how concerned you should be.
Bird Flu
Many experts believe that the bird flu virus that triggers the next human pandemic may come from filthy, crowded factory farms. Read more about ...
Bird Flu Prompts Mass Duck Kill in China
Bird Flu Prompts Mass Duck Kill in China http://www.cntv.us/en/index.php?option=com_content...
Science Corner (102) Bird Flu
Science Corner takes the Uzi of science and mows down the lie facts and
Bird Flu, Bible Prophecy, and the King James version Bible Code
Copyright 2007 by T. Chase. Could Avian Flu, Bird Flu Influenza, cause a world Flu epidemic in people soon? Bird Flu has been seen in birds and ...
Bird Flu 101
The most recent strain of avian influenza has scientists speculating about a worldwide pandemic. Find out how concerned you should be.
video.about.com
Bird Flu
Many experts believe that the bird flu virus that triggers the next human pandemic may come from filthy, crowded factory farms. Read more about ...
www.youtube.com
Bird Flu Prompts Mass Duck Kill in China
Bird Flu Prompts Mass Duck Kill in China http://www.cntv.us/en/index.php?option=com_content...
fr.video.yahoo.com
Science Corner (102) Bird Flu
Science Corner takes the Uzi of science and mows down the lie facts and
www.funnyordie.com
Bird Flu, Bible Prophecy, and the King James version Bible Code
Copyright 2007 by T. Chase. Could Avian Flu, Bird Flu Influenza, cause a world Flu epidemic in people soon? Bird Flu has been seen in birds and ...
video.yahoo.com
Amazon.com: bird flu in Amazon.com
Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic
"Marc Siegel is an articulate voice of reason in a world beset by hype and hysteria. We would be well advised to listen closely to what he has to say."
-Jerome Groopman, M.D., staff writer, the New Yorker
"Siegel cuts through the hype about the 'deadly' this and the 'lethal' that, and applies reason in seeking the answers."
-John M. Barry, author of The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History
"Timely and needed. At such times, we need soothsayers and explicators to redirect the ready-fire-aim mindset. Siegel's book fulfills this role well."
-The Journal of the American Medical Association
As bird flu sweeps through Asia, the rest of the world has begun to worry that it might spread west and start infecting humans. As many experts have pointed out, an influenza pandemic is only a matter of time and that time could be now. Or is it? In Bird Flu, Dr. Marc Siegel cuts through the hype, the facts, the fears, and the realities to explain what has the experts so worried and why there's still plenty of reason to be calm. Among the questions he answers are:
* What is bird flu, and who has it?
* What can I do to protect my family?
* Should I stockpile Tamiflu?
* Will this be like the deadly Spanish flu of 1918?
* Why is there no bird flu vaccine?
* Will the annual flu shot protect me?
In his sensible and entertaining style, Siegel looks at the advances we've made in treatments, the research still to be done, and the challenges ahead for Asia to lay out a realistic plan for ending this global threat. While a bird flu outbreak in the United States may or may not happen this year, there's still a great deal of work to be done in readying America for outbreaks of any kind.
Author: Marc Siegel
Paperback: 208 pages
Company: Wiley (2006-01-23)
ISBN: 0470038640
List Price: $12.95
Amazon Price: $0.17
Used Price: $0.17
Bird Flu What to Do: Prepare to Survive
BIRD FLU WHAT TO DO: PREPARE TO SURVIVE is a concise, yet comprehensive book that outlines disaster preparation - with a particular focus on what to do if there is an influenza pandemic - for ordinary citizens, covering food/water storage, special needs of those unable to care for themselves, neighborhood and community organization, home health care under dire circumstance, quarantine preparation, and safety/security issues at home. The book both consolidates resources available to the public and goes beyond what is accessible to the ordinary citizen with contributions from experts in diverse fields, and an extended appendix covering what to get, where to get it and additional information that could prove lifesaving.
God's Strategy for the Bird Flu Pandemic
We are facing a deadly H5N1 Virus of apocalyptic proportions. Read how the miraculous power of God was the answer to the flu in 1918 and is your answer today.
Author: Glen, E Talbott
Paperback: 92 pages
Company: Xulon Press (2006-06-29)
ISBN: 1600341675
List Price: $10.99
Amazon Price: $5.90
Used Price: $5.58
Bird Flu: A Virus of Our Own Hatching
From age-old scourges such as smallpox and tuberculosis to emerging threats like AIDS and SARS, our interactions with animals have always played a pivotal role as a source of human disease. Bird flu is the latest such menace coming home to roost. Leading public health authorities now predict as inevitable a pandemic of influenza, triggered by bird flu and expected to lead to millions of deaths around the globe.
When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad!: How Safe Are We? (24/7: Science Behind the Scenes)
Medical Files examines the science and technology behind some of the most fascinating medical cases and mysteries, from flesh-eating diseases to deadly mosquito bites, and more.
Author: John DiConsiglio
Paperback: 64 pages
Company: Children's Press(CT) (2007-09)
ISBN: 0531175286
List Price: $7.95
Amazon Price: $3.94
Used Price: $1.46
Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic
"Marc Siegel is an articulate voice of reason in a world beset by hype and hysteria. We would be well advised to listen closely to what he has to say."-Jerome Groopman, M.D., staff writer, the New Yorker
"Siegel cuts through the hype about the 'deadly' this and the 'lethal' that, and applies reason in seeking the answers."
-John M. Barry, author of The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History
"Timely and needed. At such times, we need soothsayers and explicators to redirect the ready-fire-aim mindset. Siegel's book fulfills this role well."
-The Journal of the American Medical Association
As bird flu sweeps through Asia, the rest of the world has begun to worry that it might spread west and start infecting humans. As many experts have pointed out, an influenza pandemic is only a matter of time and that time could be now. Or is it? In Bird Flu, Dr. Marc Siegel cuts through the hype, the facts, the fears, and the realities to explain what has the experts so worried and why there's still plenty of reason to be calm. Among the questions he answers are:
* What is bird flu, and who has it?
* What can I do to protect my family?
* Should I stockpile Tamiflu?
* Will this be like the deadly Spanish flu of 1918?
* Why is there no bird flu vaccine?
* Will the annual flu shot protect me?
In his sensible and entertaining style, Siegel looks at the advances we've made in treatments, the research still to be done, and the challenges ahead for Asia to lay out a realistic plan for ending this global threat. While a bird flu outbreak in the United States may or may not happen this year, there's still a great deal of work to be done in readying America for outbreaks of any kind.
Author: Marc Siegel
Paperback: 208 pages
Company: Wiley (2006-01-23)
ISBN: 0470038640
List Price: $12.95
Amazon Price: $0.17
Used Price: $0.17
Bird Flu What to Do: Prepare to Survive
BIRD FLU WHAT TO DO: PREPARE TO SURVIVE is a concise, yet comprehensive book that outlines disaster preparation - with a particular focus on what to do if there is an influenza pandemic - for ordinary citizens, covering food/water storage, special needs of those unable to care for themselves, neighborhood and community organization, home health care under dire circumstance, quarantine preparation, and safety/security issues at home. The book both consolidates resources available to the public and goes beyond what is accessible to the ordinary citizen with contributions from experts in diverse fields, and an extended appendix covering what to get, where to get it and additional information that could prove lifesaving. The book is not fear based, but attempts to normalize disaster preparation, posing it as one the most socially responsible thing we can "just do." This book fills the gap between what public health can do and what we ordinary citizens need to do. Communities, neighborhoods, and families that have made the effort to prepare to survive natural disasters will be more resilient if and when a natural disaster occurs.
Author: Verona Fonté
Paperback: 144 pages
Company: Iris Arts Press (2006-06-01)
ISBN: 0977103714
List Price: $14.95
Amazon Price: $6.48
Used Price: $5.94
God's Strategy for the Bird Flu Pandemic
We are facing a deadly H5N1 Virus of apocalyptic proportions. Read how the miraculous power of God was the answer to the flu in 1918 and is your answer today.Author: Glen, E Talbott
Paperback: 92 pages
Company: Xulon Press (2006-06-29)
ISBN: 1600341675
List Price: $10.99
Amazon Price: $5.90
Used Price: $5.58
Bird Flu: A Virus of Our Own Hatching
From age-old scourges such as smallpox and tuberculosis to emerging threats like AIDS and SARS, our interactions with animals have always played a pivotal role as a source of human disease. Bird flu is the latest such menace coming home to roost. Leading public health authorities now predict as inevitable a pandemic of influenza, triggered by bird flu and expected to lead to millions of deaths around the globe.The influenza virus has existed for millions of years as an innocuous intestinal virus of wild ducks. What turned a harmless waterborne duck virus into a killer? In Bird Flu, Dr. Michael Greger traces the human role in the evolution of this virus, whose humble beginnings belie its transformation into a killer mutant strain with the potential to become as ferocious as Ebola and as contagious as the common cold. In the face of the coming pandemic, Dr. Greger reveals what we can do to protect our families and what human society to can do to reduce the likelihood of such catastrophes in the future.
Amid the growing panic surrounding this issue, Dr. Greger takes a sobering look at a deadly cycle and offers a solution to ending it.
Author: Michael Greger
Hardcover: 465 pages
Company: Lantern Books (2006-11-15)
ISBN: 1590560981
List Price: $30.00
Amazon Price: $15.39
Used Price: $7.47
When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad!: How Safe Are We? (24/7: Science Behind the Scenes)
Medical Files examines the science and technology behind some of the most fascinating medical cases and mysteries, from flesh-eating diseases to deadly mosquito bites, and more.Author: John DiConsiglio
Paperback: 64 pages
Company: Children's Press(CT) (2007-09)
ISBN: 0531175286
List Price: $7.95
Amazon Price: $3.94
Used Price: $1.46