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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The Latest Bird Flu Update Revealed

Everyone is now aware of the threat of bird flu being upon us now. If you are unfamiliar with this particular virus then it can be summed up in one sentence, a form of influenza that affects bird species and has the potential to mutate into a virus harmful to humans. Basically it's the human influenza virus just in another form but still just as deadly. There are many things that people can so to avoid becoming infected by bird flu and one of these things is to constantly check for bird flu updates regularly.

There are many sites that offer an up to date bird flu update everyday. Most of these sites give information on the exact threat of the disease in certain countries. Make sure you get a bird flu update every week so that you can stay in touch with the happenings the current situation of the bird flu virus. Basically it's better to stay ahead of the rest of society so if the day comes that bird flu breaks out in your home town, you are already prepared for it and you and your family will be safe and secure.

Bird Flu Update One

Currently the happenings all over the world in reference to bird flu are as follows. An elderly Indonesian woman became the latest casualty of bird flu. This brings the number of deaths in the country from bird flu up to 54. Many experts believe things will start to get worse before they get better.

Bird Flu Update Two

A quiz was recently started in the USA to determine how well prepared people are for a possible bird flu breakout. $5.2 million was spent on preparing and sending out this quiz. This project is being looked over by Harvard researchers in accordance with the Federal Centers for Disease Control. It's unknown when the results will be ready for release.

Bird Flu Update Three

In more promising news a study has shown results that there perhaps is a cure for bird flu. In London Advanced X-ray technology has helped scientists spot a new target that drug designers might use to attack the dreaded bird flu virus. However scientists are still skeptical and believe we are at least a few years away from a complete cure for bird flu.

Make sure you always check weekly for the most recent bird flu update and remember to stay ahead of the news and most of all, always be prepared.

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All The Secrets You Need To Know About The Asian Bird Flu

There is a deadly disease that has and still is sweeping nations across South East Asia. It's now beginning to be known as the Asian bird flu. So what is it and how does it affect people? Well the Asian bird flu is a virus that is spread by birds, hence the name bird flu. It's a type of influenza virus that can spread like wildfire when given the opportunity.

So you're wondering how Asian bird flu is contracted by humans if it's a strand of influenza that only affects birds? Well unfortunately, bird flu is like many other strands of influenza being that it has the potential to mutate into other strands when placed in the right environment. This of course has occurred many times and has resulted in catastrophic proportions on the human population.

Recent Breakouts Of The Asian Bird Flu

The most recent breakouts have occurred in South East Asia and more particularly Indonesia, where many people died in a very short period of time. Luckily modern medicine is far more adept at treating influenza viruses these days. If the same breakout had have happened back at the beginning of the 20th century many more people would have died and its potential to spread across countries would have been greater. This of course did happen several times nearly 100 years ago and many people lost their lives.

What Can We To Prevent Something Like The Asian Bird Flu From Occurring

Well first of all measurements are being taken to prevent poultry from becoming infected in the first place. Poultry farms are usually the beginning of any outbreak. Why? Well, poultry like chicken and ducks sometimes become infected by wild birds who of course contain an antibody that protects them from the Asian bird flu. This of course doesn't mean they still can't carry the virus and when a bird kept in captivity comes in contact with a carrying wild bird, it then becomes infected. That bird then passes it onto the rest of the birds on the farm and before you know it, there's an epidemic.

If this happens, there is usually a mass culling of poultry to prevent any chance of Asian bird flu spreading any further. Unfortunately in many cases, infected chicken is sold to consumers and that's where it can become a problem for people. The virus has the potential to mutate into a disease that harmful for humans and that can also be spread from human to human.

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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.

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How a Little-Known Science Might Protect You From Bird Flu

You can use a little-known branch of science to help protect yourself and your loved ones from the bird flu pandemic.

It's called evolutionary epidemiology. Basically, it means that microorganisms evolve in ways that encourage the survival and spread of their species.

How this works in each human disease, depends on the nature of how the disease spreads.

The common cold irritates but does not kill us -- so we feel well enough to go to work and sneeze and cough on other people, thus spreading the virus. However, malaria is a killer disease because weak, bed-confined malarial patients allow more mosquitoes to suck up their blood and then go infect other people.

There's currently a scientific debate going on about what this means in connection with bird flu.

Some scientists say that bird flu will not evolve into a highly contagious killer such as the 1918 virus because there is no World War I going on. Trench warfare conditions made that flu virus evolve into a fast killer, because the fast transmission of diseases causes them to evolve into virulent forms.

Other scientists say that the A/H5N1 virus could still mutate or re-assort into a highly contagious and highly mortal killer of people, even without a brutal war to encourage such evolution.

As the recent author of a book telling people how to protect themselves and their families from bird flu, I worried that maybe the first camp are right and I was wasting people's time.

Then I realized something -- my book was perfectly in tune with evolutionary principles.

It's true that there's no world war raging in Europe, but so far, I have not seen anybody in this debate bring up the subject of megacities in the developing world. Mexico City, Jakarta, Bangkok, Calcutta . . . and more are intensely crowded with humanity. Whole extended families sleep together on floors of corrugated iron.

These overcrowded megacities are home to millions of people around the world. If bird flu spreads into one of these neighborhoods, it will find many victims.

They will not seek medical treatment, because they can't afford it. They will lie down at home -- which means being in close contact not only with the many family members they live with, but all the neighbors who stop in and visit. They do not have separate bedrooms or even beds. So they will just have to lay in a corner and struggle for breath.

It seems quite logical to me that in such areas, bird flu could rapidly evolve into a killer flu on a par with 1918, in accord with evolutionary biology principles.

The clear call to action from evolutionary epidemiologists is therefore that isolating victims encourages microorganisms to evolve into nondangerous forms.

If we could isolate everybody in mosquito areas behind solid walls and screened windows, we would force malaria, yellow fever and dengue to evolve into mild forms.

If we could provide everybody in the world with safe drinking water we would force cholera to evolve into a mild form.

If we could force every drug user to give up needles and everybody to give up all but one lifetime sexual partner, HIV would have to become more benign.

I have always recommended that during a bird flu pandemic everyone isolate themselves and family members as much as possible. That's the flip side of isolating victims. As much as possible, bird flu patients should be isolated from non-infected people.

And during a pandemic when large numbers of people will be infected? Non-infected people should isolate themselves.

I advise to do that for personal protection, but if everybody isolated themselves, then A/H5N1 would have to evolve into a much less lethal flu virus.

However, we cannot wait for that eventual evolution to save us. It did happen to the 1918 flu, but not before wiping out whole Eskimo villages near the Arctic Circle -- far from the European war.

Once bird flu becomes both highly contagious and highly lethal, it will eventually change. I've never believed it would wipe out all humanity.

But you don't want to be one of the millions who do die while waiting for bird flu to evolve into a "nice" virus.

Resolve to isolate yourself and your family if necessary -- and all other ways to fight bird flu.Richard Stooker Richard discusses how to avoid H5N1 bird flu in his book How to Protect Yourself and Your Family From H5N1 Bird Flu -- And check out his H5N1 Bird Flu blog

Find Out What The Symptoms of Bird Flu Are Before It's Too Late!

How frightening it is to think that one disease such as bird flu can cause so must devastation by literally killing thousands of people in a short period of time. Well this of course can all be prevented if you are able to read all the bird flu symptoms before it's too late. In this article you will learn exactly how what symptoms are associated with bird flu and how you can notice them early enough to save a person's life.

Bird Flu Symptom One: Muscle Aches

Muscle aches are usually the first signs that a person may have bird flu, however it's usually impossible to tell whether or not the muscle aches you are having are in fact a symptom related to bird flu. Here's how you can tell. First of all ask yourself it it unusual that you should be having muscle aches at this point in time? Have you done any exercise lately? If you haven't and there is no possible reason why you be having muscle aches, then there is a chance that it is in fact a bird flu symptom and you should consult a doctor immediately just to be safe.

Bird Flu Symptom Two: Sore Throat

A sore throat is another symptom associated with bird flu. Generally it isn't too painful in the immediate stages but as time progresses you will find that the intensity will increase to about the time when a fever starts to set in, which of course takes us to our next bird flu symptom...

Symptom Number Three: Fever

At this point in time, you have worked out that you are having unusual muscle aches, your throat is sore and now finally you have picked up a fever, it's time to get to a hospital quickly. Even if you don't have bird flu, you still may have something just as bad and therefore you need immediate treatment. The doctor's can usually tell whether you have contracted bird flu or not within minutes. Generally a cough is also begins to start around the time of the fever and will again intensify as time goes by.

It's important to note that the first question you should ask yourself is, have I or the person showing bird flu symptoms eaten any poultry such as chicken or duck lately. Your doctor will ask you this question and also how long ago it actually was before you last consumed a meal with some sort of poultry product.

Stay alert and always remember that no matter what, it's always better to be safe than sorry!

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7 Simple Ways to Boost Your Immune System Against Bird Flu - and Every Other Infectious Disease

If nothing else, the bird flu scare should remind us not to take our immune systems for granted.

According to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Michael Leavitt, it'll take 6 months after a contagious strain of bird flu is isolated to make enough doses of vaccine to innoculate everybody in the U.S.

By that time, the pandemic will be over.

The message is clear -- we're responsible for our own health.

1. Get 7 to 8 hours sleep every night.

I believe this is very important, and many recent studies verify that sleep is essential for our health in many areas. That's why when you feel sick all you want to do is lie down and close your eyes. That is nature giving you a clue. I know that when I feel a cold coming on the best I can do for it is to sleep for as long as possible.

2. Exercise moderately.

Too many people are either couch potatoes or ultra-marathon fanatics. Yet good health lies in staying active -- without overstressing yourself.

3. Stop smoking.

Cigarette smoking weakens the small hairs called cilia which line your respiratory tract. These are particularly important in fighting bird flu and other respiratory infections because they guard your lungs against infection.

4. Reduce alcohol to 0-3 ounces a day.

I'm not lecturing you here. Alcohol is not immoral. But in large quantities it reduces your immunity.

5. Cut way down on sugar. It weakens your immune system.

In fact, cut down on all forms of starchy carbohydrates -- including wheat (yes, even whole wheat), rice and other grains.

6. Take a good multi-vitamin/mineral. At the very minimum, you need Vitamin A, Vitamin C, zinc and selenium.

7. Wash your hands thoroughly through the day.

Your skin is part of your immune system -- and touching infected people and objects with your hands is the most common way to catch colds and the flu.

Wash those viruses away -- scrub your hands with soap and water for 30 seconds at a time.

Face it -- you are under constant attack by germs. Bacteria, viruses and parasites want to feed off you and many of them will make you sick.

Some cancers are known to be caused by viral infections. Some medical researchers believe that many more cancers than we realize are caused by infections. And no matter how cancer is caused originally, a powerful immune system is good at destroying cancerous cells before they multiply. A weak immune system is more likely to allow tumors to survive.

Besides, bird flu, we face assaults by a wide range of previously unknown emerging infections such as West Nile fever. Plus newly resurgent medical threats such as tuberculosis.

And bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

Even if bird flu never becomes a problem in your area, you need a strong immune system to fight off diseases.

Learn How to Protect Yourself and Your Family From the Avian Influenza Pandemic

Latest news and immune info at: Bird Flu Updates

Bird Flu Protection and Prevention

Bird flu prevention and protection can help prepare you for an influenza pandemic if it were to occur right now. You should become knowledgeable about the magnitude of what can happen is there were a pandemic outbreak. Certain actions can help lesson the impact on your family.

You should prepare yourself for an outbreak by gathering certain information and necessities in case your town comes down with a pandemic. These necessities will help you if you need to protect yourself from an outbreak and stay inside your home.

Put away a supply of food and water for you and your family. While the pandemic is taking place, you may have a hard time getting to the store or the store can be out of supplies, hence the importance for you to have extra supplies put away.

Make sure you carry non-prescription drugs and health supplies to your storage spot. You should have pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough medicines, fluid with electrolytes, and vitamins. This is necessary to provide relief in the event you come in contact with the flu.

Help other family members by explaining to them the necessity to store these items as well. Other people should be informed of what is needed in the event a pandemic happens in their area too. Each home should have somebody designated to help care for the sick.

You can help by volunteering your time with groups in your area to help prepare and assist in emergency situations. You can make a difference for people who have already come into contact with this deadly flu virus.

You can limit the spread of dangerous flu and prevent others or yourself from being infected. You need to teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water, and you should be a model person in this rule and use the correct behavior as well.

Everyone in your family or home should make sure they cover their mouths with tissues while they are coughing or sneezing. This helps to prevent the spread of this flu by obstructing the germs from getting into the air around you.

Educate your children to keep away from anyone who seems like they could possibly be ill. Your children should also stay at home if they possess any of the symptoms of this flu to prevent contamination to other people.

You can both prevent and protect yourself from a deadly outbreak by following these simple guidelines. Don't risk your own life or the lives of others and help keep this flu under control.

Bird Flu Prevention and Protection - Get the facts about the Avian Flu Virus - http://www.avianstocks.com

Bird Flu Facts

Only recently has the bird flu become such a widely publicized illness. Yet, in that time, it has raised fear in many and left everyone with unanswered questions regarding it's transmission, symptoms and treatment. Bird flu is believed to be spread through an infected bird's saliva, nasal extract and/or feces. Otherwise healthy birds may contract the illness by either coming into direct contact with an infected bird or through contact with a contaminated surface. Due in large part that the infected birds are migratory, there is growing concern that the bird flu may spread worldwide.

Humans can contract bird flu directly from an infected bird, but few cases have ever been noted on possible human to human infection. This does not mean that it is or is not possible, but rather that the exact ways of transmission are not yet all known. The current method of bird flu prevention is to eliminate the infected animals upon the determination that they are infected. In some instances, animals that are thought to be infected may also be destroyed on a precautionary basis. This is done in order to protect fellow animals and to prevent the public from contracting the illness as well.

Symptoms of bird flu may include those much like a common cold, which could make them difficult to diagnose. A fever, cough, sore throat, achy muscles, breathing problems and even possible pneumonia are among the symptoms thought to indicate a bird flu infection. Although no experts know for certain, these are the potential warning signs. The reason that so much uncertainty surrounds this ailment is because it is not yet fully understood and has not yet been thoroughly studied. As to whether it will continue to spread or will ever become the widespread illness that everyone fears is not known. The infected individual's immune system will have a large impact on the severity of their illness.

Treatment of bird flu infection usually includes prescription medication and the survival rate is 50% for those individuals that become infected. Once infected, the bird flu virus is believed to travel through the body quickly. This means that the onset of symptoms could be prompt and would call for quick action from the infected individual.

This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or a doctor's recommendation. If any or all of the above symptoms occur, individuals should consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or treatment.

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Are Dogs Safe From the Bird Flu?

Avian influenza, also known as bird flu or H5N1, is a viral disease that most commonly affects birds. It has appeared from time to time in regions around the world. It can spread easily among wild birds, but can also infect domestic birds including chickens, turkeys, ducks, and can also affect humans and other mammals. There is a rising concern that the H5N1 virus could cause a flu pandememic.

The CDC says that dogs are not usually susceptilbe to avian influenza viruses. However, the avian influenza A (H5N1) virus that emerged in Asia in 2003 has been documented to infect other carnivore species (e.g. cats, tigers, leopards, stone martens). This has raised concern that this strain of avian influenza A (H5N1) virus may be capable of infecting dogs. An unpublished report from 2005 by The National Institute of Animal Health in Bangkok indicated that dogs could be infected with the virus, but the associated disease was not detected. Researchers tested 629 village dogs and 111 cats in the Suphan Buri district of central Thailand. Out of these, 160 dogs and 8 cats had antibodies to H5N1, indicating that they were infected with the virus or had been infected in the past.

There were news reports of a stray dog dying from bird flu (H5N1)in Azerbaiijan in March. This was the first reported death of a dog from the virus. So far, this appears to be an isolated case. The World Health Organization(WHO) states on it's website that a better understanding of the situation in animals is, however, urgently needed.

So far, there is not enough information available about H5N1 in dogs to know how infection would occur. Most human cases have come from contact with infected poultry or feces. Affected cats in Europe appear to have become infected by eating infected poultry or wild birds. It is possible dogs could be infected the same way.

If H5N1 is found in your area, (at this time H5N1 has not been found in North America), it may be a good idea to keep your dog indoors unless restrained, to prevent contact with infected birds and their feces. If you have a hunting dog, you may want to reconsider using it for retrieving downed birds. Report to the local veterinary authority any evidence of significant bird mortality, both wild and domestic. If your dog shows breathing problems or nasal discharge, consult a veterinarian. Wash animal blankets with soap or any other commercial detergent.

An equine virus has recently shown up in dogs in the U.S. It is believed that the equine influenza virus mutated to produce the canine influenza virus. This may be a slighlty higher risk for dogs than avian influenza. This inter-species re-assortment is not uncommon for type A influenza viruses. It is unclear when this transition occurred.

Symptoms of canine influenza can be similar to kennel cough and include: a persistant, soft, moist cough, and a thick nasal discharge. More severe cases may include high fevers, pneumonia, and difficulty breathing, which can also be caused by a secondary bacterial infection.

If your dog exhibits any of these symtpoms, consult your veterinarian.

So far, there has been no indication of transmission from dog to human. There is no vaccine available at this time. Treatment is usually limited to IV fluids to help keep your dog hydrated or antibiotics to help control the infection.

For more information concerning the Canine Influenza, and Avian Influenza check out:

www.avma.org/

www.cdc.gov/

So, is your dog safe from the bird flu? No one seems to have a solid answer one way or another at this time. A little caution may be warranted, but the choice is yours: Would you rather your prized hunting dog stay home under the bed rather than risk catching the bird flu, or be out leading the hunt, doing what he loves? The best advise we have right now is always pay close attention to your dogs health. If your dog shows signs of ill health, consult your veterinarian. This will ensure you have a healthy, happy companion for years to come.

Andrew Saari contributes articles to several websites. For the latest on dog health visit http://www.quickdogtraining.com

Will the ChimigenTM Vaccine Stop Bird Flu, Anthrax and Hepatitis?

We interviewed Dr. Rajan George, Adjunct Faculty of the University of Alberta's Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Department. Dr. George is also Vice President of Research and Development for the Division of Infection Diseases of ViRexx Medical Co.

Interviewer: Can you describe ViRexx Medical's Chimigen? therapeutic vaccine?

Dr. Rajan George: Chimigen therapeutic vaccine is used to produce immune responses in a host against infections which are difficult to produce immune responses, by targeting the vaccine to dendritic cells. The Chimigen platform can be extended to develop therapies for difficult-to-treat chronic infectious diseases.

Interviewer: Does that mean the Chimigen platform can be used to treat any infectious disease?

Dr. Rajan George: Yes, except in cases where the immune system is non-functional, as in the case of HIV.The Chimigen platform can be used to produce either a therapeutic vaccine or a prophylactic vaccine. This depends on the disease target and the antigen plugged into the platform. Some antigens have a use in treating infection, while others have a use in preventing an infection. Either one would be targeted to the dendritic cells. The therapeutic vaccine generates a cytotoxic T cell response. A prophylactic vaccine would generate a B cell response and antibody production.

Interviewer: How broad are the applications for the Chimigen? vaccine

Dr. Rajan George: We should be able to use this platform for cancer therapy, depending upon the cancer antigen we use. We can plug in a specific cancer antigen into this platform, and the vaccine targeted to dendritic cells. The dendritic cells would process and present the right antigen, then generating immune responses against the cancer.

We are also evaluating some bioterrorist viruses, the biological weapons terrorists would use, and are looking at one of those viruses to see if we can come up with the prophylactic vaccines against bioterrorism

Interviewer: Would the Chimigen? vaccine be effective as a prophylactic against avian flu, H5N1?

Dr. Rajan George: It could work for bird flu if we just plugged in the bird flu antigen into the platform. Then we can use it as a prophylactic. It generates antibody to generate B-Cell response. You can produce a prophylactic vaccine using this platform. The Chimigen? platform is quite adaptable.

Interviewer: How high is your confidence level in producing a prophylactic vaccine for the avian flu virus?

Dr. Rajan George: My thinking is that it is quite high. I think very highly of having a vaccine like that. But, the ultimate proof has to come from humans. Our HepaVaxx B clinical trial will give us a lot of information on how the technology really works. Until then, our optimism is based on laboratory results.

Interviewer: Can you describe what comprises the Chimigen platform?

Dr. Rajan George: The platform has two components. The first one is from the infectious agent. The second component is from a murine monoclonal antibody. Part one is fused with a fragment of part two by recombinant technology to produce a new entity, the Chimigen? vaccine. We are recombining one thing with another. We have a virus which has certain antigens. We take one of those, and we produce a recombinant molecule with the fragment we have taken from a murine monoclonal antibody. Chimigen is the term we came up with to include the meaning of the full phrase, chimeric antigen. Chimeric means it comes from two different sources. We put them together and create a new molecule. One is from the virus. The other one is from the mouse, the monoclonal antibody. Now we have by recombinant methods produced a protein which is a chimeric protein.

Interviewer: How do you produce such a flexible vaccine, one that appears capable of treating nearly any infection?

Dr. Rajan George: To produce a Chimigen? vaccine to treat nearly any infection, we start with an antigen (protein) from the infectious agent. We fuse it with a fragment called Fc of a mouse monoclonal antibody. This is done using recombinant methods. We end up with a new protein. This protein is made in a cell culture of commercially available insect cells. The protein is produced by the insect cells. From the culture, we purify this particular protein that we made. The insect cell system is just a tool. By virtue of its production in insect cells, the protein attains special properties which are useful in generating better immune responses. Producing this protein in insect cells gives it some very peculiar properties, which are different from our own mammalian proteins. Once we have it coming out of the cell, we purify it and make it really pure. Now we have a protein with the virus antigen murine monoclonal antibody with modified properties.

Interviewer: What do you mean when you say, "useful in generating better immune responses"?

Dr. Rajan George: When a person has a chronic virus infection, his or her body ignores the virus and associated proteins. The body treats the virus as part of itself. The body does not recognize this virus as something foreign to it. Therefore the immune system does not attack the virus. But, by combining the virus antigen with a foreign protein such as the murine antibody fragment, the whole chimeric protein now is recognized by the body's immune system as "foreign," different from something of its own. In essence, this is a re-education of the immune system to switch its recognition of the virus from "self" to "foreign".

Interviewer: From where did the scientific model come, and does it have similarities to another ViRexx Medical product, OvaRex MAb??

Dr. Rajan George: This scientific model arose from discussions among the three lead scientists of the company, Dr. Tony Noujaim, Dr. Lorne Tyrrell, both founders of the company and myself. The collective thoughts of all of us went into the design of the Chimigen? platform. One major similarity between Chimigen and OvaRex is that both involve a murine monoclonal antibody. Another similarity is that both target dendritic cells. The Chimigen model came from thoughts about targeting dendritic cells, but without the use of antibodies. OvaRex is a murine monoclonal antibody against the cancer antigen CA-125. The Chimigen? vaccine has a fragment of a murine monoclonal antibody. OvaRex needs the CA-125 antigen in a cancer patient to bind to. The bound complex goes to the dendritic cells. The Chimigen? vaccine does not need to look for the antigen in a patient because it already has the relevant antigen built in it.

Interviewer: How is the Chimigen? vaccine different from OvaRex? in dealing with a hostile threat to the body's health.

Dr. Rajan George: OvaRex binds to the antigen CA-125. Then, the CA-125/Ovarex complex binds to the dendritic cells. The complex is internalized and processed. The peptides generated from the antigen are presented to the T cells, and the chain of events in the immune system gets stimulated. The activated cytotoxic T cells eliminate the cancer cells which contain the CA125 antigen.

In the case of the Chimigen? vaccine, the vaccine itself contains the antigen. It goes through the dendritic cell pathway and triggers the CTL response to clear the virus-infected cells. The system also produces antibodies to viral antigens, which bind virus and viral antigens and accelerate their removal. Because of the presence of the murine monoclonal antibody fragment, which is foreign to humans, along with the antigen from the virus, the body's immune system treats this as a new threat and takes action.

Interviewer: How would this work in treating Hepatitis B?

Dr. Rajan George: Developing a treatment for Hepatitis B chronic infection, for someone who already has the infection, would involve re-educating the immune system to react differently than it previously has. The infected person already has this virus and the derived antigens. If you put some more of the same antigens into the person, the person's immune system is not going to know the difference His body is going to say, "Well, what's the difference? I already have it. I am not going to do anything with it." The body will ignore it. That's what is called tolerance. With the Chimigen? therapeutic vaccine, we have changed the body's immune response to the virus.

Interviewer: How then have you changed the body's response to the infection?

Dr. Rajan George: In a Hepatitis B chronic infection, let's say I have the infection. My system is tolerating the virus. It's ignoring the presence of the virus. While that is happening, the virus may be causing disease in with my liver. With time, it's going to get my liver into trouble and my immune system has not responded adequately to remove the threat. We inject the protein - the one we just produced, which we call the Chimigen? Therapeutic Vaccine - into the HBV chronic carrier, a person who has a chronic hepatitis B virus infection. What happens is when our protein is administered, the dendritic cells are going to look for anything new which enters the body. Those cells are the immune system's first-line surveillance. The dendritic cells are going to see this new foreign protein, and they are going to think that this is different from what was previously inside. Their recognition of the molecule has changed from what it was before. Before the virus protein was recognized as a "self" protein. Now it is being recognized as a "foreign" protein. In chronic hepatitis B virus infection, the dendritic cells saw the virus as part of the "self" of the host, the vaccine changes the recognition of the virus protein as "foreign" to the host. Because the viral antigen is linked to the fragment of the mouse monoclonal antibody the direct the chimigen to dendritic cells it will enter the dendritic cell and be processed and stimulate an immune response.

Interviewer: And after the vaccine injection, what does the body see?

Dr. Rajan George: The body's immune system see a new foreign antigen composed of a portion of the mouse monoclonal antibody linked to the viral antigen. It's a foreign antigen." The new "chimigen" stimulates an immune response to the antigen as well as the viral antigen. This is very important because the virus antigen was previously being ignored. Now, it's being recognized as foreign through linked recognition of the mouse antigen as being foreign.

Interviewer: How do the dendritic cells react after they recognize this foreign threat?

Dr. Rajan George: The dendritic cells are the sentries of the immune system. They guard what comes in. When they recognize a "foreign situation," what does the immune system do? It treats the whole molecule, the whole protein including the virus antigen, as foreign. The dendritic cells chop up this protein into small pieces called peptides. These peptides also are called "epitopes." There are T cell epitopes which are smaller, and B cell epitopes which are longer. These small peptides bind to MHC I and activate Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). The dendritic cells have a system where they put the T-cell epitope on another protein, MHC Class I, and bring it to the surface of the dendritic cell. They are presented as a complex on the surface of the dendritic cell to attract the T-cells. The T-cells come and see this, then get activated. Now, the activation is also specific to the virus protein. There are different varieties of T-cells, but the cytotoxic T-Cells are the most important in eliminating infections that already exist. The activated cytotoxic T-cells are the ones who do the attacking. They are the ones who start killing the virus infected cells.

Interviewer: And what about the B Cells?

Dr. Rajan George: That is the other side to this story. The dendritic cells can present another kind of peptide epitope. There is a second class of peptides, which are also produced when the protein is chopped up. The dendritic cells stimulate the B-Cells, B-Lymphocytes. And B-lymphocytes produce antibodies. The longer peptides bind to MHC II and activate B lymphocytes (B cells). B cells produce antibodies against the peptides. The antibodies are specific to the antigens we put in the Chimigen? Therapeutic Vaccine. Antibodies bind to viral proteins that are on the surface of and block the ability of the virus to bind to a target cell to cause an infection and prevent the infection. This is the basis of a prophylactic vaccine. The antigen can bind to the invading virus and form a complex that the body eliminates.

The B-Cells produce antibodies against the virus antigen, which we have put in the Chimigen? vaccine. What do these antibodies do? The antibodies are specific to the antigen and bind to the viruses because they have the antigen. The system removes the virus by binding with the antibody. Also, the system removes infected cells using cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. Both of these actions are achieved by the Chimigen? vaccine.

Interviewer: Why would your vaccine work where others have tried and failed?

Dr. Rajan George: The reason is because of the novelty of the technology. We are re-educating the body's own immune system to do the work by using the Chimigen? technology. When you inject a xenotypic antibody , that is a non-human antibody that is linked to a specific antigen. The body recognizes the whole molecule as foreign and produces immune responses with both T- and B-Cell immunity. We believe that this enhanced immune response will be helpful in controlling the viral infection in the case of viral chimigens.

Interviewer: Much of the research has been within the laboratory. How much of this is hypothetical?

Dr. Rajan George: Our experiences so far have been mostly with isolated systems, meaning experimental systems outside of the body. For example, ViRexx's Chimigen? vaccine for treating chronic hepatitis B infection is what we call HepaVaxx B. This is waiting to go into Phase I clinical trials. We have done a lot of ex vivo experiments in the lab to evaluate the immune responses it can produce. We showed what we had predicted in theory has been true. We have also done some animal experiments, where the vaccine showed similar effects, again, as predicted. For HepaVaxx B, the animal results are also showing great progress and promise. We believe the Phase I studies will show safety and maybe some immunological data. The advanced clinical trials, Phase II and III, will tell us exactly what happens in humans (efficacy) with a chronic infection of Hepatitis B.

James Finch contributes to StockInterview.com and other publications. His archived articles can be found at www.stockinterview.com. Please contact James Finch with your feedback and comments by emailing him at: jfinch@stockinterview.com

Bird Flu - Likely To Occur Again And Again

There are three types of Influenza ? Pandemic flu, Bird flu or avian flue and Seasonal flu.
Among them Bird Flu or Avian Flu is our present topic of discussions.

The recent Bird Flu pandemic in different parts of this planet is causing concern to every one. Let us see what Bird Flu is and what their origin is.

Like humans, birds are also susceptible to Influenza. Migratory wild fowls, notably wild ducks, are natural carriers of this disease. The disease is caused by the virus of type H5 and H7. The present day concern is about the strain H5N1 which is deadly and may be fatal to humans who come in close contacts with the live and infected bird.

It is astonishing that, although the wild migratory birds carry the virus, they are seldom attacked by this. But they can easily transmit the disease by their droppings and other secretion to the domestic birds like chickens, fowls and even other domestic animals like pigs causing them ill with avian influenza.

Global concern is that the bird flu virus, if transmitted from the ailing bird to humans, may mutate and become fatal to the person affected by it. For the last few years, considerable number of human deaths occurred due to the infection from the ailing birds.

Bird flu out breaks and their subsequent effects on humans are not uncommon in history. In 1918, outbreak of human flu pandemic was recorded. This, as well as flu pandemics of 1957 and 1968 are believed to have been the results of Bird flu.

In recent years of 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2003, bird flu pandemics occurred and affected the humans also causing a few deaths in Hong Kong and other far east countries.

Actually, as the disease is carried by migratory birds, there is no way of preventing the disease to spread. The bird flu pandemics can be expected to occur three or four times in hundred years, according to WHO experts.

So we should protect the domestic birds such that they are not fallen into contacts with the droppings and other secretions of the wild virus carrying birds.

Appropriate medicine for bird flu is generic Tamiflu whose medical name is Oseltamivir Phosphate which attacks the influenza virus and stops it spreading inside the body. It is an oral anti viral medicine.

Here we are providing some Tamiflu information below:

§ The recommended dose of Tamiflu is one 75 mg capsule to be taken two times daily. The medicine is to be taken for five days.

§ The medicine can be taken with or without food.

§ The drug has its side effects too. The most frequently reported side effects are nausea, vomiting, bronchitis, trouble sleeping and dizziness.

§ The drug is not approved to be used for children under the age of 18.

§ Its effectiveness to prevent the flu or to decrease the risk of transmitting the virus to others has not been established.

Probably we can not check the pandemic of bird flu. Its nature is such that it will occur again and again. But we can take measures to save domestic birds as well as man kind at large by proper protection against it.

Jenifer D'souza is an amateur writer to http://www.finegenerics.com providing information on all health related topics or on the latest health topics. For more information, contact jenifr@gmail.com or visit http://www.finegenerics.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

Bird Flu--Worst-Case Scenario

There has been a lot of buzz about bird flu or the avian influenza and how it could become a global pandemic. What would a pandemic really mean? The federal government just launched a 7 billion dollar program to help the prevention and out break of a bird flu pandemic. There have only been 88 deaths from avian flu worldwide since 2003. Health experts have not yet seen evidence of human to human transmission. So what does it mean? And why is everyone so worried about a pandemic?

This new strain of flu virus would be more resistant than other normal flu strains and if it turns into a form that passes easily from person to person, we would have little immunity to it. Millions could become ill and millions would die. Once it starts to spread it could move rapidly around the world infecting millions and affecting the lives of everyone. 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. What is the worst-case scenario and how might it develop?

Here is how a bird flu pandemic might unfold:

Outbreaks of avian flu in birds continue in several additional countries outside of Southeast Asia including Russia, Africa and the Middle East

Human cases of bird flu increase

Health experts confirm first human-to-human transmissions

Flu screening is stepped up at airports around the world for passengers coming from infected countries

Health care workers show signs of increased exposure

Air travel spreads virus to all corners of the globe within 3 months

First confirmed human transmission cases appear in Europe Russia, and the United States

Outbreaks continue, becoming more widespread reaching epidemic status

Regional stockpiles of antivirals quickly dwindle, new high volume production and distribution is 6 months off

International flights are reduced or eliminated to help contain spread of the flu

Billions are lost on international commerce, affecting millions of jobs around the world

US imports from Asian factories halted as Asian workers fall ill, US inventories drop

International trade devastated

US economy feels effects of loss of productivity due to millions of workers out sick

Financial markets hit by panic selling, gold prices soar Run on banks as investors convert to cash

Hospitals see surge in flu patients overwhelming staff and supplies, only those most likely to live given access to limited available ventilators

Healthcare workers and first responders out sick or stay home to care for ill family members

Public events are canceled and schools are closed

Government offices closed, non essential services shut down

Social services reduced or eliminated. Services still functioning are overwhelmed

Public transportation halted

Air traffic halted due to air traffic controllers, airport staff and flight crews out sick

Interstate commerce greatly reduced with truck drivers, warehouse and rail workers out sick

Food deliveries, gas deliveries, other essential supplies all reduced or eliminated

Grocery stores close due to shipments being eliminated

Food distribution chain from farm to stores breaks down

Travel restricted, quarantines mandatory, enforced by National Guard

Widespread looting and riots over food shortages and access to healthcare

Local, State police and National Guard overwhelmed

Social structure breaks down

Domestic violence increases as people are forced to stay home

Loss of workers affects all businesses across the economy, including finance, sanitation, utilities, internet, distribution, energy, retail, tourism and travel

Utility outages increase as coal shipments are reduced and minimum required staffs at power plants and water plants are out sick

Funeral homes are overwhelmed as bodies stack up

2nd wave of pandemic bird flu hits

Global economy will take years to recover from catastrophic losses and loss of trained employees who died

Does the above scare you? Think it won't happen? Well this is the exact scenario your local, state and federal governments are training and planning for. How would you survive? It has always been recommended to keep 3 days of supplies on hand to survive a natural disaster. We have seen how the federal government handles natural disasters. The above scenario isn't for 3 days or 3 weeks. It might last up to 3 years.

How would you survive being housebound for several months? What if you couldn't go to work or to the grocery store? What if you had love ones that were sick? You need to stay informed about a possible bird flu pandemic and learn how to provide for yourself and your family. It may not happen in the near future but health experts agree it will happen. It is just a matter of time.

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

How Do Humans Become Infected With Bird Flu

The infection process with bird flu is not particularly complicated. As with other strains of influenza, the virus itself is passed from host to host, although bird flu is not transmitted from human contact like other strains of the flu. However, people should still be knowledgeable of how bird flu is contracted to avoid it as much as possible.

Currently, the primary way humans become infected with the disease is through contact with infected animals or their feces. The virus is transmitted through bodily excretions, such as saliva, nasal secretions, and feces or through contact with contaminated surfaces. In many of the regions where outbreaks have occurred, people, poultry and pigs live in very close contact, therefore, increasing the likelihood of transmitting the disease.

Especially in agricultural arenas, virus transmission occurs more frequently to humans. The reason for this is the necessity of handling fowl for feeding, medical care, and slaughter. People will often handle birds and not properly sanitize their hands and clothing afterward. Also, because fowl are usually kept in small areas for farming purposes, the disease spreads easily and feces accumulates quickly, also increasing human contact with potentially dangerous excretions. The virus lives on contaminated surfaces for several days, which also increases infection probability.

Another way of infection is by ingesting infected poultry that was not cooked properly. It is always suggested to fully cook any meat you are preparing for yourself or your family to eliminate bacteria and harmful viruses. When cooking poultry, you should cook the meat to a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit or 74 degrees Celsius to ensure its safety. Especially in the cases of infection in children, ingesting contaminated food is believed to be the primary cause because children handling fowl is considerably less common in the areas where outbreaks have occurred. This is of particular concern as children have a higher mortality rate than adults. As with most infectious diseases, it has more of a negative effect of the weak: the very young and very old.

With time, people fear the virus will mutate to a form transmittable from human to human. If this occurs, infection will occur as with the regular flu strain. The virus will spread through saliva and mucus contact through sneezing, coughing, or breathing in close vicinity of others. With mutation, the virus will spread with much more ease through human populations, possibly causes massive illness and death.

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.