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What Can You Do about the Bird Flu?

By Henry J. Fishman, M.D.
ConsumerAffairs.com

October 20, 2005

Dr. Henry Fishman • New This Week • Previous Topics • About Henry Fishman • Radio Features

The bird flu is another sure sign that life just isn’t fair. This year it is going to be you against the bird flu, a virus which could cause a pandemic and kill millions of people around the world.

What can you do?

Well, first of all you must know your enemy. The avian flu virus travels from bird to bird, from one chicken to another chicken.

Recently the flu strain spread to ducks and the virus has affected a few dozen people.

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The bird flu goes right to the lungs and can cause a deadly pneumonia. None of us have been exposed to this form of influenza so none of us are immune to it.

If the bird flu either mutates or combines with the human flu virus it could get stronger and spread from person to person.

The virus could also get weaker.

Public health officials are combating the virus by killing infected chickens, isolating infected people and testing a promising vaccine in human trials.

You can do three things:

• Get a flu shot so you don’t get two viruses at once.

• Buy some surgical masks.

• Ask your doctor about Tamiflu. Tamiflu is the only medicine that works.

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