Bird Flu In Britain - We Are All Going To Die

Bird flu has reached Britain. One hundred and sixty thousand turkeys have recently been called in Suffolk, England. This was after the local farmers looking after the birds decided that some of the birds looked unwell and called in the inspectors. After appropriate testing it was found that the birds were suffering from the dangerous strain of bird flu virus and that an exclusion zone needed to be kept around the bird habitat and the birds were killed.

Time for panic or at least so it would seem.

The first mention of bird flu, especially in Western countries, is usually met with the blind assumption that we?re all going to die. Nothing, of course, can be further from the truth and facts show that only 160 people have died around the world from bird flu. All of these have been in close proximity to infected birds. Try explaining this to the general population and you will be met with disbelief.

As yet we have not been subjected to true human bird flu. The virus, at the moment, is contained within birds, although it can spread to humans, there is not yet any known human spread. That is to say there is no reason to suspect that humans have passed on the mutated virus to other humans. When it does, it is highly likely that this spread will be quite rampant. And, of course, there will be deaths?there are deaths in normal flu epidemics. But the deaths will be mainly due to general debility or other intercurrent illnesses which have been affected by the flu virus itself.

It is highly likely that the mutated flu virus?the one that travels between humans---will be much less dangerous than the bird flu virus itself.

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How Bird Flu Is Manifested In Humans

Professor Peter Openshaw, head of respiratory infections at National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London answered some questions regarding bird flu symptoms.

Which are the symptoms of the bird flu in humans? The symptoms of bird flu in humans are similar with those of an ordinary flu with fever, cough, muscle aches and short breath. Pay attention if your temperature goes up to 38 degrees, it might be bird flu but, if the temperature is lower it might be only a common flu. In almost half of the cases bird flu seems to be like an abdominal flu with diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting. So, to be sure you should perform some tests, if you hadn?t been in contact with sick poultry then you don?t need to worry for sure it?s only an ordinary flu.

How to be sure that is bird flu and not any other common flu? After the exposure in 3-7 days the symptoms develop. By the time patients get to the hospital it is too late to follow a treatment with antiviral agents.

How quickly is manifested the disease ? Bird flu should be treated within two days after developing fever of 38 degrees, that?s why is so important to measure your temperature. Severe symptoms that lead to death: The organ which is most affected is the lung and that?s why most people die. Some are developing kidney problems and more than a half bone marrow deficiency, so the bone is not producing cells to deal with the infection so the body is overwhelmed.

What is to be done if someone suspects that he is infected? It is very important to get close to a medical facility that can provide artificial ventilation if necessary and antiviral drugs, especially in the early stages of the disease. Next, the treatment is supportive and needs to overcome the kidney or lung failure and the spreading of the virus. The only subtype that can cause severe illness to people is Influenza A /H5N1 virus, initially it affects chickens, ducks and other birds by the process of mutation they can become highly pathogenic. Because highly pathogenic viruses can survive for long periods in tissue, water and in the environment, especially when temperatures are low is transmitted very easily in chickens and other birds through direct contact with feces and secretions from infected birds, eggs, feed, water, cages equipment, vehicles and clothing. Public health authorities monitor human illnesses associated with avian influenza. In Hong-Kong occured for the first time infection both in humans and poultry and were killed about 1.5 million chickens. In China and Hong-Kong avian influenza A (H9N2) virus infection affected two children who recovered. The source was unknown, but suspected the poultry.

For more information about bird flu or even about symptoms of bird flu please review this page http://www.bird-flu-info-center.com/symptoms-of-bird-flu.htm

Bird Flu Virus Is Now Known To Have Evolved In Two Forms

What was only a supposition, now it is proven, that the bird flu virus has evolved in two strains that are distinct genetically speaking. This is not good news as it might cause even more deaths among humans and the researchers will have to work double for finding an effective vaccine against these two forms of bird flu virus.

Between the year 2003 and 2005, US scientists have been collecting and analyzing more than 300 samples of H5N1 virus taken from infected birds and humans. They discovered that in 2003 and 2004 the human and bird population was affected by the same type of virus that was active in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. But in 2005 a new strain of H5N1 virus appeared and infected people from Indonesia. This virus is in a continuous genetic development and as time goes by our treatment option become more and more restrained.

Since 2003 the virus affected 180 people and killed 100 from all over the world. Doctors are afraid that a pandemic could start if the virus is not kept under control and hope that this virus will remain a bird virus and will not change into a human one. If the virus gains the ability of transmitting itself from human to human then the whole world population is in danger.

Fortunately, according to the scientists those two forms of the virus do not have the possibility of spreading easily from on person to another.

Until now the US scientists have been trying to find a vaccine that will kill both viruses. The vaccine will be 100% definitive once the exact form of a pandemic virus is known. The scientists believe that one vaccine could offer partial protection against the other type of virus strain if it works against the first one.

Scientists need to move fast because the viruses have the ability of changing their status and of developing very fast, gaining even the possibility of transmitting themselves from one person to another.

The thing is that no one had expected for the virus to travel around the world so easily and to mutate so fast creating another strain. But scientists are confident that by keeping the virus under control in birds they can find a suitable vaccine in a year or two. As long as the governments work together and help each other there is no need for panic as there is still hope for a cure.

For more information about bird flu or even about bird flu prevention please review this page http://www.bird-flu-info-center.com/bird-flu-prevention.htm

The Bird Flu - Are You Ready?

Bird Flu is caused by Avian flu viruses which naturally occur in birds. Birds in the wild, all over the world, carry the virus in their intestines, although they rarely become ill from it.

The Bird Flu however, is very contagious among birds and can spread to domesticated birds such as ducks & chickens and kill them. The Bird Flu is transmitted though saliva, nasal secretions and feces. Usually the Bird Flu is only transmitted from bird to bird, but cases have now been widely reported since 1997 of the flu being transmitted from bird to human, with cases reported of human to human transmission, although the virus has not infected more than one person in those cases. Bird Flu viruses are always changing, and over time may develop into a strain that can be transmitted from human to human to human, in which case we would be faced with a global pandemic of devastating proportions.

Symptoms of Bird Flu in humans can be anywhere from norman flu-like symptoms such as sore throat, cough, fever & muscle aches, to respiratory diseases such as acute respiratory distress, eye infections, pneumonia and other severe life- threatening complications.

As of January, 2006, cases of the Bird Flu in humans have been reported in several countries including China, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, with several cases in Turkey in recent months. Over 140 cases have been reported by the WHO since 2004. Most of the people infected had been in close contact with birds that were infected with the Bird Flu.

Scientists are not able to predict if or when a Bird Flu pandemic will occur, but have been keeping a close eye on the virus in Asia and Europe and are preparing for the worst possible scenario.

If you need more information on the Bird Flu, treatment for the flu with Tamiflu, or where to Buy Tamiflu we have supplied plenty of information links that can help you answer your questions about the Bird Flu.

Don't forget to bookmark us (control + D) so you can check back regularly for updates on the virus.

Charles Dumont - http://avian-bird-flu-crisis.blogspot.com

All The Bird Flu Facts You Need To Know!

By now everyone in the Western world is aware of the disease known as bird flu and all the bird flu facts associated with it. Everyone should also know the potential consequences involved with this virus if there was ever an outbreak in their town or city. Therefore in order to stop this from occurring people need to know every single bird flu fact there is available to them. There are surprisingly a lot of bird flu facts available and this article will endeavor to discuss most of them so that if ever the event of a bird flu outbreak, you will know what to do.

Bird Flu Fact Number One

The first bird flu fact is one that most people don't know about and it's this - the bird flu virus is not deadly to humans. So you're wondering "so why is it that so many people have died as a result of this virus". Well it's not the actual bird flu virus that affects humans, it's a strand of the virus that bird flu is able to mutate into and it's called the human influenza virus. Millions of people have died as a result of influenza outbreaks throughout history and this is the main reason why people are so scared of this virus. Fortunately we are now capable of stopping this infection before is causes serious harm or even death by the use of some powerful antiviral drugs that have been made available over the past few decades, however many third world countries don't have access to these drugs and as a result we hear about more and more casualties from bird flu.

Bird Flu Fact Number Two

There is in fact currently no cure for bird flu. This however doesn't mean we aren't close to one though. Scientists are currently testing a cure to the virus, which they say will be ready in the next five or so years. For now the only way to stop bird flu from affecting humans, is to destroy any poultry stock that has been infected by the virus. Many thousands of chickens have been destroyed over the past few years as a result of outbreaks and this can have a serious effect on third world countries.

Another bird flu fact that people don't know about is that there is a lot ways to prevent the influenza virus from entering a person's system. Right now there are things that people can do in case the unlikely event of a bird flu outbreak occurs close to home. There is a lot of equipment on the market that specializes in preventing viruses from entering a persons system. One of the cheapest and most affective pieces of equipment is the bird flu mask and can be found in both online and offline stores.

If you want to learn more about birdflu including free information, course reviews and much more, or you want to join our free weekly newsletter then please visit bird flu (Recommended) or for more free articles all about bird flu visit http://www.BirdFluReview.com/BirdFlu

Find Out THe Latest Bird Flu News

In the wake of some of the most horrific bird flu pandemics in the history of civilization, news has spread from nation to nation like wildfire. People are starting to feel a sense of fear that maybe there is a possibility that an epidemic could occur in their town or city. The latest bird flu news has been that many countries in the region of South East Asia are still under risk of another outbreak. Many nations have taken the liberty of culling hundreds of thousands of birds so as to attempt to put a stop to this deadly virus.

Some other bird flu news comes out of Africa where in Nigeria 700,000 birds have been culled since the latest outbreak earlier this year. The cost of undertaking such a massive termination of poultry has reportedly cost the country nearly 4.5 million, making it one of the most expensive culls in history. Many experts believe that the termination of this many birds was in fact unnecessary and in doing so could actually cause more problems for the country in terms of increased food shortages in the already poverty-stricken nation.

Previous bird flu news has been that Indonesia says it will separate poultry farms from residential areas as a move to prevent anymore dangerous outbreaks in the future. Many people say that this will not fully remove the threat of further epidemics in the country as the poor nation struggles through yet another tough disease stricken year. It's estimated that many more Indonesian's will loose their lives in over the next few years as a result of bird flu despite attempts to bring the virus under control.

In more lightened news of bird flu, the European Union has recently begun efforts to supply many countries who are suffering endemics, fresh medical supplies as a attempt to end one of the longest standing influenza epidemics the world has ever seen. Many people are skeptical at this attempt and believe that an even larger effort must be taken if humanity id ever going to be free of this devastating disease.

Other bird flu news is that experts are suggesting that China is the country at most risk of the next bird flu epidemic and says that more caution should be taken when introducing poultry to consumers from now on. Many Asian countries export chicken and other poultry products back and forth and China accepts many nation's chicken do to it's high demand to feed the most populated country in the world.

Please stay in touch as we bring you more bird flu news in the coming weeks. We hope this information has enlightened you a little on this horrifying subject and perhaps changed your view on recent events.

If you want to learn more about birdflu including free information, course reviews and much more, or you want to join our free weekly newsletter then please visit bird flu (Recommended) or for more free articles all about bird flu visit www.BirdFluReview.com/BirdFlu

Is It Possible To Have A Blue Print Of The Day Bird Flu Homes In Your State?

It is indeed a war scene, without the weapons, blasts and the fire!

Ten years ago, the scientists and the researchers never thought in their wildest imagination that birds could lead to such a crisis. Birds were the delight of the bards on the one side and the meat-eaters on the other side! They accepted the butcher's knife for too long a time and now they are in a mood to send the human race to the graves!

What would be the world scenario like in the event of the outbreak of the bird flu pandemic?

It staggers one's imagination! The lifestyles will change. The dress code will change. Men, women and children will look like Spiderman, with their masks. Public areas will be deserted areas. Schools and colleges will suspend their operations.

It is not the wild guess in a fiction. It is the real life situation. Large corporate clients are getting the blue prints ready and work on their contingent plans. They wish to ascertain from their suppliers, whether they would be in a position to continue/augment their supplies in case of the break out of bird flu pandemic.

There are certain situations in which your government will come to your help, but there are also certain situations where you need to help the government. Bird flu pandemic is possibly one such situation.

Constructive dynamism would be the need of the hour. The spread of the pandemic virus must be halted. Kids need to be educated about the do's and don'ts. It is desirable not to touch the railings, railings in the parks and schools and even the buses. Avoid sitting, playing and sleeping on the park benches. Do not go to a movie at all...if you still insist, don't use shorts and let not your bare skin touch any part of the auditorium furniture items.

Avoid 'contact' with the materials used by other persons. Make maximum use of the sanitizing items, whichever may be the place. Avoid swimming pools.

In anticipation such situations, a disaster management cell needs to be created in every institution, private or public. A manual of instructions that explains the details of "to do" and "not to do" things needs to be prepared. It goes without saying that the government will make maximum use of the print media and electronic media to educate the public.

Many Bird Flu articles are available at Bird Flu website & http://www.isitbirdflu.com/ To get more bird flu articles visit http://www.isitbirdflu.com/

Bird Flu, your Cat, and You.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, caused by the H5N1 virus,(commonly called bird flu) has been detected in cats and other felidae (e.g. leopards and tigers) from time to time since the start of the present poultry avian influenza epidemic in 2003.

In 2004 researchers showed that cats can be infected with H5N1 virus and that the virus could not only cause severe disease (and death) in cats, but also that cats could transmit the virus to other cats.

On present evidence however, it is highly unlikely that cats play any major role in the natural transmission of H5N1 viruses. In other words, although susceptible to the virus, they are "accidental" hosts.

However, because cats can be susceptible to the H5N1 virus, it does mean that there is the potential for domestic cats to contract the disease and then to pass it on to other cats, other species, and perhaps humans.

How might cats become infected with the H5N1 virus? There are 2 main scenarios.

a) Eat infected poultry meat - hence the association between infected cats and outbreaks of bird flu in poultry.

b)Many migratory waterfowl are carriers of the H5N1 virus. These are unlikely to come into close contact with cats, but they intermingle with other bird types that might well come into close contact with cats.

Cats are not the only mammals that can be infected with the H5N1 influenza virus. Tigers, Leopards, Civets, dogs and pigs are all recorded as having been infected and there is little reason to suggest that other mammals could not be infected by the virus.

While this information is slightly unsettling, it needs to be put in context. Mammals (including humans) need to be exposed to massive amounts of virus to become infected. This is supported by the fact that most human deaths from H5N1 have occurred where those people have had prolonged exposure to poultry circulating the H5N1 virus.

In addition, infected mammals shed very small amounts of virus, thus further reducing the potential for transmitting the virus from mammal to mammal (e.g. from cat to human).

A few other things worth mentioning.

1) The H5N1 virus is quickly killed at 70C. Thus normal cooking of chicken meat will kill the virus.

2) Commercial poultry routinely slaughtered at an approved slaughter plant does not represent a health hazard. This means that 99.9% of dressed poultry available in all first world economies (and many developing economies) is perfectly safe to eat. Not eating chicken "because of bird flu" is a nonsensical, uninformed reaction.

3) Not every cat that develops the sniffles now has bird flu! However, if you are in an area that has had an H5N1 outbreak in poultry, then a sick cat should ring some alarm bells. 4) Practice normal good hygiene - wash your hands with soap and water after handling animals or cleaning out litter trays etc.

So while cats can become infected with the bird flu virus, the chances of them transmitting it to other animals or humans at the moment is very slim indeed. Unfortunately, Influenza viruses are constantly changing through mechanisms known as antigenic shift and antigenic drift, which means that what is true today may change in six months time.

Watch this space!

Dr Keith Perrett is a Veterinarian who has spent more than 20yrs trying to get pet owners to do what is right for their pets. See www.pet-health-for-humans.com

Bird flu Pandemic across the World

Today, people around the world have been witnessing a major health crisis and health professionals are working day and night to control the spread of avian flu. Several Asian countries have reported cases of avian influenza, commonly referred to as bird flu or avian flu, in their domestic and wild bird populations.
Avian influenza is an infection caused by avian flu viruses, which occur naturally among birds. They are of different subtypes like H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2 according to the protein type they combine with. But the identified subtype for the recent bird flu outbreak is H5N1; it has crossed the species barrier and has infected humans.
Avian flu is a communicable disease among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them. Influenza virus gets transmitted to the domesticated birds if direct contact is made with the infected fowl or poultry, or through their saliva, nasal secretion or feces, and sharing of same water or feed that have been contaminated with the virus. The current strain of H5N1 influenza is considered to be highly pathogenic. Laboratory studies have confirmed that isolates from this virus have a high pathogenicity and can cause severe disease in humans. The H5N1 virus has raised concerns about a potential human pandemic because:
* It is virulent
* It is being transmitted by migratory birds
* It can be transmitted from birds to mammals and humans, and
* Like other influenza viruses, it continues to evolve.
Symptoms of avian influenza in humans are fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases, and other severe and life-threatening complications. The fatality of the infection will depend mostly on the state of the immune system of an infected person.
It is very difficult to prepare a vaccine for a pandemic outbreak of influenza virus; and till-now a specific anti-avian influenza vaccine for humans is not readily available. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. have suggested that the anti-viral medication oseltamivir phosphate, with the brand name Tamiflu, may be effective in treating avian influenza.
With online buying option, you can buy Tamiflu online, as it is safe, time and money saving method. Online pharmacy will give you free online consultation and discount so that you can save up to $80 when you order this drug in bulk amount.
In spite of Tamiflu, U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an anti-viral drug amantadine for the treatment of H5N1 infection in adults. According to the research done by Dr. Thomas Jefferson, based at the Cochrane Vaccines Field in Italy, has shown that amantadine can prevent 61% of H5N1 cases and 25% of influenza-like illness.

There is no guarantee when the virus H5N1 becomes resistant to Tamiflu or some other anti-viral medicine. Therefore, additional studies and more research work are needed to determine the effectiveness of these medicines to safeguard the public health. Furthermore, outbreak of the flu can be prevented by quarantining the infected poultry farms and protecting the workers involved in culling process by providing proper clothing and equipment and a complete dose of anti-viral medicine.

SteveDcosta is an associated editor to the website http://www.checkflu.com, a Roche Tamiflu Online site, is committed to provide visitors with complete information on Roche Tamiflu, Treatment of Influenza, Tamiflu, Influenza, Avian Influenza, H5N1 Virus, Human Transmission, Bird Flu, Mutating Virus, Neuraminidase Inhibitors, Oseltamivir Phosphate, Treatment of Flu.Your feedback & comments will be highly appreciated at stevedcosta@gmail.com

Real Estate and Bird Flu

Could real estate values be sent to a sick bed by a bird flu epidemic? No one will know until or if it happens, but even a small epidemic could cause a panic.

Right now the news media is reporting the daily spread of bird flu in countries that are an ocean away. The disease has jumped from birds to animals and even to a few humans. Most of the infected people have died.

All those news stories have already placed a sliver of fear into the hearts of North American residents. How do you suppose the majority will react when the first case of bird flu hits the U.S.? I am afraid it won't be pretty.

Remember the near panic that occurred as we approached the year 2000. There were warnings of dire financial results and people were scared out of their wits. That may be just a small preview of what will happen when people believe the disease is about to sweep the nation. A disease that may have already killed tens of thousands in Europe and Asia before it hits here in full force.

Do you think Kentucky Fried Chicken stock will crash? How about Tyson Foods, the country's largest chicken processor? Their business will be in trouble when consumers stop buying chicken and they can no longer export poultry products.

Eggs could be selling for $10 dollars each... if you can find one. Any business having anything to do with fowl will be out of luck.

Tens of thousands of people could be thrown out of work. That will certainly have a ripple effect on real estate. People out of work can't buy homes, pay rent or keep up with mortgage payments.

If a bird flu epidemic proves to be as severe as some predict we could see hundreds of thousands of people dead or at least very seriously ill. That can't be good for the economy or real estate.

Fear could cause thousands of people to flee cities as they try to avoid being infected. There could be a lawless panic like we have never seen in the history of the U.S.

Maybe!

Please don't consider this a prediction of what is surely going to occur. We certainly hope that it won't. We have all heard disaster false alarms before.

Medical scientists are working feverishly to develop a vaccine to immunize people against the disease. We hope they make it in time, but even if they do there may not be enough manufacturing capacity to produce vaccine in the quantities needed to save more than two or three million. Government officials and the wealthy will surely be first in line.

Will banks close? Will the government cease to function? Will water and power utilities be unavailable? Will certain foreign countries be in a position to attack us in our weakened state? Will terror cells do all they can to spread the disease?

It has been reported that the military now has plans to quarantine the first area of the country to be hit by bird flu. No one will be able to get in or out.

Even if you were absolutely certain that a bird flu disaster was going to hit this country, what would you do? How would you cope with vacant property? Could you survive financially without the income from the notes you hold?

Some would recall that old saying "Fortunes are made when there is blood in the streets." Savvy investors buy property during bad times and turn a profit when good times return. Would you plan on buying property from distressed owners at the height of the bird flu disaster? With thousands dead it could be decades before demand for housing would catch up with the left over supply.

Should you sell everything now, buy gold coins and move to a remote area where there are few people and you can control your contact with birds and animals? You might regret that drastic action if the flu danger proves to be far overblown, like what happened with the arrival new millennium.

What can you do? First, be sure that every member of your family has their estate plan in order - including yours! After that, perhaps the only sensible solution is to do your best to protect the health of your family and hope for the best.

Investor Mark Walters is taking action to protect the health of his family and perhaps ward off bird flu. You can do the same with a guide you will find when you Click Here!

How Bird Flu Respirator's Should Be Used

There are two kinds of bird flu wear protection that a person who will come into contact with infected poultry or just poultry or an infected person. The person should consider wearing either a bird flu respirator or a bird flu mask.

A bird flu masks only helps prevent particles or droplets to be discharged in the environment the wearer is in. The mask is not generally used to filter efficiently or to seal the face tightly. A bird flu respirator is what is considered helpful in reducing the wearer's chances of exposure to airborne particles such as bird flu. A bird flu mask is often confused like a bird flu respirator because both look alike.

The bird flu mask or respirator should be used by people who think they will come in contact with persons or birds infected with the H5N1 strain. The people who use this should just consider it to be one way of being hygienic way of prevention.

A patient who thinks he or she has been feeling symptoms and knows has been in contact with infected birds should wear a bird flu mask as well. People who often travel a lot, especially to those infected places should also consider bringing a bird flu respirator.

If a bird flu respirator is not present, the bird flu mask will have to do. The mask or the respirator should also be fitted in properly to make it work. However, wearing the mask is still not a guaranteed way you won't contact the viral disease.

The only time a person working closely with infected birds or persons or just birds is when they are away from the contaminated or possible contaminated area. Then after removing the equipment, remember to thoroughly wash your hands. Then dispose the equipment immediately after going on a safer area. The effectiveness of the respirator last only for 8 hours.

When buying the bird flu mask or respirator, it always has directions or instructions how to properly use it. Always remember when transporting the equipment to protect it from any kind of damage.

The bird flu respirator should be sealing the face very tightly. If the breathing becomes difficult, the respirator might have been damaged. If it is, go to a safe place and change the respirator.

The right way to wear it to know how effective it is, is to fit it snuggly in the face, the metal strip should be atop and the colored part outside. The mask should be firmly placed by positioning the strings right. The metallic strip should be molded at the nose's bridge.

A bird flu mask or respirator is only a part to help prevent the further damaging of implications of bird flu. It is not a sure fire way to prevent the outbreak, but it is a way to reduce the potential damage.

Michael Colucci is a technical writer for Bird Flu Facts - A free site that offers facts on the history, prevention, vaccines and more on the Bird Flu Virus.

Preparing For A Natural Disaster, Terrorists Attack Or Bird Flu Pandemic

How prepared are you? Will you be like thousands of others and wait until the last minute to stock up on food and water? Do you even have a working flashlight in your home or auto? As we have clearly seen, waiting until it is too late does not work. Grocery stores run out, gas stations run dry and we certainly can?t depend on the government to help.

You need to start planning today, preparing for the unexpected so that you and your family can survive. Official sources always recommend having a 72 hour or 3 day kit. While it certainly helps, it is nowhere near adequate for an extended survival situation. As we have seen a natural disaster can last for more than 3 days. A possible bird flu pandemic may keep you housebound for weeks or months at a time. So how much is enough and what do you need?

You should plan on meeting your family?s daily needs for a minimum of a month, preferably up to 3 months or longer. This can include:

Food?Stock up on the basics. Flour, sugar, non-perishable foods like macaroni products, rice (a 25lb bag of rice is around $6.00 at SAM?s club), dried milk. Canned goods usually are good for a year or two. Start adding to your pantry now by buying a few extra items every time you go to the grocery store. Take advantage of sales, coupons and store brands. Buy foods you can fix easily, don?t need a lot of water or don?t need to be cooked at all. You can also add to your supply long term dehydrated foods that you can supplement your other food stores. They are vacuumed sealed and have a shelf life of 20-30 years. MRE?s ready to eat meals can also expand your food stores. Buy food and supplies in bulk at Sams club or Costco. Rotate your stock so you always have the freshest food available. Also include things like high-energy bars. Don?t forget pet food.

Water?You can store water in large containers, 5-gallon mylar water bags, camping jugs and other containers. You should also own a good water purifier.

Tools?are you equipped to handle minor repairs around your home? Fix your auto? Repair or build needed survival supplies? Tools to turn off natural gas, shovels to dig out, chainsaws to cut up downed trees and other essential rescue tools may be needed.

Energy?there may be interruptions or outages in electrical and other utilities. Do you have an alternative way of heating your home? A way of supplying power to lights and other needed electrical devices? Stocked up on batteries? A portable generator can be used for emergency backup. You will need gas to run the generator. Solar panels are handy for charging batteries. Extra propane can be used for a stove, lights or heat. Have several flashlights on hand. Newer flashlights feature L.E.D. bulbs that burn brighter and last forever. Also look for hand cranked flashlights that don?t need batteries. Include lighting such as oil or propane lanterns.

Medical? a good first aid kit is a must have. Over the counter drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin, antacids, etc. Also personal medications and other first aid supplies. Don?t forget spare glasses/contacts and contact lens solution. Brush up on your first aid skills.

Household supplies?everything from shampoo and toothpaste to toilet paper, soap, detergent, bleach, disinfectants and everything else you use on a daily basis. Don?t forget hair clippers if you can?t get out to the barber. Have supplies on hand to deal with sanitation and garbage.

Communication?Newer walkie-talkies that have a 10-12 mile range will help you stay in touch with your family in the event your cell phone stops working. Give each member of your family one and tune them all to the same channel. Buy an emergency battery for your cell phone. They are good for about 60 minutes of talk time. Portable shortwave radios will help you keep in touch with the world. A small portable tv will also help keep you informed if the power is out. A hand cranked radio is also a must have.

Camping equipment?stoves, tents, sleeping bags can all come in handy especially if you need to relocate. Pick up camping supplies on sale and used equipment at garage sales.

Bicycles?if you need to get around and there is no gas a bike is the best item to have.

Relocating?if you choose not to stay in your home, then you need a plan on how you will relocate-to another town or remote cabin, etc. You may want to stock your vacation home with supplies and be prepared to ?bug out? before travel is restricted.

Figure out how far you need to get away. Think about storing extra gas to provide a full tank and enough for your journey. 3 or 4?5 gallon gas cans, could be enough to get you several hundred miles away. Because of the fire danger it is very important that you store them safely and rotate them on a regular basis. Meaning, if you have 3 filled cans, week one dump that in your gas tank and refill that can. Week 2 dump the second can in your gas tank and refill that can. Week 3 dump can 3 into your gas tank and refill that can. Week 4 start over with can one. Using this system you will always have 15 gallons of fresh gas on hand in addition to gas that is already in your gas tank.

Plan your exit strategy from your city or town. Keep a map in your car with the roads out highlighted. Find all the alternative routes out of your city or town. Stay away from main highways if at all possible. Have copies of the map in other vehicles if other family members need to meet you later. Practice your escape route by driving it at least once.

Store your ?bug out? survival supplies in containers that can be quickly loaded into your vehicle. Keep a smaller version in your vehicle at all times.

Start today preparing for the unexpected and if it happens you won?t need to divert your time and energy away from caring for your family, waiting in long lines for essential goods and services or waiting for the government or other aid organizations to come to your rescue.

To stay up to date on avian influenza, bird flu and the h5n1 virus visit The Bird Flu Index http://www.birdfluindex.com Find links to bird flu websites, blogs, forums, official medical and government sites and full information about how the bird flu could turn into a global pandemic.The latest bird flu news at http://pandemiczone.blogspot.com

Tips If Traveling To An Area With Bird Flu

Considering the areas most impacted by bird flu are in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, it is advisable to stay clear of these regions. However, circumstances may arise that necessitates travel. In which case, you need to know how to protect yourself in these areas from contracting bird flu.

In general, basic hygiene can prevent a wide array of infectious diseases. For this reason, frequent hand washing is advised to eliminate bacteria and viral components from one's hands.

More specifically, travelers should avoid any contact with poultry, including those held for agricultural use or wild birds. Any area potentially contaminated with bird feces should also be avoided. Currently, bird flu is only being transmitted from poultry to humans and not from human contact; therefore, you should assume every bird you see is potentially infected, as that very well may be the case.

You should also take special care not to ingest undercooked poultry, poultry products, or dishes made with poultry blood, as the virus may still be active in such dishes.

You also need to avoid contact with sick people or people that are exposed to poultry. This may seem excessive, but the bird flu virus is expected to mutate and be transmitted through human contact. If this were to occur, you could easily catch the disease from someone else. It is better to be cautious and alive than the alternative. Likewise, you may also consider avoiding crowds, as densely populated areas are an ideal breeding ground to spread disease.

If, during your travels, you become severely ill, you may contact a United States Embassy for guidance in seeking treatment and notifying family and friends. Depending on your location, medical care may be limited. Use caution in securing treatment.

Special concern has been shown in visiting Singapore and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve; however, it has been made very clear that Singapore is free from bird flu. Two entities, AVA and NParks, have continual surveillance projects of the reserve and take blood samples from the birds on a regular basis to ensure infection has not occurred. On the same token, it is unlikely a human would become infected by a wild bird, as direct handling is almost impossible. Most of the cases reported have been contracted from chickens or domestic birds. The primary way a human would be infected from a wild bird is through contact with bodily secretions and feces.

Sarah is an acclaimed writer on medical matters, and has written extensively on the subjects of Attention Deficit Disorder, Bird Flu and Cohn's Disease. For more of her articles, go to http://www.imedicalvillage.com now.

How To Lower Your Risk Of Catching Flu (Including Bird Flu)

Influenza is in no way a new ailment to plague the people of the world. However, a new deadly strand of the virus has everyone running for cover. How do you avoid catching flu, including the dangerous bird flu that threatens so many?

First, it should be explained that bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is a virus much like the regular flu we are accustomed to. It is transmitted in much the same way, through droplets of saliva and mucus. However, bird flu is currently only transmitted from infected birds to humans and can not be passed from human to human like the regular flu. The main concern arises with bird flu as it is expected to mutate and at some point be transmitted by humans as well. Until this takes place, bird flu is only passed from infected birds to humans by way of direct contact with the animal or its feces.

The current outbreak of bird flu is taking place in Asia; therefore, there is little concern of catching the virus unless you are in that region and handling fowl. However, once the virus mutates it will be transmitted much like the standard flu and may be avoided in much the same way.

The obvious first step in lowering your risk of catching the virus is being administered a vaccine. There is currently not a vaccine for the dangerous strand of influenza, but one is being developed. With any luck one will be produced prior to any widespread contamination of the virus.

Another option is one utilized in most regular flu cases - taking antiviral medication, such as Tamiflu. These are expected to be effective on the dangerous strand of influenza as well as the regular flu virus. However, for this treatment to be useful, it must be administered early in the virus, typically within two days of showing symptoms. This and other drugs do not cure the virus, but instead lessen the effects of the symptoms. They may, however, prevent the virus from becoming severe.

The most effective way to avoid catching the flu, the regular flu as well as the bird flu, is prevention. Proper hygiene reduces the risk of the spread of influenza. Simple things, like washing your hands and avoiding close contact with sick people, may be your best technique in lowering your risk of becoming infected. Utilizing hand sanitizer is also a useful option.

About the Author: Sarah is an acclaimed writer on medical matters, and has written extensively on the subjects of Attention Deficit Disorder, Bird Flu and Crohn?s Disease. For more of her articles, go to http://www.imedicalvillage.com now. Click here now and re