Avian Flu H5N1 Infects Over 50 Turks

Upwards of fifty Turks are suspected of being infected with the Avian Flu virus and experts are beginning to predict the disease spreading to Europe. Migratory birds are the most likely reason for the virus turning up in Turkey. story here And here's a blog to keep up on developments as regards the H5N1 danger.

The number of Turkish people thought to be infected with avian flu rose to more than 50 this weekend, prompting concern that the disease may be about to spread into Europe.

Yesterday a British laboratory confirmed that a Turkish brother and sister who died last week had the feared H5N1 strain of avian flu.

A third child from the same family in Dogubayazit, in eastern Turkey, has now died of avian flu and dozens more suspected cases have emerged.

Comments

[chrys]

Thanks for this link Dan!

[annie]

I wonder whether this kind of 'flu has actually been around for a long time, but it is only recently that it has had the publicity, and information about it has come to the fore. A few years ago a friend of mine nearly died because on her way back home she used to have to walk under an arch where there were lots of pigeons roosting and she had breathed in something from these birds' droppings. She was in hospital for a very long time, and she still has to keep going back to the hospital for tests. It would appear that the children who died in Turkey had been having direct contact with the birds they caught it from. At present, here in UK, people I know don't seem to be too concerned, but nevertheless, it is still worrying. Turkey seems a long way away, as is China, but today, it is a small world. Interesting comment about migratory birds, our migratory birds go down Africa way, so they would fly down towards Turkey!! However, a few years ago they had everybody worried about Mad Cow disease, and they killed thousands of animals, but nobody seems to mention that much here now (I hope I have not spoken too soon!!!), and when Aids first came on the scene there was nothing but talk and panic about that, and although we know it is around, that panic has died down as well, but I hope that people don't get too complacent. It is better that we know about these things than not, even if it turns out not to be the epidemic that some people think it may be.

[agent bedhead]

Eeeek. Time to start running again, if you catch my drift...

[annie]

Yeh, but where are you going to run to, that birds can't fly to!!!

[bizarre]

annie, you should still be worrying about mad cow disease. Just because it is not in the news doesn't mean it went away. What concerns me is that I hope that the bird flu turns out to be more than just a couple of lines in the president's speech. Sort of like, "well I got it out there, I warned them its coming, they can't say we didn't bring it up". I was a big Bush supporter, hope he is doing something behind the scenes to prepare if this should come here.

[annie]

bizarre I agree with you bizarre, we should be worrying about Mad Cow, and I don't eat meat from 'hoof animals', but as far as our Government is concerned we don't have any infected meat at the moment!! People rely on their Government to tell them what is ok or not. Re this bird flu, I hope this does not take off, because they will probably end up culling so many birds, including wild birds (they tried this in China once, and they ended up with a plague of flies!!), however, I am not trusting of what these people say, because I think some of this stuff means that millions of pounds are handed out in research grants, and to pharmaceautical companies, and then turns out just a big scare tactic. It is like autism caused by MMR injections, the government denies this is possible, mainly because it does not want to have to pay out millions in compensation, and also because the powers that be that are promoting MMR jabs, have got interests in the pharmaceautical industry, so people carry on giving their kids this jab, and we now have more kids than ever with autism, (practically unheard of before). Same with the Gulf War syndrome when they were shoving injections into these troops, one on top of the other, and many of them have fallen sick or are now dead. People now suspect their sickness was caused by the injections, but they are not getting any help from the Government to prove it. I think a lot of this stuff is just political, and there is money or big business behind it. If there really is going to be a bird flu epidemic, there is just one thing you can bet, and that is, if there is any injection or pills, that can stop a person from getting it, the powers that be and their kids will be first in line. By the way, Blair has been asked loads of times whether his youngest child has been given the combined MMR injection (three in one), or the single one which is supposed to be safer, and you know what, he refuses to answer. We all know why, because, of course, he has given his child the single doses, Blair and his wife are not daft enough to risk their baby getting autism.

[betsy]

YOu know, I think the way our own govt.(including Mr. Bush) have talked about the bird flu possibility ad nauseum and had pow-wows at the White House lately - tells me there are many close to the real knowledge that believe this is coming and with a vengeance! I have prepared by buying the proper masks and am seriously considering beginning the stockpiling of canned foods, water, etc. Maybe this is crazy, but I don't think so. After all, I live along the southern east coast and won't be long before hurricane season starts again...especially since the last hurricane just occurred!

[Whitney]

If you remember the flu of 1918 Influenza Pandemic (Which most of you wont) Then you will remember that over 4 Million died, and this was the worst natural disaster that was ever well happened. The 1918 killed more people then war ever has (War = 5-6 people a day, 1918 Flu - 5-6 people a second). Yes there is the mad cow, but it is hardly as bad as this. The Bird flu (Avian Flu) has been around for quite a while but only in birds, and has just now (within the last 4 years) leaped over to human. Why it has just NOW gotton on television is beyond me. There are no cures on it, and that may take 1-2 yrs, but do we have that long? Just little facts, if this thing gets to you - your dead within the next 24 hours, unless your body has the immunities (If you work around birds alot). This thing is somthing to be fooled around with. If the doctors offer shots, I would suggest take them even if its not a full cure. This thing could hit us by storm, and we could have the next 1918 Influenza Pandemic (I suggest looking that up on a search engine.)

[brenda]

0.006 % of the legal US population will die suing above figures - assuming that 300,000,000 people legally reside in the USA (just can't figure out how to add in the numbers of the illegals), and 1,800,000 will die of the threatened H5N1 bird flu.

I don't mean to minimize the threatened flu - I am just trying to put it in perspective.

Those who will die will most likely be those who are either classified as: the frail elderly, very young, already immune compromised, uneducated about cleanliness, or just plain unlucky.

However, if the frail elderly, the parents of the very young, the immune compromised were educated about cleanliness - the numbers would be far lower than 0.006%.

Cleanliness will do more for lowering the mortality rate than any thing else should an actual epidemic occur.

[brenda]

Here is the link to the WHO plans for "just in case" - dated 27 Jan, 2006

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/guidelines/RapidResponse_27%2001.pdf

And here is what the CDC says about the situation:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/facts.htm