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Original poster

Bird flu - now it's here what precautions will you take?

186 replies

jmum6 · 06/04/2006 10:00

Now it's reported in Scotland it's only a matter of time before it works it way south.

So will you take any precautions?

My mum and dad keep free range chickens, bantams and parakeets, should I carry on visiting with a 7month old ds?

OP posts:
Rhubarb · 07/04/2006 12:39

The measles outbreak is worrying, yes. Were these children vaccinated?

expatinscotland · 07/04/2006 12:43

Two were. But were at the age where they've only had one uptake of MMR and not the booster.

Also an adult female. She was the first confirmed case in Dumfries & Galloway and the first time her GP had seen measles in 20 years.

Original poster
jmum6 · 07/04/2006 12:45

So these children had the MMR but still contracted measels?

OP posts:
blueshoes · 07/04/2006 13:10

won't be touching dead ducks. BTW, my company sent a worldwide email to say it is stocking up on Tamiflu vaccine for employees!

expatinscotland · 07/04/2006 13:12

jmum
there's no need to be paranoid. honestly. there isn't. it's all going to work out how it works out if people just leave wildlife alone and let nature take its course.

Rhubarb · 07/04/2006 13:14

Ah right. That is bad! I know a lot of people who would opt for the first vaccine but not the second.

dd has been done, ds has had his first. Is this caused by parents not getting the vaccine? I'd kick some arse if my ds got it before he had his booster because of some irresponsible arse of a parent!

expatinscotland · 07/04/2006 13:16

there has already been a case in asia in which tamiflu proved of little effectiveness in a victim w/H5N1. it's expensive and very likely any strain of this virus that may (and it may never) have the ability to transmit from human to human will mutate quickly enough that tamiflu will be worthless.

far more effective to try to develop a vaccine, which is what scientists are working on. but as there is as yet no strain that is transmissable from person to person, that's not something that can be managed easily.

expatinscotland · 07/04/2006 13:17

it's caused by low uptake of MMR, rhu. it's all over the news, too. well, until this bird flu thing came up.

check BBC news website. they've a lot of info and articles on there.

well, there's an mnetter whose baby just got had measles - she was too young for mmr.

JanH · 07/04/2006 13:30

There was a cat that died of it in Germany recently...

expatinscotland · 07/04/2006 13:31

Cats! Birds!

That's it, folks. We're all going to die of this tomorrow.

Let's all panic and get hysterical.

Highlander · 07/04/2006 13:33

I'm hoping the price of organic chicken will crash Wink

Highlander · 07/04/2006 13:33

expat - have you read Ed Douglas' biography of Alison Hargreaves? I have a copy if you want it. v. good

expatinscotland · 07/04/2006 13:34

Hmmm. I'll take cheaper organic, free-range eggs, Highland. Cuz I love to bake!

Almost completely vegetarian these days.

JanH · 07/04/2006 13:35

\link{http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4787234.stm\German cat}.

I was only wondering if rhuby's news report might have been the cat, expat! (Although it was weeks ago).

Highlander · 07/04/2006 13:35

DS turned his nose up at my homemade bluberry muffins yesterday. They were lush as well Sad

expatinscotland · 07/04/2006 13:35

Noooo. I haven't read that one! I saw her speak once before she died and you could just feel the passion w/which she climbed - saw Rob Slater speak once, too, he was a laugh! (he was her climbing partner at the time of their deaths)

expatinscotland · 07/04/2006 13:36

Mmm, I made chocolate chip cookies yesterday w/Nestle Toll House chips my mum sent across. Oooooo. So scrummy. DD1 has been stuffing her face w/them.

meowmix · 07/04/2006 13:42

have you seen today's metro? big headline DON'T PANIC over pic of alien-like germ microbe. so thats not sensationalising it at all.

I'm like you expat - far more worried about measles esp as live in total yummy mummy territory where the combination of a little education and a lot of hysteria has led 82% of children my son's age in the area not to be vaccinated.

I can get very cross about these scare stories. FFS there are a myriad of diseases out there just longing to attack us. Surely best precaution is to take care of your health? (sez she in recovery from pneumonia... do as I say not as I do!)

Pagan · 07/04/2006 13:42

I'll stop french kissing hens!!!!

Hype Hype Hype - more people die of normal flu each year and no-one gives a bugger about that. It has not transmuted yet has it - if it did then it is most likely to do so in those countries where they live with their hens. One dead swan here and everyone thinks we're all going to die - and hey guess what we all are but probably of other causes!

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 07/04/2006 13:43

So.....is bird flu worse than manflu? Wink

meowmix · 07/04/2006 13:46

oh no its nowehere near as severe as manflu but it can actually be contracted by women, thats the difference. Naturally a man with bird flu then has manbird flu while a woman gets getupandmakethedinnerandclean flu

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 07/04/2006 13:47

lol Grin

Highlander · 07/04/2006 15:05

avian flu will then clearly be fatal in men only? Wink

GeorginaA · 07/04/2006 15:06

An indonesian toddler died of bird flu a few weeks ago - could that have got mixed up with the reports of the cat in Germany? He lived on a poultry farm where the chickens ran in and out of the house. When they got there, they found loads of dead bird carcasses around.

Two teenagers also died in Turkey - again, they kept infected poultry inside their home.

Close contact with poultry seems to be THE big risk factor - so like Pagan, I'll be avoiding french kissing hens (urgh... chicken lips.... Grin)

cataloguequeen · 07/04/2006 15:15

My dh and I are convinced that it's been here longer than we all realize...(conspiracy emoticon wearing tin foil hat!)

3 swans died locally in the Lea Valley water way and the local paper reported it was from local people feeding them mouldy bread!!!

Since when do you feed birds fresh bread!!! they have been eating mouldy for years...so what has changed???

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