Social Distancing is the Key to Minimising Bird Flu Infection in Your Business

Second to frequent hand washing, the next best way to protect yourself and your staff is to minimise or eliminate close contact and proximity to others. This is 'Social Distancing' and is the term being used more and more frequently as people learn what measures they can take to try to minimise the chance of contracting Bird Flu when the pandemic starts.

There are a number of ways you can encourage social distancing in the workplace. For example crowded places and large gatherings of people should be avoided, whether in internal or external spaces.

A distance of at least one meter should be maintained between persons wherever practical. Larger distances are more effective.

Visiting of, or other contact with, unwell people should be avoided wherever practicable.

Avoid meeting people face to face, use the telephone, video conferencing and the internet to conduct business as much as possible, even when participants are in the same building.

Avoid handshaking and any other greeting which involves person to person contact.

Avoid any unnecessary travel and cancel or postpone non-essential meetings, gatherings, workshops and training sessions.

If possible, arrange for employees to work from home or work variable hours to avoid crowding at the workplace.

Practice 'ghost' shift changes wherever possible, with the shift going off duty leaving the workplace before the new shift enters. If possible, leave an interval before re-occupation of the workplace. If possible, thoroughly ventilate the workplace between shifts by opening doors and windows or turning up the air-conditioning.

Avoid public transport. Walk, cycle, drive a car or go early or late to avoid rush hour crowding on public transport

Bring lunch and eat at desk or away from others. Avoid the cafeteria and crowded restaurants. Consider introducing staggered lunchtimes so numbers of people in the lunch room are reduced.

Do not congregate in tearooms or other areas where people socialise. Do what needs to be done and then leave the area.

If a face-to-face meeting with people is unavoidable, minimise the meeting time, choose a large meeting room and sit at least one meter away from each other if possible, avoid shaking hands or hugging. Consider holding meetings in the open air.

Set up systems where clients and customers can pre-order, request information via phone, email, fax and have the order or information ready for fast pick-up or delivery.

Encourage staff to avoid recreational or other leisure classes, meetings etc. where they might come into contact with infectious people.

If the company does not utilise business internet banking, set it up and begin the migration immediately.

Encourage staff to apply for and use personal internet banking. This will allow them to avoid making unnecessary trips to the bank.

Try using conference calling equipment instead of face to face meetings. Get people comfortable with using it now and they'll be 'ready trained' when the need to make conference calls instead of meeting becomes serious.

You can find more ideas to help you prepare your business for a pandemic outbreak of Bird Flu by visiting Bird Flu Manual Online. Start your preparations and training now before it's too late.

Nigel Thomas is a veteran business continuity professional. He is also the operator of Bird Flu Manual Online, a reference and resource mine designed to help you get your business prepared for Bird Flu. Learn how to conduct a risk assessment or how to increase your staff awareness. No login required.

Bird Flu Vaccine is Almost Ready to Go on the Market

A spokesman of World Health Organization announced that scientists have finally created a possible effective flu vaccine.

Clinical tests have been carried out with a flu vaccine made by Sanofi Pasteur. The conclusions were that there are needed two shots of the vaccine, administered four weeks apart, to immunize at least 50% of human organisms.

The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony S. Fauci declared to be very enthusiastic about the new vaccine and its immunizing properties, also saying that he considers the tests to be a key step in the world's attempt to stop a possible global pandemic.

Currently the US government stockpiled only four million doses of the H5N1 vaccine, but this quantity is not enough to cover up all the people in case a pandemic starts.

A solution for stretching vaccine stores are administering along with the vaccine an immunity boosting substance (an adjuvant), and so, this will reduce the amount of the vaccine needed for immunizing the human body, and will improve the vaccine's effects.

Now, there are made clinical tests with adjuvant substances to see how the immune response to the vaccine is.

John Treanor, MD, director of the vaccine and treatment evaluation unit at the University of Rochester in New York, said that when it was discovered that it will be needed a higher dose of H5N1 vaccine to stimulate the wanted immunity, than a regular flu shot no one was taken by surprise, scientists suspecting this when first testing the vaccine.

The high-dose of bird flu vaccine stimulated a kind of antibody response that was known to have protected people in 1997 during an outbreak of H5N1 virus in Hong Kong.

Scientists do not know whether this vaccine will be effective in case of a human to human transmission of the virus and they are not willing to expose any study volunteers to potentially lethal bird flu.

In the process of developing much faster new bird flu vaccines, the US government is supporting the producers to move from growing vaccine virus in chicken eggs, to faster cell-culture techniques.

It is very important that producers accelerate the manufacture of new vaccines, because the H5N1 virus is fast mutating to more aggressive forms that might cause a human pandemic.

One good news is the governments are considering stockpiling H5N1 vaccine and that scientists are ready to create new improved vaccines in case of a development of the virus.

So, if you want to find out more about bird flu vaccine or even about asian bird flu please click this link http://www.bird-flu-info-center.com/

General Information on Bird Flu

Bird flu is a disease caused by type "A" influenza viruses.

Wild birds are a natural reservoir of type A of flu virus, but they are not affected by it. They can infect domestic birds such as chicken or turkey, which get ill and die.

Birds get infected if they get in contact with secretions or excretions of the affected birds, with contaminated water or food and even with contaminated surfaces (dirt and cages). The avian influenza viruses can cause a mild form of the disease that does not kill the infected birds, and it only reduces the egg production, and a highly virulent form that can lead to death within 48 hours by multiple internal organ lesions.

Type A of influenza virus has many different subtypes due to changes in some proteins situated on the surface of the A virus. These changeable proteins are Hemagglutinin (HA) and Neuraminidase (NA). There exist 16 known HA subtypes and 9 NA subtypes of "A" virus, but there are possible many combinations between HA and NA proteins, leading to new subtypes. All these subtypes can now be found in birds.

Until 1997 nobody knew that the virus can affect humans, but it has happened to those who have been in close contact with infected poultry. Until now, no cases of human to human transmission of the infection were registered.

Human influenza viruses generally refer to those subtypes that can infect only humans. There are known to exist three "A" subtypes of human influenza viruses (H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2). There is the possibility that these subtypes to have came from birds originally and scientists worry about the possibility that the bird flu viruses to mutate and transmit from human to human.

Some symptoms of bird flu infection on humans are: fever, lethargy, sore throat, breathing problems, conjunctivitis, muscle aches and cough.

Studies suggest that antiviral drugs used against human influenza might be useful in treating bird flu infection in humans too, but this thing must be studied more.

The H5N1 virus is one of the most lethal subtypes of the influenza "A" virus. In the last few years, in Asia, H5N1 caused millions of deaths among domestic birds and hundreds among humans. People got infected because they got in close contact with the infected poultry and the contaminated surfaces, but otherwise H5N1 remains a rare disease in people and does not spread from human to human.

There was one case in Indonesia where a family member is suspected to have transmitted the illness to the other members, but this fact has not been sustained scientifically.

Scientists are concerned about a possible mutation of the virus, leading to a global pandemic, similar to the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1919 when 40-50 million people died.

Doctors have discovered that H5N1 virus is resistant amantadine and rimantadine, two antiviral drugs used for treating human influenza. There remain oseltamavir and zanamavir to be tested.

A H5N1 vaccine is being tested and the results seem to be promising, this leading to an absolute control over the bird flu and even to its eradication.

So, if you want to find out more about bird flu treatment or even about bird flu info please click this link http://www.bird-flu-info-center.com/

Bird Flu Virus Is Deadly

Influenza viruses are classified into the A, B and C types. A type viruses are the most dangerous and they may affect both people and numerous animals simultaneously whereas B and C type viruses typically affect humans only and they are the least severe amongst the three. Of these, A type viruses are further sub-categorized into subtypes such as the H and N strains. Is bird flu virus deadly?

One of most severe of A type influenza viruses is the much feared bird flu virus with the deadly H5N1 strain being the most widely known and notoriously dangerous.

The bird flu virus is very much like other subtypes of influenza viruses. However, the primary difference between the bird flu viruses and other types of influenza viruses is the way it is being transmitted. Other strains of influenza viruses that are common among humans are passed from one person to another through microscopic droplets of saliva or mucus in the atmosphere, via direct contact either with the infected person or through sneezing and coughing.

On the other hand, the H5N1 strain is not transmitted through human contact. Instead, improper handling or ingestion of infected poultry, through either regular direct contact with potentially dangerous poultry or their feces will increase the possibility of contracting the disease. Another common way is to consume infected animals that are not cooked fully or thoroughly.

The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu virus was first identified in humans in 1997. Prior to this incident that happened in Hong Kong, there were no known cases of it infecting humans. Then, several major outbreaks occurred in 2004 and the following years whereby at least one hundred and fifty people died in neighboring Asian countries such as Cambodia, mainland China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam and Thailand. The virus subsequently surfaced in other parts of Asia and Europe, including some Middle East countries.

It is also believed that this particular virus was not always a threat to humans. Since the identification of the virus first in the early nineteenth century, it has mutated with our influenza viruses and transformed into different forms. It is the ongoing vitality of such mutation that causes fear and concern surrounding the H5N1 strain. This is because the virus has been persistently manipulating itself to survive in varying environments and relentlessly bypassing treatment techniques.

The great devastation of the H5N1 strain can be rapidly identified when a person becomes infected with the deadly bird flu virus. The strain will cause an exaggerated response to his cytokines, which are small proteins produced throughout the body in response to an immune stimulus that regulate the entire immune system. This increase creates an imbalance and instability to the system and gives a negative effect to the body as it indirectly lowers its resistance to the virus. In addition, it slows down other aspects of the immune system thus giving the virus the liberty to create rampancy within the body.

In many other sicknesses, antibiotics are administered to suppress the immune system and fight the infection. However, antibiotics are ineffective in treating a person infected with the H5N1 strain, as the virus is not bacterial in nature.

Although measures had been taken to challenge the virus and lessen the impact it had on people as well as to refrain the virus from becoming severe, a vaccine has yet to be developed for the long anticipated mutated forms of bird flu viruses that may cause a potential global pandemic. Besides not having significant time for researches, a vaccine that is created now will not be of use when mutation occurs, as the nature of the future virus is not known.

As such, the most effective way to avoid contacting the bird flu virus is prevention. Proper and good hygiene habits reduce the risk of the spread of the deadly bird flu virus. These include simple practices such as washing your hands thoroughly before preparing food and taking meals, utilizing hand sanitizer as well as avoiding unnecessary direct contact with sick people, especially those with flu-like symptoms. Until a new vaccine has been discovered, this may be the best way to lower our risk of becoming the next victims.

Ske Chay of www.mccbirds.com Providing useful information on bird flu virus at www.mccbirds.com/birdfluvirus

All The Untold Secrets Of The Bird Flu Virus

The bird flu virus is one of the most deadliest in the world and has taken many lives over the last century and a half. Bird flu is better known as avian influenza and is derived from an influenza virus from birds. When there is an outbreak of the bird flu virus, vast numbers of poultry including chickens and ducks have to be slaughtered to prevent the virus from spreading beyond the poultry and into the realm of humans.

Preventing the bird flu virus

There are many ways of preventing the bird flu virus from occurring in chicken and other poultry farms. Firstly bird flu is usually spread by native birds who usually have an immunity to the bird flu virus. Most poultry stock are not bred with this immunity and therefore when they come in contact with native birds, they may pick up the virus and spread it throughout the whole flock. This is probably the most common reason how the bird flu virus is spread.

To prevent this from occurring, farm owners must do everything in their power to prevent outside contact from other birds with their livestock. This is one of the reasons why chicken farmers choose to keep their chickens caged because they are afraid that their flock may become infected with if not the bird flu virus, but another deadly disease that could destroy their whole flock of poultry.

How does the bird flu virus affect humans?

The bird flu virus is a strain of influenza that appears to affect only avian species or birds. So why is it that there have been so many humans deaths associated with bird flu? The answer is that infact it isn't the actual bird flu virus that infects humans, but a mutation of the virus. What actually happens is the virus mutates into the human strain of influenza that is super deadly. This of course doesn't always happen but when it does, it can be catastrophic.

Throughout history there have been several cases of bird flu outbreaks that have been known to have killed hundreds of thousands of people. The latest cases are coming out of South East Asia, where there were several deaths due to the bird flu virus. Many experts believe that the most scary thing about bird flu is not that it is so deadly, but that it has the potential to spread so fast and maybe to a point where it could become uncontrollable. Whatever the case, people must do everything they can to prevent it from occurring in the first place.

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Bird Flu -- How the Nightmare Begins

Somewhere in Southeast Asia (or Africa, the Mid-East, Europe etc) . . .

A hen clucks and shifts around in her perch. She sniffs and sneezes.

Inside the lining of her respiratory tract and lungs, millions of influenza viruses -- commonly called A/H5N1 or bird flu -- are infecting her cells and forcing them to replicate millions more of the virus.

This is the same virus that's deadly to chickens. People can catch it through close contact with chickens, but they can not spread it to other people.

The hen excretes. Her white waste material -- full of A/H5N1 -- falls to the floor below, mixing in with the dirt and other chicken manure.

The pig below the hen also feels ill. Several days ago, the farmer who owns them both sneezed on the pig while feeding her. Now the pig has a case of ordinary human flu. It's not life-threatening to the farmer or the pig, but it is highly contagious.

Hungry despite her flu, the pig gobbles down some chicken manure, including some which contains A/H5N1.

A/H5N1 works its way through the pig's body to the pig's respiratory system. There, it starts drilling into the pig's cells with its spikes of hemagluttinin.

There it meets up with a virus of ordinary flu infecting the pig -- just like two bank robbers who enter the same vault from two sides.

It's not true love, but it's not bad. They combine genetic material and soon have an offspring who's the best of both of them.

As contagious between human beings as ordinary flu.

As lethal to human beings as A/H5N1.

Soon Junior uses the neuraminidase protein spikes on his surface to cut himself loose from the pig's cell he calls home, and makes his way out into the world . . . to infect his very own cell.

He takes over its genetic material and soon has instructed the cell to replicate millions more of himself.

Soon those viruses are spreading through the pig.

Several days later, the farmer's oldest son comes to feed the pig. Heavily infected with the contagious form of lethal bird flu, the pig snorts and sneezes onto the boy.

Who later rough houses with his friends at school, including Pim.

Pim takes the virus home to his father, Yu.

The next day, Yu takes a bus to Bangkok to buy some supplies and equipment for his farm. He spends much of the day talking over his order with Mr. Chen, the owner of The White Lotus Farm Store.

Mr. Chen goes home that evening and spends a lot of intimate time with his wife, who is leaving tomorrow to spend two weeks visiting relatives in Chicago, U.S.A.

When Mrs. Chen boards the early morning Thai Airways flight to Los Angeles, she is not aware that 145 kilometers away from her, a chicken and a pig are dead . . . and a farmer's son and his friend are too sick to go to school.

Neither do the other 200 passengers who spend 11 hours breathing the same air as Mrs. Chen.

The farmers have taken their children to the nearby clinic, which has taken throat samples and sent them to the United Nations World Health Organization laboratories to be tested.

The doctor is worried, because the other family members are also feeling poorly and many of their farm animals have died. He's feeling weak himself.

After landing at Los Angeles International Airport, some of Mrs. Chen's fellow passengers go into Los Angeles. Some of them go on to flights to Canada, Latin America and New York City. A few plan to continue on to London and Paris. Mrs. Chen finds her gate to a American Airlines flight to Chicago.

A few days later, WHO and CDC workers fly to the small farming village and the Thai government imposes a travel ban on the entire province.

In Chicago, Mrs. Chen has taken to her bed and her relatives are sneezing on their jobs . . .

Learn How to Protect Yourself and Your Family From the Bird Flu H5N1 Virus

Latest news and immune info at: Bird Flu H5N1 Virus Updates

The Blessings Bird Flu Can Bring Us - if We're Smart

Not long ago, I read an article about alternative health where someone with a serious disease was counseled to look upon it as a "blessing."

Your first reaction is probably the same as mine was -- what a stupid idea! How can cancer or heart disease be a blessing?

First off, let me say that I do believe that humanity's greatest strength is the ability to persevere in the face of problems and to turn negatives into positives -- lemons into lemonade.

So if you believe, as alternative health advocates do, that you do have some control over your health -- then any disease indicates that you need to make some kind of change in your life.

That may be a change in diet, reducing stress, etc. -- but if you can learn the lesson before the "teacher" disease kills you, you'll be healthier for having had the problem.

As I write, over 150 people have died from bird flu from Indonesia to Turkey -- to alert humanity to the danger it's facing. We cannot raise them from the dead, but we can attempt to give meaning to their death by learning how to prevent more, and thereby making bird flu a blessing for survivors and our children.

The first step was taken about 1 year ago by President George W. Bush. As part of his request to Congress for 7 billion dollars to fight bird flu, he wants to advance the technology of making vaccines so that they can be created and manufactured more quickly.

Companies around the world are working on a "generic" influenza vaccine that will prepare our immune systems to protect us from all influenza viruses no matter how much they mutate in the future.

Those of us who live in the developed world must stop being so complacent.

Because long after bird flu is a boring chapter in history, we will be threatened by new diseases.

Most Americans have heard of Ebola, but are not aware of the many other emerging diseases we have discovered in the past 20 to 30 years. It's a long and scary list.

And although they all seem remote from us, they're all just one international jet flight away. They're no more remote than West Nile fever was before it started killing birds and people in Brooklyn in 1999.

We need to take care of our immune systems.

We need to better track viral infections in people. The developed world needs to make its expertise and resources available, and the developing world needs to make public healthcare and a medical infrastructure a higher priority.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control has done a terrific job at this for many years. It needs to expand its operations, the UN World Health Organization needs to expand and national health systems around the world need to do a better job of tracking and controlling disease threats.

We need to do a much better job of incorporating alternative health methods into standard medical care.

We need to stop counting on Tamiflu and start expanding the use of Vitamin C (especially injected ascorbate for serious illnesses), curcumin, garlic, beta glucans and other supplements from mushrooms . . . for starters.

For poor countries it makes economic sense to make use of regional herbs and supplements over expensive drugs such as Tamiflu.

Also, a massive demand for effective herbs and substances should spur farmers in the developing world to raise those herbs in a sustainable fashion.

This would encourage good use of land and also bring cash income to the poor farmers, everybody else involved in the processing and shipping of the supplements and their communities.

The human race has survived and prospered by learning from its mistakes. A lot of people are going to die for the lessons we learn from the bird flu pandemic -- let's learn and apply as many of those lessons as possible.

We owe that to the dead and to our children.

c 2006 by Richard Stooker Richard shows you how to avoid avian bird flu in How to Protect Yourself and Your Family From Asian Bird Flu -- And check out his Asian Bird Flu blog

Some Knowledge About Bird Flu

What is Bird Flu?

Avian influenza (also known as bird flu) is a type of influenza virulent in birds. It was first identified in Italy in the early 1900s and is now known to exist worldwide.

What are the Symptoms?

Flu can cause fever, chills, headache, dry cough, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, and muscle aches. Unlike other common respiratory infections such as the common cold, influenza can cause extreme fatigue lasting several days to more than a week. Although nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can sometimes accompany influenza infection, especially in children, gastrointestinal symptoms are rarely prominent. The illness that people often call "stomach flu" is not influenza.

*Spread from person to person.

Influenza is spread easily from person to person primarily when an infected person coughs or sneezes. After a person has been infected with the virus, symptoms usually appear within 2 to 4 days. The infection is considered often contagious for another 3 to 4 days after symptoms appear. Because of this, people used to think the flu was caused by the "influence of the stars and planets." In the 1500s, the Italians called the disease "influenza," their word for influence. Each year, an estimated 10 to 20 percent of the population contracts influenza.

Treating flu with drugs.

Antibiotics are not effective against flu viruses. However, there are two drugs-- amantadine and rimantadine--that can be used to treat some types of influenza infection. When taken within 48 hours after the onset of illness, these drugs can reduce the duration of fever and other symptoms and allows flu sufferers to return to their daily routines more quickly. Both of these drugs are only available by prescription.

Rimantadine is a derivative of the drug amantadine. Amantadine, however, is more likely to cause side effects such as lightheadedness and inability to sleep more often than does rimantadine.

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Why the Risk of a Bird Flu Pandemic Increases as the Virus Spreads

The bird flu virus can be compared to a monkey with a typewriter. And that's why it's getting more and more dangerous.

You may have heard the old observation that if you give enough monkeys a keyboard, eventually one will -- just by random chance -- type out the complete works of Shakespeare.

Of course, the odds against one monkey doing this are extremely high. The universe might implode before one monkey could do this.

But give a trillion monkeys a keyboard and maybe one will do it in a few million years. Give as many trillion monkeys as it takes to stretch from here to the next galaxy a keyboard, and chances are one out of those gazillions of monkey will actually type out the complete works of Shakespeare.

I'm comparing monkeys to the bird flu virus or A/H5N1.

The bird flu virus doesn't have to do anything comparable to a monkey typing out Shakespeare. It just has to mutate or recombine genetic material to become high contagious to people. That's the start of a pandemic.

For viruses, that's a lot easier to do than for a monkey to type out the complete works of Shakespeare. There're many strains of influenza viruses in the world which are highly contagious to people. Most of us have suffered from the flu, caught from a child or coworker, so we know that.

The more A/H5N1 viruses there are this world, the higher the probability that one of them will become highly contagious, human to human, just as ordinary flu is now.

Just as with monkeys -- the more viruses, the faster one of them becomes highly contagious.

Yes, A/H5N1 "hid out" in chickens in China and wild ducks from the December 1997 massacre of chickens in Hong Kong until bird flu started killing chickens in South Korea.

It spread through most countries of Southeast Asia without becoming a pandemic. It's spread into Europe and Africa without becoming a pandemic -- so far.

The more people or animals bird flu infects, the more H5N1 viruses there are. Replicating, mutating and recombining with ordinary flu viruses.

Whether it's chickens in Thailand, cats in Germany or little girls in Turkey . . . the more viruses, the greater the probability it will become highly contagious.

And because it's now so widespread, there's little chance that it will be contained soon. Scientists expect it to land in the New World by autumn.

It's out of control and spreading fast.

How long before one out of those many countless trillions of viruses becomes highly contagious?

c 2006 by Richard Stooker Richard discusses how to avoid avian bird flu in his book How to Protect Yourself and Your Family From Avian Bird Flu -- And check out his Avian Bird Flu blog

Has the Bird Flu Virus Outbreak Begun?

The bird flu virus has been scaring the wits out of health officials for the past couple of years. The first H5N1 strain developed way back during 1997 at Hong Kong. The first development wasn't given much of a concern.

Eventually the virus popped back out during 2003. It has first greatly affected a whole number of birds. The birds that became infected died really fast after showing signs of symptoms. The virus also spread quickly towards other flocks as well, causing them to die to.

The people who have had lots of exposure with this infected domesticated birds, naturally became the first human casualties. In fact, the infected have reached 140 in five years time in the Far eats. Eventually killing more than 50 people infected.

What is scaring the scientists now are the recent developments of the bird flu in Turkey. They fear that the virus may have already mutated and the transmission from one human to the other has now been possible. This is because in the span of a week, 15 people were reported to be infected already.

That development definitely scared the officials in Europe. It should also be causing major concern to other countries as well. Neighboring countries are becoming stricter on trucks that are coming from Turkey. The vehicles that pass by are being sprayed with disinfectant.

France has already released a budget to buy vaccines, antiviral and face masks.

However all these preparation being done may still not be that be helpful. The best way to prevent the pandemic from happening is to learn how to isolate the infected area. This is important because the virus may still escape via a human transport or a bird that may cause more contamination.

To calm people down, the number of 15 within a week is not much for concern. If the number reaches more than a 100, it shall be a cause for concern.

There are also many critics about the current medication available to help against bird flu. They say that the medication may not really be helpful and stockpiling it is just a waste of money.

The vaccine as of now may still be imperfect, but it does help a person a better chance to get through with the flu.

As of the moment, since we have no idea if this virus could become the next pandemic or just a big bust. What's important is that we try to live a healthier lifestyle. Maybe that's what this virus is all about anyway. It's just telling us that maybe we should change our lifestyle into a healthier one.

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.

Prevent the Spread Of Diseases Such As Bird Flu

Prevention of the spread of Bird Flu is the responsibility of everyone. It is known that bird feeders are a source of transmission of avian flu viruses and related diseases. Many communities have zoning laws which are meant to prevent people from feeding pigeons and seagulls. Bird droppings, when massed in open areas close to pedestrian walkways and windows provide ideal pathways for pathogens to spread not only from bird to bird, but from bird to humans. We therefore suggest that if you want to feed birds and provide for there needs you consider planting shrubs and trees that provide birds with sources of food that more mimics the natural environment. Plants such as viburnums are an excellent choice. They not only provide seeds that are available in the late winter, but also shelter.

In Hong Kong, the government has already started to prevent the spread of bird flu by telling citizens that wild pigeon droppings may help spread harmful germs, and that avoiding feeding them is the best way to minimize their congregation. Therefore any wild bird feeders in common areas at public rental housing estates and markets will be served a fine without any prior warnings.

Viburnums are the most attractive, versatile, adaptable shrubs for any landscape. They can be used as hedges or screens and in mixed perennial/shrub borders. They can also stand alone as specimen plants. They usually take the form of shrubs, but some species can become small ornamental trees. They range in size from the Dwarf American Cranberrybush at 2 feet tall by 2 feet wide, to the Siebold at over 15 feet tall. Viburnums are plants with year round interest. All Viburnums have profuse white to pink flowers in the spring. They have large, attractive and often textured leaves. Some viburnums have wonderfully fragrant flowers that are produced in snowball- shaped clusters in April. Their flower clusters can consist of pink buds, which develop into white flowers. Some fruits are red and turn black with age. Leaves are glossy, dark green and turn a burgundy color in the fall. Midsummer berries are an important food source for birds.Viburnums provide birds with feed and shelter in a natural manner. Birds will not feed in an area that masses birds and bird droppings. This is a more sanitary way to feed birds than with a bird feeder. Additionally you never forget to refill the viburnums as each year there will be a new crop of berries. Viburnums have colorful red to purple leaves. Some viburnums can become medium-size trees, especially if they are pruned. Viburnums excel as specimen plants or as anchors in mixed borders. You won't find a more versatile group of shrubs for hedges or for massing in groups, since viburnums hold their own in every season. Some viburnums, such as Prague viburnum 'Pragense', are evergreen. Others, such as leatherleaf viburnum, are semi-evergreen in colder climates, losing their leaves when temperatures dip below 10 degrees. The best feature of Viburnums is their adaptability. While they would prefer full sun and moderately watered, well-drained rich soils, they will grow very well in part shade in alkaline, clay soils. Diseases and pests rarely attack them. My kids have run over them with brush hogs and they survived. Their fibrous root system makes them transplant easily. If you are searching for a good-looking hardy shrub consider one of the many members of the Viburnum family.

Viburnums have long been popular garden plants, celebrated for their white, often fragrant spring flowers and their fall color. But it's the Asian viburnums that have so far ruled the roost. Perhaps the most widely appreciated viburnums are the Burkwood viburnum (Viburnum x burkwoodii), and the Korean spice viburnum (V. carlesii), both of which fill the air with an enchanting clove-like aroma in mid-spring. Also popular is the doublefile viburnum (V. plicatum f. tomentosum), valued for its layered habit, fall foliage, and clusters of red fruits. Viburnum acerifolium (Maple-leafed viburnum) Although I wouldn't garden without any of these, I have a special fondness for several of our very garden-worthy native viburnums. They may not provide the enticing flower fragrance of their Asian cousins, but I love them nonetheless--not only for their marvelous fall foliage color (championed by Darke) but also for their copious fruit displays, which attract birds to my garden in the fall and winter months. In addition, several are useful to today's water-wise gardeners or for tough urban conditions. They require only corrective pruning, and none commonly suffer from pests or diseases. Viburnums are considered moist woodland plants. In nature they are found along steam banks from Long Island to Florida. When you come to our 5275 West Swamp Rd. location ask us to show some in their native habitat that we found along our stream bank. These plants perform well under normal landscape conditions. I especially like the floral display in the spring and these viburnums that bear fruit in the fall. Winterthur has great red leaves and abundant fruit in the fall. This cultivar needs a cross pollinator such as viburnum nudum. Native Americans used Viburnum dentatum (arrowwood viburnum) for arrow shafts. There stems are long and strait. This plant will grow in places many plants struggle. So if you have had trouble with plants in a harsh location try this cultivar. Viburnums We raise over 12 types of Viburnums on our farms from seedlings to 5' shrubs. If you have poor soils due to compacting from construction, try viburnums. Being rugged and hardy, they perform where other plants fail. American Cranberry Bush KoreanSpice Blackhaw ArrowwoodViburnum Chicago Luster Dawn Summer Snowflake Shasta Winterthur Blue Muffin Burkwood Erie Tea Judd Korean Spice Praque Siebold You can see more of Bill's writing and tips at his web site http://www.seedlingsrus.com

Doctor Bill piles it high and deep with this unusal method to safeguard birds and man from the spread of bird flu.

Bird Flu Spreading Rapidly In Europe ? EU Nations Take Precautions

H5N1 bird flu struck another country today as Hungary became the latest European nation to discover the deadly disease in migrating swans. Over the past seven days, H5N1 has been in seven new countries; five of them being in Europe. The results of this rapid spread are causing European nations to take a variety of actions to protect both their poultry industry and their citizens.

Yesterday, Albania banned the importation of poultry products from any country that is known to have had occurrences of H5N1. At the same time, Germany has ordered that domestic poultry be confined to indoor pens as of February 17. Today, France also ordered that all domestic poultry be kept in indoor pens, where it can not be exposed to migratory wild birds.

As of last week, Bulgaria banned the hunting of wild birds by sportsmen. Bulgaria discovered H5N1 is several dead swans found in the wetlands of the Danube River.

The spread of H5N1 is having immediate economic consequences. In Italy, where the disease was discovered over the weekend, sales of chicken dropped by 50% in the three days following the government announcement that the disease was present in the country. Layoffs have already started to occur.

On the other hand, Ireland is reporting that due to H5N1 in other areas of Europe, high demand for Irish beef and lamb is actually forcing prices higher.

The economic impacts of a full scale bird flu pandemic should not be underestimated. The Australian government is releasing a study today which estimates the cost to global economy from a pandemic could be as high as $4.4 Trillion dollars. This is significantly higher than previous estimates by the World Bank, but even the Australian numbers may be conservative.

The study estimated that in a worst case scenario, there would be 142 million deaths worldwide. Some scientists believe that the actual death count could be significantly higher; with up to 1 Billion people dying. Undeveloped third world nations would be significantly harder hit than other areas of the world.

The Australian estimates were put together by Professor Warwick McKibbin, one of the world's leading economic modelers and a member of the Australian Reserve Bank board, and Dr Alexandra Sidorenko, a health expert at the Australian National University. According to their study, the overall world economy could shrink by as much as 12.6% and would lead to a global depression.

The study, in combination with the rapid spread of the disease, is disturbing. It has been 38 years since the last pandemic flu outbreak. Since the 19th century, pandemics have occurred at maximum intervals of 40 years. This means that we are due. All of the flu pandemics that have occurred in that time frame have originated from China and Southeast Asia. This is exactly the point of origination for H5N1. And while a number of pharmaceutical companies are working on, and testing bird flu vaccines, there is a growing body of evidence that these may be ineffectual.

The bottom line is that there may not be enough time left to head off a bird flu pandemic. This means that individuals and companies need to start making their own preparations to deal with the bird flu. Yesterday, Health and Human Services Secretary, Mike Leavitt told reporters that he has been hammering home a message to the states that they can expect little or no assistance from the federal government in the event of a pandemic. This means that we are probably all on our own.

Jim Malmberg is the founder of fluFactor, a blog that is tracking the progression of human avian flu infections. fluFactor can be found at http://flufactor.blogspot.com

Bird Flu Spreading Rapidly In Europe ? EU Nations Take Precautions

H5N1 bird flu struck another country today as Hungary became the latest European nation to discover the deadly disease in migrating swans. Over the past seven days, H5N1 has been in seven new countries; five of them being in Europe. The results of this rapid spread are causing European nations to take a variety of actions to protect both their poultry industry and their citizens.

Yesterday, Albania banned the importation of poultry products from any country that is known to have had occurrences of H5N1. At the same time, Germany has ordered that domestic poultry be confined to indoor pens as of February 17. Today, France also ordered that all domestic poultry be kept in indoor pens, where it can not be exposed to migratory wild birds.

As of last week, Bulgaria banned the hunting of wild birds by sportsmen. Bulgaria discovered H5N1 is several dead swans found in the wetlands of the Danube River.

The spread of H5N1 is having immediate economic consequences. In Italy, where the disease was discovered over the weekend, sales of chicken dropped by 50% in the three days following the government announcement that the disease was present in the country. Layoffs have already started to occur.

On the other hand, Ireland is reporting that due to H5N1 in other areas of Europe, high demand for Irish beef and lamb is actually forcing prices higher.

The economic impacts of a full scale bird flu pandemic should not be underestimated. The Australian government is releasing a study today which estimates the cost to global economy from a pandemic could be as high as $4.4 Trillion dollars. This is significantly higher than previous estimates by the World Bank, but even the Australian numbers may be conservative.

The study estimated that in a worst case scenario, there would be 142 million deaths worldwide. Some scientists believe that the actual death count could be significantly higher; with up to 1 Billion people dying. Undeveloped third world nations would be significantly harder hit than other areas of the world.

The Australian estimates were put together by Professor Warwick McKibbin, one of the world's leading economic modelers and a member of the Australian Reserve Bank board, and Dr Alexandra Sidorenko, a health expert at the Australian National University. According to their study, the overall world economy could shrink by as much as 12.6% and would lead to a global depression.

The study, in combination with the rapid spread of the disease, is disturbing. It has been 38 years since the last pandemic flu outbreak. Since the 19th century, pandemics have occurred at maximum intervals of 40 years. This means that we are due. All of the flu pandemics that have occurred in that time frame have originated from China and Southeast Asia. This is exactly the point of origination for H5N1. And while a number of pharmaceutical companies are working on, and testing bird flu vaccines, there is a growing body of evidence that these may be ineffectual.

The bottom line is that there may not be enough time left to head off a bird flu pandemic. This means that individuals and companies need to start making their own preparations to deal with the bird flu. Yesterday, Health and Human Services Secretary, Mike Leavitt told reporters that he has been hammering home a message to the states that they can expect little or no assistance from the federal government in the event of a pandemic. This means that we are probably all on our own.

Jim Malmberg is the founder of fluFactor, a blog that is tracking the progression of human avian flu infections. fluFactor can be found at http://flufactor.blogspot.com

Bird Flu Pandemic Planning for Faith Based and Non-Profit Organizations

How would a bird flu pandemic affect your faith-based or non-profit organization? Currently avian influenza has been mainly in Asia but it is spreading rapidly to other countries. Worldwide about 165 people have become ill (mainly from close contact with infected poultry) and about 88 have died. At this time bird flu is not passed from human to human but scientists fear it will mutate into a form or mix with normal influenza viruses that will allow it to pass easily from person to person. When that happens the chance of a world pandemic will greatly increase with catastrophic results. It may not happen in the near future but health experts say it will happen and it is only a matter of time.

A bird flu pandemic lasting a year could cost the global economy $800 billion dollars, leave millions around the world ill and kill anywhere from 5 million to 500 million people world wide. It would have a huge impact on your organization, your members and the community you serve.

It is estimated that 30-60% of the work force would be out sick. People could be housebound under quarantines for months at a time. Public gatherings such as worship services would be reduced or eliminated all together to help prevent the spread of bird flu. How would you continue to serve your members? As with any organization, you need to be aware of the risks and have a 'worst-case scenario" contingency plan in place before you actually need it.

Some of the questions you may need to start asking are:

How would you continue to offer services without contributing to the spread of bird flu? Worship services may need to be reduced or eliminated for several months. Weekly group meetings including bible studies, boy scouts, etc. would also need to be eliminated.

How would you handle a loss of contributions when members are at home sick and not working? How long could your organization last without income?

How would you continue to communicate with your members? What type of communication network between members and staff could you set up?

How would you handle your community outreach programs, such as meals on wheels and other programs where you are dealing with many people? Members of the community, who are elderly, vision impaired, wheelchair bound and those already homebound, would need someone to continue checking on them and help them if they become ill. Members of society who are slipping through the cracks now may be the hardest hit. The need for services could become overwhelming.

Members will be undergoing tremendous stress in relation to illness, loss of work and income, family members illness, being housebound ("cabin fever"), and death. The services you can offer may be stretched to the limit.

There could be food and water shortages, utility outages and social unrest. Members who were not prepared before hand would need help with their daily needs.

There would be an increase in people dying. How would you handle the additional services? How would you administer to those dying at home?

What about key employees? Who can fill in if they are out sick? Can you call upon additional volunteers? How would a bird flu pandemic impact your overseas mission work?

What other community services are you offering that may be affected? Daycare centers along with schools would probably be closed. You may need to open your doors to shelter the sick or take care of the homeless. You may need to help your community with social services that are no longer available.

During a pandemic, everyone's faith, resilience and core beliefs will be put to the test. Your best defense is to stay informed and updated, keep your members informed about the bird flu and by starting to plan now for a possible bird flu pandemic, you will be in a better position to continue to offer your members the services they require and the answers they need.

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, official medical and government sites and full information about how the bird flu could turn into a global influenza pandemic. Search through the article archive for the latest bird flu articles. For the latest bird flu news visit The Pandemic Zone http://pandemiczone.blogspot.com

Preparing Your Business for a Bird Flu Pandemic

How would your business operate if half your work force were out sick? Would your business continue to function if several of your top key employees died? How many employees are cross-trained in other positions?

A recent study showed the threat that most preoccupies the world's business leaders is a global influenza pandemic. This is why you need to start asking these questions now so your business can be prepared for a possible bird flu pandemic. A bird flu pandemic will not discriminate. Everyone from the janitor to the CEO would be affected. Worst-case scenario could leave millions sick and any where from 5 million to 1.5 billion people dead around the world.

The World Bank, which has estimated that a bird flu pandemic lasting a year, could cost the global economy up to $800 billion. The economic toll on the world economy will be catastrophic. There would be major economic losses due to worker absences and interruptions in supply and delivery chains. Even a "mild" pandemic would have lasting effects on your business. Because a global flu pandemic is such a threat, current business and disaster response plans may not be adequate to deal with it. What steps should you start to take now to prepare?

As with any worst-case scenario you should be aware of the risks and have a contingency plan in place before you need it. By planning now you will help keep your business running, your employees safe and head off possible legal issues. Some of the steps you may want to consider are:

Establish a pandemic coordinator or team with responsibilities for preparedness and response planning. Provide current avian influenza information to all employees. Identify and make available information on community resources.

Identify key essential areas and current employees responsible. Cross-train other employees in those areas so they are able to fill in for sick employees. Have written documentation for those employees filling in for others.

Identify key suppliers and alternative sources for critical materials and supplies. Increase raw material inventories to keep production going for several months. Plan for "just in time" inventory shortages. Products and inventory from Asian countries may not be available if Asian factories are shut down due to illness.

Play "what if?" What if Joe in accounting was out sick for a month? Or Sam in IT died? Who could fill in, how would the business run? It is estimated that between 30-60% of the workforce will be out sick.

Maintain a healthy work environment. Encourage hand washing, offer hand sanitizers, consider quality air purifiers. Limit face-to-face contact with employees and customers. Limit large group meetings, shared workstations and public events. Limit or eliminate non-essential business travel. Make use of conference calls and video conferencing.

Review employment policies to see if you can require employees to stay home if they are sick. Establish new sick time policies. Check employee agreement clauses for business closure plans, hours of work and position changes. Establish policies and procedures for sending staff home, staff leaving work on their own, unauthorized absences and returning to work. Plan to offer additional sick time pay or wage and salary advances to staff unable to work. Plan for family member illness, community quarantines, school/business and public transportation closures.

Offer telecommuting options to as many employees as possible. Offer flextime and other creative job options.

Back up essential files off site, provide access to a network of key employees.

Establish a communication plan for employees and business contacts. Include key contacts and tracking for employee status. Employees will be hungry for up to date information about their business, jobs and co-workers. Good communication with your employees is essential to avoid rumors, panic and misinformation.

To encourage employees to stock up on food and supplies for an extended home stay, purchase supplies for them in bulk to take advantage of discounts, offer the savings to employees. Or offer them a SAM's Club or Costco membership at no charge.

Taking these steps today will help your business be prepared for a possible bird flu pandemic, survive for the duration and return to business as normal faster than those who are not prepared.

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, official medical and government sites and full information about how the bird flu could turn into a global influenza pandemic. Search through the article archive for the latest bird flu articles. For the latest bird flu news visit The Pandemic Zone http://pandemiczone.blogspot.com

Keep birds free of bird flu by feeding them naturally

Prevention of the spread of Bird Flu is the responsibility of everyone. It is known that bird feeders are a source of transmission of avian flu viruses and related diseases. Many communities have zoning laws which are meant to prevent people from feeding pigeons and seagulls. Bird droppings, when massed in open areas close to pedestrian walkways and windows provide ideal pathways for pathogens to spread not only from bird to bird, but from bird to humans. We therefore suggest that if you want to feed birds and provide for there needs you consider planting shrubs and trees that provide birds with sources of food that more mimics the natural environment. Plants such as viburnums are an excellent choice. They not only provide seeds that are available in the late winter, but also shelter.

In Hong Kong, the government has already started to prevent the spread of bird flu by telling citizens that wild pigeon droppings may help spread harmful germs, and that avoiding feeding them is the best way to minimize their congregation. Therefore any wild bird feeders in common areas at public rental housing estates and markets will be served a fine without any prior warnings.

Viburnums are the most attractive, versatile, adaptable shrubs for any landscape. They can be used as hedges or screens and in mixed perennial/shrub borders. They can also stand alone as specimen plants. They usually take the form of shrubs, but some species can become small ornamental trees. They range in size from the Dwarf American Cranberrybush at 2 feet tall by 2 feet wide, to the Siebold at over 15 feet tall.

Viburnums are plants with year round interest. All Viburnums have profuse white to pink flowers in the spring. They have large, attractive and often textured leaves. Some viburnums have wonderfully fragrant flowers that are produced in snowball- shaped clusters in April. Their flower clusters can consist of pink buds, which develop into white flowers. Some fruits are red and turn black with age. Leaves are glossy, dark green and turn a burgundy color in the fall. Midsummer berries are an important food source for birds.Viburnums provide birds with feed and shelter in a natural manner. Birds will not feed in an area that masses birds and bird droppings. This is a more sanitary way to feed birds than with a bird feeder. Additionally you never forget to refill the viburnums as each year there will be a new crop of berries. Viburnums have colorful red to purple leaves. Some viburnums can become medium-size trees, especially if they are pruned. Viburnums excel as specimen plants or as anchors in mixed borders. You won't find a more versatile group of shrubs for hedges or for massing in groups, since viburnums hold their own in every season. Some viburnums, such as Prague viburnum 'Pragense', are evergreen. Others, such as leatherleaf viburnum, are semi-evergreen in colder climates, losing their leaves when temperatures dip below 10 degrees.

The best feature of Viburnums is their adaptability. While they would prefer full sun and moderately watered, well-drained rich soils, they will grow very well in part shade in alkaline, clay soils. Diseases and pests rarely attack them. My kids have run over them with brush hogs and they survived. Their fibrous root system makes them transplant easily.

If you are searching for a good-looking hardy shrub consider one of the many members of the Viburnum family.

Viburnums have long been popular garden plants, celebrated for their white, often fragrant spring flowers and their fall color. But it's the Asian viburnums that have so far ruled the roost. Perhaps the most widely appreciated viburnums are the Burkwood viburnum (Viburnum x burkwoodii), and the Korean spice viburnum (V. carlesii), both of which fill the air with an enchanting clovelike aroma in mid-spring. Also popular is the doublefile viburnum (V. plicatum f. tomentosum), valued for its layered habit, fall foliage, and clusters of red fruits. Viburnum acerifolium (Maple-leafed viburnum) Although I wouldn't garden without any of these, I have a special fondness for several of our very gardenworthy native viburnums. They may not provide the enticing flower fragrance of their Asian cousins, but I love them nonetheless--not only for their marvelous fall foliage color (championed by Darke) but also for their copious fruit displays, which attract birds to my garden in the fall and winter months. In addition, several are useful to today's waterwise gardeners or for tough urban conditions. They require only corrective pruning, and none commonly suffer from pests or diseases.

Viburnums are considered moist woodland plants. In nature they are found along steam banks from Long Island to Florida. When you come to our 5275 West Swamp Rd. location ask us to show some in their native habitat that we found along our stream bank. These plants perform well under normal landscape conditions. I especially like the floral display in the spring and these viburnums that bear fruit in the fall. Winterthur has great red leaves and abundant fruit in the fall. This cultivar needs a cross pollinator such as viburnum nudum.

Native Americans used Viburnum dentatum (arrowwood viburnum) for arrow shafts. There stems are long and strait. This plant will grow in places many plants struggle. So if you have had trouble with plants in a harsh location try this cultivar.

We raise over 20 types of Viburnums on our farms from seedlings to 5' shrubs. If you have poor soils due to compacting from construction, try viburnums. Being rugged and hardy, they perform where other plants fail. You can see Bill's web site at seedlingsrus.com

Bill is a common sense expert able to merge ideas from many areas

The Situation With Vaccines For Bird Flu and Other Types of Flu

With everyone on the brink of panic regarding a bird flu pandemic, many are wondering if a vaccine has been developed and if not, why it has not. Vaccines have become a common and widely accepted way of dealing with various viral infections. Unfortunately, this is not yet a valid option for bird flu.

The primary reason an effective vaccine has not been developed for the strain of bird flu causing so much concern is simply lack of time. The process of vaccine development is long and arduous. The virus must be researched on a molecular level in order to create an effective vaccine. Although bird flu was first identified in 1997, the real concern for the disease did not come about until 2004, with the first real outbreak of the virus. Therefore, less than two years has been available to research and develop a vaccine. While vaccines have been developed, they are still in trial phases and hope to be complete soon.

To understand the other significant reasoning, you must first understand a little about bird flu and the threat it carries. As of yet, the virus is not a global, imminent concern. The reason for this is that the virus is now only transmittable through poultry and is not passed through human to human contact. Although many people have died, it is still primarily an Asian and European disease and has not reached pandemic proportions. However, that is likely to change soon.

As time goes on, the virus is mutating and is expected to become transmittable through human contact. When this happens, it will very likely spread quickly and devastatingly throughout all regions of the world.

Therefore, the second reason a vaccine has not yet been developed is due to the mutation of the virus. As of yet, the concern regarding the virus is not as drastic as it will be once mutation is complete. If mutation occurs, a vaccine will be essential to control the spread of the virus. However, a vaccine can not be developed to avoid the new version of the virus until it actually mutates. Any vaccine created before then will be useless on the mutated form of the virus as the molecular basis of the disease will change, altering the effectiveness of a vaccine.

It is believed that much of the groundwork has been completed for the mutated virus vaccine, but until mutation occurs, there will be no way of knowing its effectiveness.

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.