Five Important Bird Flu Facts         

With all the diseases and viruses out there, it can be difficult not to worry about bird flu and how it can affect both adults and children.

And while the virus should cause concern, there are important facts that everyone should know about bird flu that can prevent the spread of the virus in the future.

Bird flu poses more of a threat to birds than humans. As of now, the bird flu is especially lethal in domesticated birds, like ducks and chickens, which means that the disease is definitely deadly for these birds.

There have not been as many human deaths from the bird flu, so if the virus is detected early in humans, it can be effectively treated in most cases.

This does not mean that humans should not attempt to avoid bird flu at all costs, since there have been fatalities linked to bird flu in parts of Asia in the last decade or so. No deaths due to bird flu have been reported in the U.S. as of yet.

Bird flu is contagious.

One of the main reasons why bird flu has not spread as widely as it possibly could is that human to human contact has not been the main way that the bird flu is spread.

However, the bird flu is contagious, so it is still important to keep your hands clean and to cover your mouth when sneezing and coughing in order to prevent the spread of infection, much like with the common cold or the flu.

The Bird flu must be treated if contracted.

Because the bird flu is not exactly like the flu that humans are used to, simply resting and waiting the virus out won’t work. The human immune system is not equipped to completely rid the body of bird flu, so getting a vaccine and flu shots is necessary.

The Bird flu poses no real threat for Americans right now.

Many doctors believe that Americans should not be overly concerned with contracting the bird flu right now, but people should still be cautious.

The people who have contracted the virus in other countries have done so primarily from direct contact from an infected bird, and there have been no reported cases or bird flu in America to date.

There are vaccines and anti-viral drugs available and pending.

The governments and health officials around the world are working to make sure that effective vaccines are created that will prevent the spread of bird flu, so it is still safe to travel internationally if you’re planning a vacation or business trip.

Health officials and pharmaceutical companies are working to produce vaccines quicker, so that if an outbreak occurs, more people can be treated and in a shorter amount of time.

In the meantime, it is important for parents to do everything in their power to keep children healthy by promoting a good diet and exercise plan, and adults are encouraged to make smart meal choices that will make the bird flu difficult to contract.