Are you "preparing" for the Bird Flu?

Free4Life11 said:
Here's what confuses me: How would the flu affect the water supply? Should I have reason to believe that turning on the tap won't work? Same with electricity....

I can understand having food so that you don't have to leave the home but not sure about water/electricity.

My guess is and it's nothing more than that, a guess, they're probably expecting everyone to remain at home. If those who work for our utility companies don't go to work, we'll not have the utility. I guess for those on wells/generators maybe it wouldn't effect them, but I'd imagine the vast majority of us rely on public utilities.

As far as I understand, no birds have migrated yet to spread the virus and according to one site I read, the birds will be done with this phase this month. I'm talking those migrating from Africa to Europe. There is also no indication that this is spread from human to human yet either. Perhaps it never will? I'd read they expected that to happen after about 10 mutations. I wonder how many times it's mutated so far.
 
there have been a few suspected, isolated cases of it spreading human-to-human. I remember reading about it in the National Geographic Magazine from last October. Clearly this is no reason to panic as it has not become fully transmissable, but even the WHO admits there have been suspected cases. Below mentions family members, but I remember reading somewhere about at least one health care worker - a male nurse in Thailand or Indonesia possibly. Also, a possible case of 2 or 3 health care workers in Vietnam. The other key thing is that these have occurred over the last couple years, and yet it still has not mutated to easy or efficiant transmission. The thing is you can't say there are no cases - but even given that, it is not yet significant.

This is from the WHO site - the link was given above earlier today:

What is the significance of limited human-to-human transmission?

Though rare, instances of limited human-to-human transmission of H5N1 and other avian influenza viruses have occurred in association with outbreaks in poultry and should not be a cause for alarm. In no instance has the virus spread beyond a first generation of close contacts or caused illness in the general community. Data from these incidents suggest that transmission requires very close contact with an ill person. Such incidents must be thoroughly investigated but – provided the investigation indicates that transmission from person to person is very limited – such incidents will not change the WHO overall assessment of the pandemic risk. There have been a number of instances of avian influenza infection occurring among close family members. It is often impossible to determine if human-to-human transmission has occurred since the family members are exposed to the same animal and environmental sources as well as to one another.

This one is from an article at Mayo Clinic site:


Bird flu fears: How dire the threat?
A Mayo Clinic specialist discusses timely questions about bird flu and its potential to cause a human pandemic.
James Steckelberg, M.D.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since 1997, bird flu has killed tens of millions of birds in several countries, and claimed the lives of dozens of people. Most people became sick through close contact with infected birds. But in a few instances, the H5N1 strain of the virus, which is uncommonly lethal, appears to have spread from person to person.

So far, the cases of human-to-human transmission have been rare and self-contained. But some experts fear that as the virus continues to mutate, it may produce a new, equally deadly strain that spreads easily among people, leading to a worldwide pandemic.
 

Well done. It actually took me only 2 seconds, but if you combine both responses, it is greater than the 3 seconds in my original post. I stand corrected and you win!! LOL!!!
 
I am preparing in the same way I did for the energy crisis, Y2k, etc.

I am doing absolutely nothing.
 
I still haven't solved 'Mad Cow disease' ... Oh brother.

But I'm sure that the bird flu is a direct result of the Clinton administration somehow... pirate:
 
I went to a Red Cross preparedness thing last week at work. The concern is not really with the current form of bird flu, which passes from birds to humans, but if it mutates, which is common. Then it could easier pass from human to human.

The water and food supply could be a problem because of the people either sick, taking care of someone who is sick, or just too afraid to go to work.

Schools would probably be closed, so many people could not work because they would need to stay home with their children.

Getting ready for a possible flu epidemic is much the same as being prepared for a hurricane. Hurrican season is almost here, so I will be stocking up on things for that anyway. Florida passed a sales tax exemption bill on some of the hurricane preparation items (i.e. generators).

Most likely will be like the Y2K thing, but who know for sure, better safe than sorry.

Has anyone bought Tamiflu?
 
huh.. guess I'm behind the times.

We've just started filling up empty 2 liter coke bottles so that we would have "just in case" water this summer if we ever have another Isabelle or Gaston incident in central VA. Figured we have a huge basement - why not. Don't use 'em, recycle them.

Haven't given much thought at all to the bird flu although as I speak I am being stared at by 8 cockatiels.

Probably the only thing I will do as a precaution *solely* for the bird flu is to not bring my pet birds outside to prevent any contact with potentially contaminated wild birds

Maybe I'm just a pessimest but this whole thing stinks of the "Buy a bunch of duct tape and plastic sheeting to tape up your windows and make them air tight" propoganda from a couple of years ago. I found that laughable. Umm.. if the windows are airtight that's great. No poisonous gas getting in. Guess, what, no oxygen getting in either! Hope you got a rainforest in your breakfast nook! :rotfl:

If I'm being wrongly pessimistic and flippant about this whole thing, then someone please educate me otherwise. I tend to avoid the whole "The sky is falling and the earth will end" movements that pop up every year.

If I'm wrong, I guess it's time to prove my doctor's diagnosis that I am immune to viral infections, huh? Yep, never had a cold, the flu, chicken pox (been exposed 3X). Of course that is all shot to you know where when you take into account that my joints are currently being destroyed by a rare autoimmune disease. I just can't win ;) :rotfl:
 
I have been following this...
and here is what I am thinking,

* should you prepare by having can goods on hand? yes, you should no matter what! any storm, anytime...you may need it. It will not kill you to have something ready.

* Is it being blown out of proportion? the media always does this, BUT after several meetings with the CDC, H5N1 it is only a mutation away, and it is, and will be carried by birds, and airplanes. It will happen, it is a matter of when. when it does....it will spread, like wildfire.

The way I look at it, better safe than sorry. why not educate yourselves to keep you and your families safe!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_pandemic
 
I haven't prepared, but of course due to the media hype lately, I most likely will start by the end of this month. I have a few very high storage cupboards you need a step ladder to get to. So, we don't use them for anything. So, I'm thinking of stocking them w/ stuff. I will not go overboard, but some stuff will give me some peace of mind. I'm a natural worrier. Everything worries me, so of course this does too.

However, they did in fact have SARS so hyped up, I cancelled a flight I had scheduled because I was too scared. That didn't turn out to be the epidemic they said it would. Which is a good thing, but they do like to put a lot of fear out there first.

So, yep I'll be a slave to the media and I'll buy my water, food, and face masks soon. I figure I did the duct tape and plastic thing (I still have a stockpile of 10 gallons of water in the basement which is known as our "war water" from 2003 that can be dumped now I'm sure). I did the whole preparedness thing w/ Y2K too.

My downfall would be heat too. I might have to price some small generators and store one in our creepy basement. Which wouldn't be a bad idea anyway. We'll see because I'd need dh for that one, and he won't prepare. He'd say let the chips fall where they may..... :confused3
 
I see nothing wrong with stockpiling in case of anything. That makes sense to me.

However some people are talking epidemic before it has even mutated to being able to infect humans. Maybe I'm wrong as can be but I think it's too early to assume anything with this bird flu.
 

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