HOW IS BIRD FLU DIFFERENT FROM SWINE FLU

1.0 HOW IS BIRD FLU DIFFERENT FROM SWINE FLU?

In this article we are going to discuss how is Bird Flu different from Swine Flu.

More specifically, we are going to discuss the following topics.

What is Swine Flu (e.g., the 2009 - 2010 Pandemic) and what are its characteristics?

What is Bird Flu (e.g., H5N1) and what are its characteristics?

Why are scientists still concerned about Bird Flu - especailly since we don't hear much about Bird Flu anymore?

We will also provide you with some information on where you can go to learn more about how to protect yourself from a possible Bird Flu pandemic (now that you know of the potential danger and just how vulnerable the Human population is to this deadly virus).



2.0 HOW IS BIRD FLU DIFFERENT FROM SWINE FLU - A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT BIRD FLU AND WHY I AM WRITING THIS ARTICLE.
A few years ago, there was a lot of discussion (n the media) about Bird Flu.

It seemed like (everyday) we were hearing about a flock of ducks or chickens (somewhere in Asia or in other parts of the World) being infected with the Bird Flu virus.

Afterwards, we would hear about government agencies coming in an "culling the population" of these birds in order to prevent the spread of this virus.

There were also other articles and news reports about Bird Migration paths, and there was concern that this migration of birds would then spread the Bird Flu virus throughout the world.

This phenomenon would (in turn) infect much of the world's poultry and maybe .... potentially, infect human beings as well.

However, more recently, news about Bird Flu has "falled out of favor" with the Main Stream Media.

We are just not hearing that much about Bird Flu anymore.

What happened?

Did Bird Flu just disappear?

Did Mankind defeat and erradicate the Bird Flu virus?

Hardly. Bird Flu has just simply been relegated to the "back pages" by other topics, such as the Global Recession and Swine Flu.


My intent in writing this article is let you know the following.

Bird Flu has not been vanquished at all.

In fact, this virus is alive and well and (if you look for it) you can still find articles (almost on a weekly basis) about Bird Flu infecting flocks of ducks or chickens or various migrating birds, and populations being culled.

Bird Flu, in its current form is not an extreme danger to the human population (as a whole).

However, if certain changes to the Bird Flu virus were to occur (and these viruses change all of the time), it could easily become the worst catastrophe ever visited upon Mankind - PERIOD.

To refer you to some resources you can learn about in order to protect yourself and your family

(Now that you've been warned about the dangers of a possible Bird Flu Pandemic).



3.0 HOW IS BIRD FLU DIFFERENT FROM SWINE FLU - WHAT IS SWINE FLU AND WHAT ARE ITS CHARACTERISTICS?
Swine Flu (or H1N1) is a virus that became a pandemic flu (e.g., it became highly contagious and has spread throughout the world) in April 2009 and (as of the time that this article was written) is still spreading and infecting more victims (all over the world).

When the Swine Flu first went "pandemic" there was a lot of concern about it killing many people and that it could be the "next Spanish Flu of 1918".

This article was written in February 2010, so (at the time this article was written) this pandemic flu is now 10 months old.

Throughout this 10 month period, we have learned that Swine Flu (although being extremely contagious) has been rather moderate (from a "lethality-standpoint).

At this point, Swine Flu appears to have a lethality rate of around 0.1%, which is comparable to that of many other flu viruses that have attacked the human population over the past few decades.

In general, the Swine Flu virus has been very hard on the sick and the elderly, and on very young children. Swine Flu has also been recorded as being very hard on pregnant woman.

Most of the victims that have died from the Swine Flu virus "were members of these demographic groups".

In summary, I would (for the most part) describe the Swine Flu virus as being a VERY Contagious virus that has a relatively Moderate Lethality Rate.



4.0 HOW IS BIRD FLU DIFFERENT FROM SWINE FLU - WHAT IS BIRD FLU AND WHAT ARE ITS CHARACTERISTICS?
Bird Flu (also known as Avian Influenza or H5N1) is a virus that (as of now) has mostly killed birds or has caused birds to be killed (by various government heatlh authorities).

The transmission of this virus from one bird to another is VERY EFFICIENT. Hence, Bird Flu can be said to be very contagious among birds.

However, the transmission of this virus from bird to human, and from human to human (as of now) is NOT EFFICIENT. This is an EXTREMELY GOOD THING!

Transmission of this virus from Bird to Human has been known to occur, but it does so rarely.

Since the time that Bird Flu was first discovered (in 1987), there have been 447 documented cases of humans contracting the Bird Flu virus from Bird.

Virtually all of these cases involved people that worked on poultry farms and were heavily exposed to infected birds before contracting the virus.

There are no known cases (as of now) of a Human being contracted the Bird Flu virus from another Human Being.

Although it is rare for humans to contract this virus from Birds, whenever it does happen, the outlook for the victim can be rather grim.

Of the 447 people that have contracted the Bird Flu virus, 263 of these people have died from this virus.

This means that Bird Flu has a "lethality rate" of (263/447) x 100% = 59%. In other words, 59% of the people that have contracted this virus have died from it.

This is a frightening high lethality rate.

In summary, I would describe the Bird Flu virus as not being a very contagious virus (towards Human beings); yet it has a very high lethality rate.


5.0 HOW IS BIRD FLU DIFFERENT FROM SWINE FLU - WHY ARE SCIENTISTS STILL CONCERNED ABOUT BIRD FLU?
Two words help to explain why scientists are very concerneda bout the Bird Flu:


Lethality Rate, and

Mutation


As the Bird Flu and Swine Flu stand today, neither of these viruses in their current state are a huge threat to the human population.

Swine Flu is highly contagious, yet it has a moderate lethality rate.

Bird Flu is highly lethal, but it is NOT very contagious among humans.

As long as both of these viruses maintain these characteristics, then the human race will (for the most part) be OK.

However, if the Bird Flu virus were the "mix it up" with the Swine Flu virus and to become some sort of "hybrid virus", if the Bird Flu virus were to mutate (change) on its own; such that this "new strain" (or hybrid virus) has the following characteristics:

Has the same Contagious Characteristics (of Swine Flu) and

Has the Very High Lethality Rate (of Bird Flu)

Then mankind would face a catastrophe of Biblical Proportions.

To better understand why I use such strong words (like "catastrophe") allow me to provide you with some perspective on this.

To date, the worst infectious disease that has ever afflicted mankind was the "Spanish Flu of 1918".

This was a flu that became a pandemic in 1918 (during World War I) and spread throughout the world (infecting people) until 1920.

During this pandemic, estimates are that the Spanish Flu killed between 50 million and 100 million people (at a time when the World's Population was 1.6 Billion).

This means that the Spanish Flu pandemic killed between 3% and 6% of the World's Population (at the time).

This virus was far more lethal than World War I (during which 15 million people died).

Medical records (from that time period) indicates that the Spanish Flu virus has a "lethality rate" of 10%.

This means that 10% of the people that contracted this virus (and became ill with it) died from this virus.


HERE IS THE PUNCH LINE:
The reason that Scientists are worried about a "Bird Flu" pandemic, is that if a Flu Virus with a lethality rate of 10% can wipe out 3 to 6% of the World's Population, what could a Pandemic involving a Flu Virus with a lethality rate of 59% accomplish?


6.0 HOW IS BIRD FLU DIFFERENT FROM SWINE FLU - CONCLUSION
In this article, I have answered the question: how is bird flu different from swine flu".

In general, the characteristics of these two types of flu viruses can be described as follows.

Swine Flu (e.g., H1N1) can be describedf as being highly contagious, but only moderately lethal.

Bird Flu (Avian Influenza or H5N1) can be described as NOT being very contagious but highly lethal.

Neither one of these flu viruses (in their present state) pose a large threat to the Human Race.

However, scientists are concerned that the Bird Flu virus could mutate (or it could "mix it up" with the Swine Flu virus) and form a "hybrid" virus that has the following characteristics.

Highly contagious (just like the Swine Flu) and

Highly lethal (just like the Bird Flu).


If this were to occur, then the Human Population would be in for the "fight of our lives".

In another article, I will analyze how the Global Community has responded to the most recent Pandemic flu (e.g., the Swine Flu Pandemic of 2009 - ?).

I will also attempt to project what this type of response would mean for the Global Community's response to a Bird Flu Pandemic (HINT: The news is NOT good).

Click here if you are interested in learning more about steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones from a Bird Flu Pandemic or "Hybrid Virus".