Saturday 27 January 2007

Bird flu

This being winter has once again brought the bird flu to the fore. Outbreaks are reported from Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia as well as Japan. The on-going concern is that the H5N1 strain of the virus could mutate into a form that could transmit from human to human. Although people have died of bird flu, which they contracted following close contact with birds (such as chickens and ducks), nobody has caught the virus from another human.

A report came through yesterday that cats in Indonesia had caught the virus off birds, by eating contaminated meat, which caused some concern, as we are usually a lot closer to and with cats than with birds. At present, cats do not seem to spread it among themselves.

Just to reiterate: there is NO flu pandemic imminent, you CANNOT catch flu off cats, and it is unlikely that you can contract it from birds.

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4 comments:

  1. It's good that the diseases don't spread to humans. I hope they can get it under control in those countries before it begins to mutate as many viruses do to survive. Jeannette xx  

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  2. I just saw this on the news...thanks for informing everyone...your word gets out to many...
    Have a great weekend,
    Joyce

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  3. Oh dear, not bird flu again.  I just hope it doesn`t mutate like it has been predicted.

    Sandra xx

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  4. And hopefully it will stay that way!
    Lori

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