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Original poster

Deadly bird flu confirmed in Europe

38 replies

Tinker · 13/10/2005 12:02

.

OP posts:
hunkerpumpkin · 13/10/2005 12:02

In Romania? Or Turkey?

Marina · 13/10/2005 12:03

Turkey

Original poster
Tinker · 13/10/2005 12:03

Heard yesterday that Spanish flu only ran its course because ran out of victims. So what is so special about those that are able to survive this thing?

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 13/10/2005 12:03

Romania and Turkey. Imports of poultry from these countries has been banned for now.

It was bound to happen.

But it still hasn't managed to cross into the human population where it can be transmitted from person to person. Here's hoping that b/c European farmers don't generally live and sleep right next to their livestock, the flu will have less of a chance to accomplish this mutation.

moondog · 13/10/2005 12:04

Oh no!
Going back to Turkey in three days.
Really freaked out....

hunkerpumpkin · 13/10/2005 12:05

Oh, crap, MD. Any way you can stay in Wales?

Original poster
Tinker · 13/10/2005 12:05

Quite expat. Scary md.

OP posts:
bunny2 · 13/10/2005 12:05

is there any way to protect ones family? I', really concerned about this.

Original poster
Tinker · 13/10/2005 12:06

I do find myself rationalising all the time about this. Very strange times.

OP posts:
Original poster
Tinker · 13/10/2005 12:06

Wash your hands bunny. No vaccine yet.

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 13/10/2005 12:06

My grandmother survived Spanish Flu. Her first husband and daughter did not.

No idea how or why she survived. She was only ill for 3 days. She seemed to have super immunity, as she also survived typhoid, typhus, cholera (she grew up in an impoverished Mayan village in Mexico) and yellow fever. Her heart finally failed her at 94 years of age, but even then, she was only ill for a few months prior to her death.

Original poster
Tinker · 13/10/2005 12:07

Hope you've inherited her superimmunity expat

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 13/10/2005 12:10

My father seems to have inherited it. In addition to all the childhood illnesses one got in the 30s and 40s, he contracted polio at 10. And survived completely unscathed.

I once had a strain of avian flu that combined with a human strain - the Hong Kong 1967 strain.

No one else in my family contracted it, however.

Weirdo!

BudaBabe · 13/10/2005 12:10

I'm burying my head in the sand - Romania is a bit close to us for comfort.

emily05 · 13/10/2005 12:11

Here is the FAQ re bird flu from the world heath org

bunny2 · 13/10/2005 12:11

Today's Indie mentions frequent hand-washing as the best defence. Would anyone else consider keeping their children at home when avian flu reaches here?

moondog · 13/10/2005 12:12

I've got to go back hunker. Tickets booked and next week we are going down to the Med for a holiday to celebrate dh having finished his MSc (took his last exam in London on Monday!)

On the positive side,we live on the other side of Turkey,by Iran/Iraq/Syria so arguably it's nearer to Britain than it will be to us in Van.

Still won't be eating any chicken out there though.
Now i feel worried for the Kurdish girl who has been staying with me for a month.
Her father is MD of a huge chicken processing plant and they had a fire there last year which killed them all.

More bad luck for them.....

expatinscotland · 13/10/2005 12:12

Bunny
It's likely there'll be quarantines here if the bird flu mutates to become transmissable from person to person - school closures and the like.

Beetroot · 13/10/2005 12:12

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Gobbledispook · 13/10/2005 12:13

I would.

Doggie - can't you stay in Blighty?!

Gobbledispook · 13/10/2005 12:14

Sorry, X posts. Sounds like you will be Ok though. Take care.

Beetroot · 13/10/2005 12:14

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FrightfullyPoshFloss · 13/10/2005 12:15

I'm not going to get het up about it untill it actually reaches our shores. I mean, the liklehood of me and my family being the first in the country to contract it is pretty much impossible (no holiday this year for a start!).

I'm also going to take comfort in the fact that at work at this time, we have a plan for any ? SARS cases, but none specifically for bird flu, although I suspect the policy will adequately cover both.

bunny2 · 13/10/2005 12:16

expat, Id like to think the schools would act in time but I dont have much faith in Government and measures may be taken too late.

expatinscotland · 13/10/2005 12:17

In addition, the WHO website points out that Japan and Korea appear to have successfully contained their outbreaks, so it IS possible.

It's good that we're all being careful with this, as prevention seems to be the way to go here.

And these countries are doing the right thing and reporting their cases to scientists immediately! So hopefully steps will be taken to prevent the virus from getting the opportunity to mutate into the human population.

Cooperation amongst countries is essential. Bravo to Romania and Turkey for being honest about what is going on there. Let's hope it's enough to stop this from affecting their populations, and others.