flu information and news

Acid Reflux Disease , sometimes known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, normally shortened to GERD happens when the one way valve at the bottom of the oesophagus that retains food in the stomach, and prevents it from returning to the oesophagus stops working properly.

As the oesophagus is the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach, then this one way valve needs to function properly, or the contents of the stomach, can and will move back up into the oesophagus and even back as far as the mouth.

The contents of the stomach are being digested by acid, and the main symptom of Acid Reflux Disease is a burning chest pain which starts behind the breastbone, and can then move up into the neck and throat. It can actually feel as if the food is coming back into the mouth, and there is a bitter acid rancid taste.

This is why you often read or hear about ‘heartburn cures’, because the sensation is like heartburn, when it is in fact Acid Reflux Disease.

Equally obviously many people believe they are victims of a heart attack when it is Acid Reflux Disease, and sadly for some, they believe they have Acid reflux, when in fact they are suffering a heart attack, SO IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT VISIT YOUR DOCTOR OR HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY.

To set your mind at rest here are some of the most common symptoms of Acid Reflux Disease.

1. The burning feeling in the chest usually appears after eating, and can last up to several hours.
2. Lying down, or bending over makes it worse.
3. There is a burning sensation in your throat, a sour acidic taste in your mouth.
4. You become hoarse, and can even lose your voice.
5. You may develop symptoms of asthma, and begin and continue to cough.
6. You may find swallowing difficult
7. Normally an antacid tablet will relieve the symptoms.

Just remember IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT VISIT YOUR DOCTOR OR HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY. It could save your life.

A new respiratory virus which is very contagious has been recently detected in dogs around the country. Previously it had only been found in the greyhound racing industry. It has been detected at kennels in New York, Florida, and Massachussetts according to the CDC.

Canine flu was discovered last year when an unusual illness was affecting dogs at greyhound tracks in Florida. Virologists, working with researchers from the CDC and the University of Florida, determined the greyhounds had a type of influenza previously found only in horses.
This is the first time researchers have encountered an equine influenza virus jumping the species barrier, and they have not determined how it occurred.
Most of the exposed dogs become infected, the researchers said. The virus is spread from dog to dog via coughing, contaminated objects, and even people.
Some facts known so far:

" About 80 percent of exposed dogs contract a mild form of the disease.

" 20 percent of infected animals show no signs of the disease but can still spread it.

" The mortality rate is thought to be between 5 and 8 percent.

" The disease mimics kennel cough-a type of canine bronchitis that is rarely serious.

" Canine influenza symptoms include low-grade fever, cough, and nasal discharge.

" The bordetella vaccine, which protects dogs against kennel cough, does not work against the flu.

" Development of a vaccine for canine flu is currently underway.

" Most dogs recover with no treatment. Others require the same kind of treatment people need: plenty of fluids and rest.

" In severe cases, dogs may require intravenous fluids and antibiotics to fight secondary infections.


You have probably seen the many rumors floating around the internet about this disease. It is not as deadly as many will want to make it. The flu is now showing up in Florida animal shelters, boarding facilities, and veterinary clinics, mostly in Broward, Dade, and Palm Beach counties. Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson alerted the public last week to the canine respiratory disease.

What you should do regarding this new disease

" If your dog exhibits any signs of respiratory illness, immediately see your veterinarian.

" Tell the doctor if your dog recently boarded at a kennel.

" Use a boarding kennel you are familiar with.

" Stay on the lookout for announcements of disease outbreaks in your area.

Flu season is just around the corner once again. But this time, it may be coming disguised as a serial killer.

There is deep concern that a new killer flu, nicknamed "Bird Flu," may mix with ordinary flu and kill millions of people. This is how Robert Webster of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis characterizes this killer flu -- and take note that Dr. Webster has been studying influenza for the past 40 years:

"This virus right from scratch is probably the worst influenza virus, in terms of being highly pathogenic, that I've ever seen or worked with."

Public health experts, including those at the World Health Organization, fear a catastrophe.

In preparation, the United States has ordered 2.3 million doses of an antiviral called "Tamiflu." 2.3 million for a country of 300 million. However, the U.S. has decided to place all of its chips on an experimental vaccine, a vaccine that is based on an early seed of bird flu, which most experts agree has already mutated into something quite different, and that means when bird flu gets here, it may not respond to any vaccine.

The most astonishing fact about this new bird flu virus is how much science doesn't know about it. The mystery remains of how people get infected. Is it by breathing the air near feces? By eating duck meat? By touching? Nobody really knows.

Meanwhile, health authorities continue to slaughter infected fowl, experiment with genetic variations, and run computer simulations on panic control. It's clear that hospitals and first responders will be completely overwhelmed, as will mortuaries.

If you aren't afraid at this point, then take a moment to read the cover essay of the October 2005 issue of National Geographic. Study those photos. Analyze those tables and charts. Then ask yourself, what are the odds that a killer virus will hit my home town, my family this flu season? Right now, WHO says the odds are 10% the killer will pick you.

In today’s society with flu pandemics and such grabbing so much of the spotlight, it is easy for us to overlook the fact that our dogs can also contract a version of flu. Yes it is true, there is a flu virus becoming prominent in the canine world that is believed to have originated as an equine strain. This equine strain has started to appear in dogs in the United States opening up a huge can of worms that we as dog owners now have to deal with. As if there was not already enough dangerous factors that we must be aware of, now there is another potentially serious relatively unknown one to consider.

The Canine Influenza virus presents similar to the human version of the flu:
- Nasal discharge
- Eye discharge
- Fever
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Vomiting
- Labored breathing
Prophylaxis (Prevention)
-
- Keep your dog away from large dog populated areas.
- Avoid grooming shops, kennels, boarding kennels, etc.
- Keep your dog away from stray dogs
- Consult your vet for further prevention options
The trouble with the Canine Influenza virus, is that infected dogs can appear healthy. This is why it is crucial to keep your dog away from stray dogs, or dogs that you do not thoroughly know to be clear of the virus, (indoor pets)
Treatment

If you do feel that your dog has developed Canine Influenza, consult your vet immediately for best treatment options. Due to the relatively new appearance of the condition, treatment is limited to IV fluids, and Broad Spectrum antibiotics.

http://www.dogflu.ca

A number of Local Goverment Councils in Australia have been unable to supply free fluoride supplements to the public due to an Australia wide shortage, so residents should be heartened by the knowledge that they are not dosing their children daily with an established equivocal carcinogen which is as poisonous as lead and only slightly less so than arsenic.

The US Food and Drug Administration has never approved fluoride supplements and the World Health Organisation list of Essential Medicines is being reviewed in 2005 with sodium fluoride listed for removal.

The Australian dental researchers Amfield and Spencer reported no significant difference in the decay rates of
permanent teeth of children drinking fluoridated compared to unfluoridated water (Arnfreld JM & Spencer AJ (2004) Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 32 (4) 283).

Silico fluorides used as fluoridating agents contain lead and carcinogenic arsenic and studies by Masters and Coplan, (1999) show an association between the use of fluorosilicic acid (and its sodium salt) in fluoridated water and an increase uptake of lead into children's blood. In fact Roger D Masters (research professor of
Government Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA) reported: The specific chemical compounds most frequently used to fluoridate water in the USA, fluorosilicic acid and sodium silicofluoride have never been adequately tested.

Epidemiological studies show that, where these silicofluorides are added to public water, children are significantly more likely to absorb lead in their environment from lead paint in old houses, lead levels in water, etc. (Masters etal, Neurotoxicology) .

A search on the internet under the search term "silicofluoride" reveals a number of disturbing articles in relation to harmful effects. For new evidence of potential serious harm from fluoride ingestion,
(see www. fluoridealert.org/limeback.htm) for a summary.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of properly done scientific studies warning about the short and long term dangers of fluoridation and the evidence is gathering of the disastrous effects of water fluoridation on all living things.

So what is amazing is the fact that the professionals promoting fluoride, in one form or another, seem unaware of any of these studies, or choose to ignore them even though they are conducted by scientists with qualifications equal to or even superior to themselves, Studies have also shown that with constant ingestion silicofluorides are extremely cumulative, cannot be eliminated, and have severely debilitating and disabling effects particularly as the victims approach old age.

It can also precipitate a dramatic increase in an otherwise rare and fatal form of bone cancer in adolescent boys, even after relatively short periods of exposure.

Bird flu protection could be as simple as bowing instead of shaking hands.

Japan never suffered an outbreak of SARS despite being surrounded by countries where outbreaks occurred.

The most likely reason is that viruses like SARS and the bird flu are most commonly passed through hand to hand contact and in Japan it's more common to bow than shake hands.

Hand hygiene is also promoted heavily in kindergarten and schools across Japan.

This combination of excellent hygiene and a lack of formal hand to hand contact could be huge factors in Japan's avoiding the SARS outbreak and may hold one key secret to slowing a bird flu pandemic.

What most people don't realize is that over 90% of respiratory viruses like the bird flu, the common cold and influenza get into your body through contact between your fingernails and the mucous membranes of your eyes and nose.

They literally hitchhike into your body and you're giving them an easy ride.

If the bird flu mutates into a human to human virus and becomes a pandemic health authorities predict it will kill somewhere between 200,000 and 150 million people.

The bird flu is particularly dangerous because it can readily kill the young and healthy – reminiscent of the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 whose main victims were aged 20 to 40.

We're unprepared for a bird flu pandemic.

Bird flu protection through vaccination is impractical.

First you can't begin to produce a vaccine until the virus mutates and then it's difficult to produce enough bird flu vaccine to provide bird flu protection to large population.

Worse still a “bird flu shot” may not even be effective bird flu protection against a rapidly mutating avian influenza virus.

Looking for a pharmaceutical first line of bird flu protection may be worthwhile but Cavanagh says early efforts so far seem bewildering.

The new breed of anti-viral drugs can help fight viruses like the bird flu.

The US government is stockpiling tamiflu as basic bird flu protection against bird flu in the United States yet the bird flu virus is showing a high level of resistance to tamiflu in China.

Relenza, another anti-viral drug seems to be more effective against the bird flu but again we have to wait till the bird flu virus mutates to see if any drug can provide effective bird flu protection.

That leaves us with the most sensible, simple bird flu protection which is simply washing your hands.

If you can stop avian influenza from entering your body through contact between your fingernails and your eyes or nose your chances of contracting the bird flu virus will drop dramatically.

And if everyone practiced excellent hand washing perhaps this could be as effective a response against a world wide bird flu pandemic as it was for Japan against SARS.

But hand washing as bird flu protection is not quite as simple as it might appear.

You need to use the right soap to wash your hands and anti-bacterial soap is NOT recommended.

Other hygiene techniques like nasal irrigation might also improve a natural bird flu protection strategy...

Bird flu could be the greatest threat to modern civilization and the world is poorly prepared for a bird flu pandemic. The rapid spread of the bird flu virus raises the question: what can we do to protect ourselves if a bird flu pandemic strikes?

A potential bird flu pandemic can't be taken lightly.

By taking samples from lungs of exhumed victims researchers at the USA Centers For Disease Control confirmed the 1918 Spanish flu was also a bird flu. Alarming news because the Spanish flu pandemic was a global catastrophe infecting approximately one quarter of the United States and one fifth of the world.

From 20 million to 50 million people died from this 1918 Spanish “bird” flu and most of the victims were aged from 20 to 40 years . This pattern is unusual because influenza normally kills the sick, elderly and young children.

At the height of the Spanish bird flu funerals were limited to 15 minutes, there was a chronic shortage of coffins and gravediggers and stores were forbidden to hold sales.

It seems that a mutated bird flu like the 1918 Spanish “bird flu” is particularly dangerous because human populations haven't had the chance to develop a resistance to a virus that is normally limited to birds.

Worse still, effects of a bird flu outbreak are not just limited to disease and death. The outbreak of SARS in Hong Kong demonstrated in stark terms that commerce can be shut down in an area suffering cases of a deadly infectious disease.

If a wide scale bird flu pandemic were to break out in the western world we could see cities gripped with fear as Hong Kong was for that short period with SARS in 2003. Empty shops, empty streets and commerce grinding to a halt.

Dr Michael Osterholm, epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota called a potential bird flu pandemic “The single greatest risk to our world today.”

David Nabaro from UN health predicted from 5 to 150 million people could die worldwide if the bird flu virus mutates to a human to human virus.

Britain's chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson said it wasn't a question of IF a virus pandemic like the bird flu would hit human populations but WHEN.

Sir Liam also pointed out a vaccine for a human to human bird flu virus can't be produced until the virus mutates and a bird flu vaccine may not be effective even after one can be produced.

The Asian flu pandemic of 1957 demonstrated how difficult it is to vaccinate against a rapidly mutating widespread influenza virus. Despite prior warning and despite a vaccine being developed quite rapidly the 1957 Asian flu spread to the United States where it killed 70,000 people.

Health authorities have difficulty producing and administering vaccines quickly enough to fight a virus. Also the rapidly mutating nature of influenza viruses means many vaccines provide very limited protection.

Anti-viral drugs are a more recent development in the fight against respiratory viruses like the bird flu and governments in the western world have begun stockpiling the anti-viral drug tamiflu as part of a bird flu protection plan. But in a bird flu pandemic tamiflu may not be as effective as authorities would hope.

In an unsettling development for health authorities tamilflu resistant strains of the bird flu are appearing. Recently a vietnamese girl was diagnosed with a tamiflu resistant strain of bird flu and in China the bird flu strain H5N1 is showing around 70% resistance to adamatane drugs like tamiflu.

Other anti-viral drugs like Relenza may be more effective if a bird flu pandemic strikes but until the bird flu mutates to a human to human virus we can't be certain which drug – if any - will provide a pharmaceutical first line of bird flu defense.

On the lighter side of bird flu prevention sales of sauerkraut in 54 Twin Cities stores in the USA spiked 840% after an inconclusive and tiny study by Korean researchers found the bacteria in fermented greens might speed the recovery of chickens infected with the bird flu.

People more interested in a little more serious bird flu protection than fermented cabbage might heed the one consistent recommendation from health authorities across the world to reduce your chance of catching the bird flu virus.

Over 90% of respiratory viruses like the bird flu enter your body through contact between the mucous membranes of your eyes and nose and your fingernails. They hitchhike their way into your body after being picked up on your hands.

In a World Health Organization news conference WHO Global Influenza Program leader Klaus Stohr said frequent hand washing was the best way to avoid a viral infection including the bird flu.

Every government health authority in the western world recommends hand washing as a basic precaution to prevent respiratory viruses like the bird flu, SARS, influenza and the common cold.

But washing your hands effectively is not quite as simple as it may seem on the surface. Technique is important as is the soap you use.

Antibacterial soaps are NOT recommended for regular hand washing even for health professionals.

Influenza better known as the "flu" is an infection of the respiratory tract that can affect millions of people. The influenza virus can be spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing of an infected individual.

Statistics show about 20,000 Americans die from influenza or influenza related pneumonia each year. Pneumonia and influenza are the sixth common cause of death in the United States. Elderly (65+) make up more than 90% of the 20,000 Americans who die from this illness each year.

A person may contract the influenza virus and not experience any symptoms for a few days. The incubation period for the influenza virus ranges from 1-4 days.

Is there more than one type of Influenza virus?

What is influenza?

There are three different kinds of Influenza viruses: Influenza A, Influenza B, and Influenza C. Influenza A can attack animals and humans, the remaining two (Influenza B and Influenza C) can only attack humans. Influenza C causes a very mild infection and does not provoke epidemics.

When observed through an electron microscope, influenza viruses are figured like filaments or spheres. Immunity to one strain of the influenza virus will not protect you against newly born strains of the virus, which has undergone minor changes or mutations.

The Influenza B and Influenza C virus may infect only human beings while Influenza A may infect several different types of animals. Influenza A virus can sicken many various types of animals, including humans, aquatic mammals, birds, horses, swine, and others.

At times when two different strains of viruses combine in humans or animals, they result in a new unique strain of virus with more immunity. The modern 2004 Influenza Vaccine is made of three strains, which include two strains of influenza A and one strain of influenza B.

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Every year, there are always families that are embarrassed since all their family members come down with a serious flu bug that seems to be on "unlimited repeat" throughout the whole flu season. They really don't know what's wrong with them, but they complain about it all the time.

This is very true of many people, and it's sad that they do not have the basic knowledge to prevent the flu. We often read reports that say, "Wash your hands before eating." However, how many really obey this fundamental rule? It's so simple and basic, yet people forget this healthy policy for themselves and their family. Once one family member gets the flu, there is a very high possibility of spreading it to the whole family. If you don't want to complain about the flu, you should first ask yourself, "Have I become too lazy?".

In a public place, parents often put food into their child's mouth to make sure the child is eating well. It's love from the parents, but it's also the source of flu. If that parent has not cleaned his or her hands with hot water and soap before eating, bacteria stays on the hands, and that person-or their child-eats all that bacteria. Ingesting such germs is the best way to catch the flu, just as surely as if you had opened the door for the virus and said "welcome" to the flu bug. People often enjoy delicious food in a buffet restaurant. Many lick their fingers after eating on their way to making a second trip to the buffet line. If that person has the flu, then touches those public ladles, the next person in line uses that ladle and then licks their fingers-"delicious!" But what happens? They get the flu! Isn't that right?

No one wants to be in bed with the flu or make their family unhappy. Ask yourself: "Who decides whether I get the flu or not?" The answer is simple: You do!We must remember that we always have to protect ourselves as much as possible by any method. Moreover, we are not even for ourselves but also the whole members of our family if we keep that simple goal in mind. We have to prepare everything enough to face the flu seriously. At least, we have to ask ourselves "what's flu exactly?" to make sure that we know it well! Moreover, Is there the other option of protecting ourselves? Think about it.

Don't eat the flu from now on!