Bird Flu: Deadly Mutations
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Like humans and other species like birds are susceptible to flu. Avian influenza, or “bird fluâ€, is a contagious disease of animals caused by viruses that normally infect birds. There are many types of bird, or avian, flu. There are nine different types and nine all take different forms – some are highly pathogenic, while some are pretty harmless. The type currently causing concern is the “highly pathogenic” Asian strain of the H5N1 virus. Scientists have discovered four different subtypes of H5N1, and there could well be more but all are deadly to birds, and can cause disease and death -in humans.
However, it is important to stress that H5N1 is overwhelmingly a disease that affects birds – and not humans. It is true that humans have been infected, but almost all have been poultry workers who have come into intimate contact with birds. H5N1 cannot pass easily from human to human. Migratory wild ducks are natural carriers of the viruses, but are unlikely to actually develop an infection. The risk is that they pass it on to domestic birds, which are much more susceptible to the virus. Humans catch the disease through close contact with live infected birds. Birds excrete the virus in their faeces, which dry and become pulverised, and are then inhaled.
Symptoms are similar to other types of flu – fever, malaise, sore throats and coughs. People can also develop conjunctivitis. Researchers are now concerned is that the virus – if given enough opportunities – will change into a form that is highly infectious for humans and spreads easily from person to person. Such a change could mark the start of a global outbreak (a pandemic). This could mean that many illnesses, and even deaths.
The recent rash of species jumping viruses have been taking it’s toll on the human population which scares immunologists and other health professionals due to their ability to jump the species barrier that used to keep Avian Influenza within the avian species. As with the recent 
As doctors have been saying all along, bird flu much like any other viral pathogens can easily be dealt with through simple and proper hygiene such as 
As said and debated, the new flu strain is quite similar to most strains of the famed flu virus that is spread from person to person right after it jumps species from the 
With the convenience of modern travel, planes flying off to distant countries in a few hours, the new scourge of flu more commonly referred to as the “Swine Flu” has reached full spread with cases reported in almost all corners of the world. Mexico is ground zero and from its famous beaches, whole flights have been infected taking the virus all over the globe. From New Zealand, Australia, China and many other continents the virus has spread with some deaths reported. The severity of the cases have been quite blown out of proportion, maybe a result of the H5N1 strain which scared the hell out of everyone but as with any flu strain simple precautions go along way to help protect people from the spread of the disease.