bird flu in portugal

martin · Post by **martin** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 9:07 am

I see that the portuguese newspapers say that if bird flu came here it would kill 11 to 13 thousand people....not said but also it would destroy the chicken piri piri rest business and much of the local economy with it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 9:54 am

Once bird flu enters the human population there will be no point in destroying birdlife as the virus will have mutated ffrom one that attacks birds into one that attacks humans.

TherE are only 60 known deaths in humans from birdflue and liitle evidence of any human to human transmission of this virus.

The danger and it is a real one is of a mutation from the existing strain into one that can be passed between humans.

PRAY THAT IT NEVER HAPPENS.

Gambrinus · Post by **Gambrinus** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:08 am

Already talking over morning coffee... is there any chance of putting the whole planet under quarantine? Shut down the entire travel industry? Where does that leave the Algarve?

Realistically, if this reaches epidemic proportions, it would take the better part of a year to get under control (generate a vaccine, multiply it, distribute it, administer it) - being infected or not becomes a matter of sheer luck.

what to do???

tbbr · Post by **tbbr** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:32 am

Until we know when and If it becomes a danger to humans there is nothing we can do.
We cannot control bird migration, we can kill every domestic fowl but that won,t stop it.

I think that the UK Statistics are that in a normal year there are 15000 deaths from flu related illness and that if avian flu mutates this could grow to 50,000.
Apalling those this will be it is a fraction of the deaths from the last pandemic in 1918.

If we build up our natural resistance, stay healthy, eat well, keep fit
( if you smoke give it up ) then the chances of recovery will obviously improve dramatically.

DON,T PANIC.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:43 am

Apparantly the first symptoms of it are that you have an irresistible urge to crap on the windscreen of your car

Michael Crane · Post by **Michael Crane** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 11:39 am

Oh, my God! I've got bird flu

nightrider · Post by **nightrider** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 12:01 pm

Michael,

I told you that you would be looking a bit green around the gills on Monday

(1 down and 1 to go)

Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh

Michael Crane · Post by **Michael Crane** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 12:27 pm

The BBC keeps urging us not to panic . . . and then some 'expert' comes on and tells us they expect about 50,000 people to die from it!

Don't panic! don't panic!

nightrider · Post by **nightrider** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:00 pm

Michael,

don't panic they do Gas Masks for frogs.