Bird Flu...

Snuffy

Bronze
May 3, 2002
1,462
6
0
I am hearing chatter that people fear Bird Flu here. Did I miss something or was there a case of Bird Flu here? People are saying they will not eat chicken here anymore. This just came on the line today. Can someone update me please.
 

Mirador

On Permanent Vacation!
Apr 15, 2004
3,563
0
0
Snuffy said:
I am hearing chatter that people fear Bird Flu here. Did I miss something or was there a case of Bird Flu here? People are saying they will not eat chicken here anymore. This just came on the line today. Can someone update me please.

Snuffy, nothing that should keep you awake right now. I suggest you www.google.com for information. Here's something I found, and could be all you need to know at the moment...

Bird Flu Hoax
 

expatsooner

Bronze
Aug 7, 2004
712
11
0
I would say it is very possible, in fact almost 100% sure, that there is bird flu here.... just not the H5N1 virus that is the strain that is feared to be the cause of the next possible pandemic.

Wild birds are reservoirs of bird flu but it is important to remember that these viruses are made of two groups of proteins so there are many, many strains. It is the H5N1 strain that is currently so dangerous. And there haven't been any confirmed cases in the DR or South America that I have read about.

It is def. a situation worth monitoring however.
 

Mirador

On Permanent Vacation!
Apr 15, 2004
3,563
0
0
facts to ponder...

Did you know that Tamiflu, the only drug purported to be effective against the H5N1 virus strain of Avian Flu, is derived from Star Anise, and that the pharmaceutical company Roche, the exclusive manufacturers of Tamiflu, has a corner on 90% of the world production of this plant, grown mostly in four provinces of China, where Avian Flu originated?
 

Conchman

Silver
Jul 3, 2002
4,586
160
63
57
www.oceanworld.net
I once had this computer guy who always found viruses on my computer and then charged me a lot to fix them. It took him hours to clean these complicated viruses off my computer. Then a week later another virus would show up and he had the magical solution. Then I hired a different guy and I never had viruses again.

Its a good business, cause the disease and then sell the solution.
 

expatsooner

Bronze
Aug 7, 2004
712
11
0
Conchman said:
A parrot in England (still in quarantine) that came from South America had the deadly strain, it was reported last week.


It is still up in the air about where the parrot contracted the disease because it was in quarantine with birds from Taiwan. Some of the Taiwanese birds also died and lab tests where inconclusive on whether or not they had bird flu as well.

Did you know that Tamiflu, the only drug purported to be effective against the H5N1 virus strain of Avian Flu Mirador

Some studies now are showing that Tamiflu might not be very effective against the H5N1 virus and that is a very scary thought.

On a related note -

My children were given a wild bird by a guard while walking with the nanny. Unfortunately someone has amputated its wing so it can't ever fly again. We are keeping it in a cage in the hallway instead of the house and the childern aren't allowed to handle it just because of the bird flu scare.

Maybe someone here can identify it - it is a little bigger than a wren and is brown with black lines around the feathers on the breast. It has a long pointed bill and has been able to survive the last couple of weeks on seeds. Anyone have any ideas?
 

Mirador

On Permanent Vacation!
Apr 15, 2004
3,563
0
0
expatsooner said:
Maybe someone here can identify it - it is a little bigger than a wren and is brown with black lines around the feathers on the breast. It has a long pointed bill and has been able to survive the last couple of weeks on seeds. Anyone have any ideas?

It's the official national bird, the palm chat.
 

DominicanScotty

On Vacation!
Jun 12, 2004
1,300
2
0
64
This just in...

Roche, the company that produces the drug has stopped shipping it out because countries are hoarding the drug.
 

Mirador

On Permanent Vacation!
Apr 15, 2004
3,563
0
0
Chickens recovered from bird flu (H5N1) after having been fed kimchi (South Korea's spicy fermented cabbage dish)... I googled "bird flu" plus "kimchi" and got 15200 hits.