Bird flu virus is highly serious, just like the Swine Flu H1N1 virus is. It is rare that this flu is passed from one person to another person, unless there is a lot of very close contact between individuals. If you have this virus lurking around in your system, the incubation period for people is can be anywhere from 2 to as long as 8 days maximum.
Other important facts to keep in mind:
Bird Flu is not actually transmitted by eating poultry products as some people seem to believe it is.
As of this time, a vaccine has been created for Bird Flu. However, it is not available publicly since the government is building up a supply of these drugs. This is being done in case the virus becomes widespread, and then people may receive it.
Something else I would like to point out is that many people falsely believe that antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu can be readily available. This is not true at this time, as these medicines are not in a very plentiful supply.
If you have these following symptoms after having someplace where there was an outbreak of bird flu, contact your doctor immediately:
1. You run a fever.
2. Throat that is irritated or a little inflamed
3. Coughing
4. Achy muscles
5. It is not so uncommon to have “pink-eye,” which is conjunctivitis.
6. You have the feeling of malaise, (overall unwellness from these symptoms and not getting any better.)
Bird flu can cause several complications and even death, which has happened to several people after having the virus. The common types of complications from this virus are:
1. Breathing problems that are severe and cause acute distress like an asthma attack
2. Pneumonia is not uncommon in bird flu.
3. Eyes become infected
4. Brain and heart problems with the bird flu is highly likely to inflame these areas of the body.
Hospitalization, at least from what I have read, is often required for those people that have contracted the Bird Flu.
Bird Flu, once contracted, is difficult to cure since the human immune system has a difficult time defending itself against viruses that are coming directly from an animal. That is why bird flu can create severe symptoms in many people, and therefore, many never recover well or die. You need to be especially careful if you have a low immune-system tolerance anyway, are elderly, or have other conditions which make it difficult to overcome such viruses such as heart and lung problems, and also diabetes.
