Bird flu

[Dom Tuk]

Why do the authorities term it as a pandemic and not an epidemic? If it killed less than 100 people in overpopulated south east asia then surely it cannot even be classed as a epidemic. Is this scare mongering?

[kempie]

Hasn't this all been couched in the term potential pandemic?

Thus "bird flu" isn't pandemic yet, and may never be, but the current volume of global transportation means that any epidemic is likely to become pandemic.

[VINNY100_2]

And if they do get to the stage where they close all borders and airports....should'nt we sent the England football team of to germany...Now..!!..in case they miss the world cup.(:)na..na..na..!

[jake-the-peg]

I guess it's scare-mongering up until a human to human contageous varient is discovered when it suddenly becomes "sensible precautions"

Personally (see my question in science) I'm still trying to find out how likely such a cross-over is. Right now I don't know if it's very unlikely or a nigh on certainty.

Maybe that's the $64,000 question

[Loosehead]

Pandemic means over a wide area, it is not related to numbers of cases.

[Peter Pedant]

pandemic means everyone gets it, not dies from it.

In view of the antibody studies - everyone will get it -although obvioulsy not evryone will die from it - or even get flu symptoms.

pandemic is a large epidemic

[scubadiver]

Simply put, an epidemic affects one country, a pandemic is worldwide.

It doesn't matter if bird flu becomes an epidemic or a pandemic - only if the H5N1 strain that is causing comcern at the moment mutates into a form that can pass easily from human to human, do we need to be worried.

[nedflanders]

Yes it is media/government scare mongering!  It is the "state of fear" philosophy (just like global warming, the imminent WWIII, threats of terrorist strikes, the petrol crisis etc.) where the government or in this case media need to keep the mass public in a state of fear/alert so that they can keep us in a pre-occupied and run our lives for us.

[OBonio]

I noticed last night that a 'news' presenter used the phrase 'potential epidemic' last night which reinforced my view that the media has no idea what it is talking about. Pandemic - epidemic... there's a rather large difference!

They are breeding fear for some reason. I don't know why, but they seem to get off on it. Maybe the media is owned by chavs.

[Peahead66]

Pandemic is another word for depopulation programme. Watch all the sheeple run for their vaccine. Interesting article here if anyone is interested http://www.policestateplanning.com/chapter_14_.htm 

[netibiza]

I think it's pandemic when it crosses continents.

[Brinjal]

A possible threat would come with the migratory birds.   The first of the birds which come from central Europe are due shortly.   Namely the rain storks.    Should these be carrying bird flu and spread it in Africa there is potential for disaster.    African countries do not have the means to deal with this type of problem so while European countries may feel they have the situation under control the likely hood is that these birds will carry the virus back on their return fron Africa to Europe.

[spinchimp]

Peahead - I work in the NHS and if you get offered an avian flu vaccine its because we want to save your life, and no other reason. More like peabrain, I'd say.

[qapmoc]

Hi brinjal,  yeah I agree completely, but in reality no country can handle the problem, what can they do, kill all the birds in the world??  The WHO now says that they expect it to be in every country within three months.  we just better hope that it doesn't mutate to a human-human strain, because that would be around the world in three weeks what with modern transport facilities and the human reaction to try to run away taking the virus with you somewhere else. 

[Haggisdj]

Like everything else, it'll get smuggled into Britian in the back of a lorry and let out at a service station on the M1.  The Brits won't want it here but all the lilly-livered do-gooders will adopt its cause and not let us send it back to whence it came...

[Brinjal]

Yes lets all hope that it doesnt mutate to a human variety.   I see poor polly croaked in quarantine.   This should be a lesson to people who try to smuggle exotic pets.   You never know what diseases they are carrying.