| Bird Flu or more correctly, avian flu, is
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| | the ability to adapt to humans,
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| much in the news and causing a lot of
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| | increasing their pandemic risk ... there
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| anxiety. Many people are worried that
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| | is a suggestion there may be some
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| they may get it, and the papers are full
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| | parallel evolution going on."
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| of horror scenarios.
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| | Scientists still do not understand
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| There are over 100 strains of avian flu,
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| | completely how a bird virus becomes a
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| but most of them do not infect humans.
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| | human virus, but H5N1 is already showing
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| The current strain H5N1 can infect
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| | some of the mutations necessary for it to
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| humans, but not easily. The number of
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| | become a human flu, but at the moment, in
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| cases of avian flu in humans in the
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| | spite off all the panic, there is no
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| current outbreak is very small, and
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| | pandemic flu strain.
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| almost all have come about by direct
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| | Research in the Netherlands and the USA
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| contact with infected or dead birds
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| | has shown that while human influenza
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| something that most of us are unlikely to
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| | viruses are able to bind with receptors
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| experience. So far, the spread of H5N1
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| | in the windpipe, H5N1 binds only much
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| virus from person-to-person has been rare
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| | deeper inside the lungs. This makes it
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| and has not continued beyond one person.
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| | more difficult for the virus to infect
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| In fact according to The Times (London,
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| | humans, because the virus is less likely
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| 23rd March 2006) only 184 confirmed cases
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| | to reach the inner lungs than the
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| have been reported worldwide so far from
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| | windpipe. The H5N1 virus is also less
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| this strain, with 103 deaths. These have
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| | likely to spread from human to human.
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| been in Cambodia, China, Indonesia,
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| | Coughing and sneezing easily transmits
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| Thailand, Vietnam, and most recently,
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| | viruses that have multiplied in the
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| several cases in Turkey.
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| | windpipe, but not those located deep in
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| What the authorities are much more
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| | the lungs. If H5N1 manages to mutate so
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| concerned about is the strain mutating
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| | that it can replicate in the upper
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| into a variation that can be transmitted
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| | respiratory tract, a pandemic becomes
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| between human beings, rather than just
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| | more likely. Scientists are constantly
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| from bird to human. This has been
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| | monitoring the virus for this mutation.
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| designated as influenza A/H5N1. Humans do
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| | So should we be concerned? There have
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| not have any resistance to this strain,
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| | been many scares over the years that have
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| because these viruses do not commonly
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| | not come to anything, and this could turn
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| infect humans. If a strain developed that
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| | out to be one of those too, but it is
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| could infect the human population, a
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| | worth taking some sensible precautions
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| pandemic would be likely with many people
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| | rather than just relying on the
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| being infected and dying. The 1918
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| | scientists to find a powerful enough
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| Spanish flu is estimated to have killed
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| | solution. Having a strong immune system
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| 50 million people worldwide. At least
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| | has to be the first line of defence.
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| four of the eight genes of H5N1 avian flu
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| | Eating a good diet, taking exercise,
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| now contain mutations seen in that deadly
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| | getting plenty of sleep, and reducing
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| strain.
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| | stress can all lead to a stronger immune
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| Jeffery K. Taubenberger, a molecular
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| | system that can fight more effectively
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| pathologist at the Armed Forces Institute
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| | against the bugs of this world and any
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| of Pathology in Rockville, USA has said:
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| | dangerous mutations.
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| "These H5N1 viruses might be acquiring
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