Q - What is bird flu?
A - Bird flu is an infection of a flu virus known to affect birds, particularly migratory birds, ducks and chickens. Bird flu is also reportedly known to affect pigs and most recently, humans. Thought to affect all species, the virus does not adversely affect ducks. Ducks have developed antibodies against the virus and they only act as carriers of the disease without exhibiting any symptoms of bird flu infection.
Migratory birds are carriers of the bird flu virus and do not show symptoms of bird flu infection. This makes them a crucial factor in the spreading of the disease. Other known diseases are transmitted in one area or a few areas only with a small radius. However, in the case of bird flu, the virus can be transmitted over great distances – from one country to another – since migratory birds travel from continent to continent. Another factor that contributes to the spreading of the disease is the exportation and importation of infected birds in the international markets.
Q - How is bird flu transmitted?
A - Bird flu is transmitted through direct contact with infected poultry, particularly upon contact with infected skin, saliva, nasal secretions and feces. The virus also spreads through poultry feeds, water reservoirs and cages. When birds are packed closely together, such as in poultry farms, the avian influenza viruses spread very rapidly among them. Transmission of the virus from chickens to humans can occur through contact with equipment, vehicles and clothing that have secretions from infected poultry.
Bird flu virus is resilient. It can survive in contaminated manure at very low temperatures for at least three months. The virus can survive in water for up to four days in hot temperatures and up to 30 days in cold temperatures. However, heat and disinfectants such as formalin and other iodine compounds are able to kill the virus.
Q - Who are at risk?
A - Many people mistakenly believe that they can contract the bird flu virus if they eat cooked chicken and eggs. However, chickens cooked at 56 degrees Celsius for three hours or at 60 degrees Celsius for half an hour are safe. The only way that people can contract the virus is if they come in direct contact with secretions and feces of infected poultry. Poultry raisers and those who are in the poultry and livestock industry are highly susceptible to contracting the virus. Those who prepare chickens and eggs of infected poultry may also be infected if the virus is fresh enough to infect them.
Q - Is there a possibility of human to human transmission of the bird flu virus?
A - Fortunately, there is still no sign of the bird flu virus being transmitted from one human to another. There have been cases of humans being infected with the virus and dying from it, but these people acquired the infection directly from birds and not from another infected person. This needs to be emphasized because there are some who think that the disease could be contracted from an infected human similar to how ordinary flu is transmitted.
To date, there is no evidence of human to human transmission of the bird flu virus. However, many scientists believe that human to human transmission of the bird flu virus is highly possible because the virus is can easily mutate and is constantly evolving. Mutation of the virus may lead to human to human transmission and scientist say this can occur in two ways. One, the virus enters the human body and mutates within the body, and two, the virus combines with ordinary human flu in the body of humans or pigs, which are susceptible to both kinds of flu.
Niall Cinneide publishes a bird flu news website, and an informational site with reports and articles about bird flu transmission at http://www.bird-flu-alert.info
This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. All rights reserved. Copyright Bird-Flu-Alert.info
Bird Flu and You: How Will The Flu Affect You?
Flu is a common disease nowadays, with most people having developed the antibodies to fight against the disease. So the mention of "flu" doesn't really create any alarm. However, say "bird flu" and there's likely to be a pandemonium.
Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a highly pathogenic virus of 15 types. The virus spreads to poultry through direct or close contact with nasal secretions, saliva and feces of infected birds. What is alarming about this virus is that it has the ability to rapidly mutate into different forms that can affect human beings. Believed to be worse than the SARS outbreak, the bird flu outbreak brought millions of dead birds worldwide and at least 70 people dead in Asia.
From a not-so-harmful H5N2 virus strain, it can mutate into a killer virus with a low spread rate once the virus is transmitted to a bird. The virus has an incubation period of six to nine months before it becomes a full-blown, deadly pathogen. A bird that has been infected with the virus but has survived the disease continues to carry the virus in its body for more than week. When this happens, the bird passes on the disease to other birds that come in close contact with its secretions, saliva and feces.
Bird flu and ordinary human flu have the almost the same symptoms. These symptoms are fever, muscle pains and cough. This is the reason that a person who is actually infected with bird flu may be mistakenly diagnosed as simply having ordinary flu. However, bird flu symptoms can escalate into several life-threatening conditions. Some of these life-threatening conditions are lung inflammation, eye infections and pneumonia.
Because of the severity of symptoms of bird flu infection, the World Health Organization (WHO) is in the midst of a widespread effort to prevent the virus from infecting humans, particularly those whose who depend on poultry and livestock as their livelihood.
Bird flu virus and its subtypes can easily mutate into other forms. For example, the virus that was transferred from one animal to another is the H5N2 strain. However, the virus mutated into the H5N1 strain, which has been responsible for the death of at least 50 people. It is a very surprising discovery how these viruses can mutate itself from pathogens that can harm humans as it had started with birds.
In Asia, the countries plagued by the avian flu are Vietnam, Japan, Cambodia, South Korea, China, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Russia, Thailand. In Europe, Turkey, Romania and Croatia are the hardest hit by the disease.
WHO has issued a warning to travelers to these countries to avoid going to live poultry markets, getting close contact to any farms and having direct exposure to feathers, feces or droppings, eggs and poultry meat products. Travelers need to know that most contamination occurs during the slaughtering of poultry and being in direct contact with fecal matter.
No travel advisory has been issued restricting anyone from going to countries with the H5N2 strain. Travelers coming from afflicted countries are also not being screened. However, precautionary measures are in place, particularly in the media. Information is being disseminated in order to make people aware of the bird flu, its effects and what to do to avoid getting infected.
To date, no vaccines have been developed or available to fight the illness. However, anti-viral medicines are being used as alternatives in helping alleviate the severity of symptoms on those infected. While M2 inhibitors would be helpful, the body tends to develop resistance to those, diminishing the efficiency and effectivity of inhibitors.
The bird flu problem is both a government and global issue. Governments are in charge of making reliable declarations, initiating studies and putting objective measures in place. There is no reason to panic if the virus has not reached your area yet. The best thing you can do is to take practical steps in taking of your body and helping it build resistance to any kind of illnesses.
Niall Cinneide publishes a avian flu news website, and an informational site with reports and articles about bird flu transmission at http://www.bird-flu-alert.info
This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. All rights reserved. Copyright Bird-Flu-Alert.info
Delta Dental Insurance 101
Delta Dental Plans Association, more commonly known as Delta Dental, is one of the best known dental insurers in the United States. Delta is a not-for-profit association that offers dental plans of all types for companies across the U.S. Their 39 member companies administer dental benefit plans whose main focus is providing and improving access to dental care for all. Today, Delta Dental associates provide dental coverage to over 46 million people through over 80,000 employers and agencies.
Delta Dental insurance offers three major plan types to suit a wide range of needs. The benefits vary by plan, and costs vary by region and employer.
Delta Dental Premier (formerly DeltaPremierUSA)
Delta Dental Premier is a traditional fee-for-service insurance plan. If you have Delta Dental Premier, you can visit the dentist of your choice within or outside their provider network. The dentist bills Delta Dental directly, and Delta Dental pays their portion of the bill (most often a set dollar amount), then sends you an explanation of your portion of the bill, which you pay to the dentist.
Ex. Delta Dental pays $45 for a filling. Your dentist charges $60 for a filling. You pay the dentist $15.
Delta Dental PPO (Preferred Provider Option)
Like the Premier plan, Delta Dental PPO pays a fee for each service. You may also visit any dentist that you choose, but will pay lower fees to dentists who are part of Delta's Preferred Provider network. The dentist handles all the paperwork and claim forms. Delta generally pays a percentage of the procedure rather than a set dollar amount.
Ex. Delta Dental pays 70% of the fee for an extraction. Your dentist charges $210 for an extraction. You pay the dentist $63.
DeltaCare HMO
DeltaCare focuses on prevention and maintenance of your dental health. When you enroll in DeltaCare, you choose a primary care dentist who will be responsible for your dental care. If you require specialty services – orthodontics or oral surgery, for example – your primary care dentist must refer you for services. You pay a low or no co-payment for any dental services provided.
Ex. Depending on the plan, you may pay a $10 co-payment for office visits, no matter what the procedure.
The cost and availability of each option is dependent on the company through which you enroll. As the nation's largest provider of dental insurance, the costs are significantly lower than most other plans.
Mansi gupta recommends that you visit Delta dental insurance for more information.
