Tracking the next pandemic: Avian Flu Talk |
Can Someone Explain Differences |
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Posted: June 04 2006 at 8:27am |
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Can someone expalin the differences between the seasonal flu and the Avian Flu? Is it flu season in the US? How can you tell which flu bug you are dealing with? PLEASE,someone with factual information respond. Blessings.
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I have noticed 25 people look at this but no one knows???? I am 100% serious. What would be the differrences? I searched the WHO,CDC and HHS website and cannot find anything that tells you!? I can't even find a thread here about such a thing. My husband is sick and he travels for his job. He called me and he has all of the flu-symptoms.....I want to know if his symptoms are seasonal and if it is flu season anywhere in the US. Can someone help? Please overlook my bit of panic here.......just a bit worried. Blessings.
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Bill 100
Valued Member Joined: May 21 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 524 |
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It is my understanding seasonal flu is what people get every year, like a really bad cold. I could be wrong I have never had the flu. I don't think I could catch a cold if I wanted to. |
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MelodyAtHome
Valued Member Joined: May 16 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2018 |
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From what I understand the BF is a different strain than our regular flu. I don't beiieve the US in in the flu season. I believe it runs from Nov. to March? I could be wrong but I think about that. I don't know much more than this. Sorry
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Melody
Emergency Preparedness 911 http://emergencypreparedness911.blogspot.com/ |
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MelodyAtHome
Valued Member Joined: May 16 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2018 |
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I don't know if there are any difference in symptoms but they say the bf is much more severe. I can tell you back when I was a teen I had the flu 3 years in a row and I don't know how they could have been much worse...they were sooo bad and lasted 3 weeks each. THen I never got the flu again after that.
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Melody
Emergency Preparedness 911 http://emergencypreparedness911.blogspot.com/ |
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Bill 100
Valued Member Joined: May 21 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 524 |
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I think you might have gone over my head on that. Might need a nurse or doctor for that. But my guess is that the symtoms are alike to have to take tests and it taking so long to find out if it is bird flu.
That has me a little uneasy, thinking they could quarantine seasonal flu people with bird flu people, until they get test results back.
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Sorry, I'm not in the medical field, and never had the flu ... but I sense your concern and hate to leave you hanging. I do not believe that it is the flu season, here in the USA ... BUT, if I remember correctly, the 'flu' has been running around a little longer than usual and 'flu-like' illnesses have been giving people some troubles. I think, if I also remember correctly, that it was attributed to the strange weather that we had this season which caused the extended illnesses. Anybody out there know anymore? Geeeeeze ... this is NOT a good sign to have so much trouble getting an answer to this for you .... attribute it to being a Sunday and everyone is busy with their weekend! -k |
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VtDoc
Adviser Group Joined: March 31 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 240 |
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Seasonal flu and pandemic flu are not necessarily any different from each other in any important ways. Both gain entry (primarily) via the respiratory tract from the respiratory tract of an infected person. They then cause direct damage to the cells that are infected. The extensive damage to the respiratory tract's lining then makes one much more vulnerable to secondary infections, just as a burn patient is at risk of severe skin infections.
Of course, some strains of flu may have the ability to cause higher or lower amounts of damage, may infect somewhat different cell types, different species, etc, but this is part of the normal variation within any group of related pathogens.
The main difference between pandemic and seaonal flu is that by virtue of its "newness" the pandemic strain meets with less resistance from a potential victim. Seasonal flu strains are generally fairly closely related to each other so that there can be partial immunity from infection, and especially severe infection, by having a previous exposure/infection. Since no one has had prior exposure to the pandemic strain, everyone is at higher risk of catching it, and having more severe response, including direct damage and possibly damage from an overly vigorous immune response. (Although, the so-called "cytokine storm" may be also due to something specific about the particular strain of virus.)
As far as seasonal flu, the 2005-2006 season is pretty much over. I haven't seen a case in over a month, and last I checked with CDC website, there was only rare, sporadic activity.
To make the diagnosis of flu we have rapid tests we use frequently that can tell A and B types of flu, which helps distinguish between flu and non-flu illnesses. It doesn't help at all in determining which influenza A we might be dealing with (H5N1 is an A-type flu). The subtyping of flu is usually a role of public health laboratories, and once an outbreak is confirmed, you don't generally need to continue to type all further patients' specimens.
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hs07
Valued Member Joined: March 13 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 10 |
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Pretty sure I read on this site somewhere that it is flu season in the southern hemisphere right now. As far as the difference (as I understand it from some of the reading I've done), bird flu is much more severe...higher fever, more congestion etc.... enough to send you to the hospital pretty quickly. It would probably be hard to tell which flu you had at the onset of symptoms but would become clear as time went on....You would be getting much worse...not better. However, people do recover from both.....I don't believe there is anyway to determine how many people have had bird flu, never went to the hospital, and have recovered.
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Thank you ReadyMom, I was just very concerned because on Friday he ate chicken and every morning he eats half cooked eggs for breakfeast. He travels from state to state everyday. Besides all of that he had a sore throat that today moved into his upper chest.
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Mayy
advanced Member Joined: May 24 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 175 |
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according to CDC.... an individual will present with watery diarrhea and begin a fever about 6 days before having other symptoms...
I hand wrote the symptoms...looking for that I will post it. There can be
extremes of a type of H5N1 in humans... bleeding from mucosal areas is one. This is why many volunteers left... after a day or less. They were frightened.
I think we have put things on the forum in dribs and drabs... and
I hope the bit by bit postings is less shocking and more educating.
We have to help ourselves like this... they say no one is coming to help.
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VTDOC, So is what you are saying is a person would have to be tested with a blood sample? Should I try to get him to go to the closest emergency room? Thanks!
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Mayy
advanced Member Joined: May 24 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 175 |
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To be unfortunately honest....
There will be little assist for people who may die from a varient of H5N1.
This is because there will be so many ill all at once.
There is not enough intensive care equipement available for the dying.
They want us to stay at home...
If a person is going to live... at home care will be sufficient they say.
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Mayy
advanced Member Joined: May 24 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 175 |
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I can find info for you... let me know if you need more ok?
People May Have Different Reactions to the FluThe flu can cause mild to severe illness and at times can lead to death. Although most healthy people recover from the flu without complications, some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious complications from the flu. Be Aware of Common Flu SymptomsInfluenza usually starts suddenly and may include the following symptoms:
Having these symptoms does not always mean that you have the flu. Many different illnesses, including the common cold, can have similar symptoms. |
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Thank you! He has all of these but also has upper resp. congestion. I was just wondering if the Avian Flu has a specific symptom/symptoms that the seasonal flu does not????? Should he go to the hospital and get checked out? He eats so much chicken/eggs and is exposed to hundreds of people everyday,i.e. travelers,people from overseas,people from all over US, etc. I know that the Avian Flu will find entrance into US and has to start with someone......just worried that it could be him
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VtDoc
Adviser Group Joined: March 31 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 240 |
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raptureready, The rapid test for flu uses nasal/upper respiratory secretions, instead of a blood test. And at least the one we use is not highly accurate (80%). In addition, it may be hard to even get this testing done in a lot of the U.S. now because a lot of labs don't keep the supplies on hand all year long. If your husband has been to an area with known H5N1 it would be prudent to test him for it. If not, then it's FAR more likely he has something else, either flu or non-flu ("influenza-like illness"). Flu-like symptoms are extremely common with a huge number of illnesses, some more serious than others. As of about 2 weeks ago, there was sporadic influenza activity in many states, and this has almost certainly decreased, but it's still possible to get the flu.If he/you think his symptoms warrant evaluation he should seek medical attention. It could be something serious (without knowing more it would be impossible to say), but it's very unlikely to be H5N1.
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ahhh raptureready!
Remember: "I am with you" Blessings |
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Mayy
advanced Member Joined: May 24 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 175 |
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get a flashlight and check his throat.... are there any white patches? Strep goes around this time of year and I used to get upper resp. probs with mine... Call his Doctor ...it will make you feel better. never mind chicken and eggs... they're ok but cook those eggs well.
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Thank you Vetdoc.....I guess I will have to wait and see. I made him give me the route he is driving and where he is exactly going. I did pack him a First Aid kit complete with meds/gloves/ masks last month. I told him to wear his mask and gloves so as to not make others sick. Blessings!
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Mayy
advanced Member Joined: May 24 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 175 |
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OK ..... have him do it with 2 mirrors.
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Oh RaptureReady I wish I could be there to hold you and offer support. I hear your fears. Just a thought, I'm taking the correspondence course posted online yesterday.
It might be helpful to some of the medical forum personnel to know your husbands age and closest large city your from.
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He is male/44 years old.
In great general health.
Friday morning was in Birmangham,Alabama,friday night in Baytown,Texas ate chicken and half cooked eggs in Birmingham. That night in Texas,he starting getting sick,came on rapidly.
Symptoms:
headache/body aches
fever/chills(waking up in cold sweats)
cough now in upper chest
extreme fatigue
nausea/vomiting/no appetite
diahhrea
Does this help?
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[/QUOTE] I'm off work still from the snake bite on left foot and feeling better. I live in East Texas, if your husband falls ill holler up. I'll get him and bring him home to you. [/QUOTE]
How sweet of you Annie!!!!!!! He is on his way to Baytown TX to Houston and finally in McAllen Texas. He has to be there by 9:00 pm.. I think that is really far south?????you are truly an angel to say this....I would hate to see anyone get ill not exactly knowing whats up. I am checking on-line to see if anyone in Birmingham or baytown TX has gotten sick eating at any resturants....I pray it is some kind of food poisining.............
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fiddlerdave2
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From an incident of getting very ill on a business trip, I now carry a thermometer with me. Once you get a high fever, your mind an get somewhat addled.
Then call him, and have him check it and tell you at intervals. (A traveler can also stop by a drug store and use the machine to get blood pressure and pulse.) Once it hits 101 or so, I would then seek out one of the new quickie clinics with a nurse practioner or a regular med clinic, and let that health practitioner decide what to do. I would not start with an ER now, unless it was handy, because the wait is so long. If a clinic thinks you should be admitted to a hospital, their call to the nearest hospital can cut you through the line at the ER.
And hotels are generally happy to check you out of your room and put your stuff in their storage so you are not paying for it while you are in hospital.
Its hard, in away from home environments to not let the hassle of finding care overly influence the judgement of when to get serious care.
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Dave
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Mayy
advanced Member Joined: May 24 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 175 |
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This is the problem...
He is male/44 years old.
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Mayy
advanced Member Joined: May 24 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 175 |
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is it food poisoning?
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Mayy
advanced Member Joined: May 24 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 175 |
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Introduction to Symptoms of Food poisoning:
Definitions of Food poisoning: Illness caused by poisonous or contaminated food - (Source - WordNet 2.1)
List of symptoms of Food poisoning: The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Food poisoning includes those listed below. Note that Food poisoning symptoms usually refers to various symptoms known to a patient, but the phrase Food poisoning signs may refer to those signs only noticable by a doctor:
Symptoms of Food poisoning: In most cases of foodborne illness, symptoms resemble intestinal flu and may last a few hours or even several days. Symptoms can range from mild to serious and include
After they are swallowed, there is a delay, called the incubation period, before the symptoms of illness begin. This delay may range from hours to days, depending on the organism, and on how many of them were swallowed. During the incubation period, the microbes pass through the stomach into the intestine, attach to the cells lining the intestinal walls, and begin to multiply there. Some types of microbes stay in the intestine, some produce a toxin that is absorbed into the bloodstream, and some can directly invade the deeper body tissues. The symptoms produced depend greatly on the type of microbe. Numerous organisms cause similar symptoms, especially diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and nausea. There is so much overlap that it is rarely possible to say which microbe is likely to be causing a given illness unless laboratory tests are done to identify the microbe, or unless the illness is part of a recognized outbreak.2 Symptoms vary widely depending on etiologic agent. Diarrhea and vomiting are the most common. 3
More symptoms of Food poisoning: In addition to the above information, to get a full picture of the possible symptoms of this condition and its related conditions, it may be necessary to examine symptoms that may be caused by complications of Food poisoning, underlying causes of Food poisoning, associated conditions for Food poisoning, risk factors for Food poisoning, or other related conditions. Medical articles on symptoms: These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
Footnotes: 1. excerpt from Bacteria and Foodborne Illness: NIDDK 2. excerpt from Foodborne Infections General: DBMD 3. excerpt from Foodborne Infections: DBMD |
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raptureready...if it were my husband I would be driving with my oldest son to meet him. That is the wrong thing to do, i think. I would have a knee jerk response. I think he really should have medical personnel check him out.
Another thought is that if he is a first case he will get the very best of care. There are plenty of supplies and medicines available and no vaccine yet to worry about that issue, from what I can tell. It could be a totally different, highly treatable infection and we will all be relieved and thankful. I would love to be able to guide you but I can't, I would probably be wrong. I will pray that you have good guidance and that you have wisdom for discerning. Blessings! |
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Thank you standing firm....I am making him call every 1/2 hour or so to see how he is. I told him I was researching to see if anything in Al or Tx papers. I am REALLY going to push him to go to hospital. Last I talked to him he said "I want to hurry up get to TX and get home" and as HORRILBLE as this sounds,all I could think of is "I can't let him be around our kids when he could be contagious" How bad of me! This BF really makes you think things you wouldn't normally say..........
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He is very far from me, over six hours south. I’m concerned. Remember, I’m not giving medical advice and I have no medical background. Texas is pretty hot right now. How long has he been vomiting now? With this unknown illness, whereas he is vomiting and has diarrhea he may become dehydrated. He may want to stop in a quick stop and get several Gatorade bottles to sip. This will help keep him hydrated. Does he enjoy very rich foods? Does his side hurt? Could he have a gall bladder or appendicitis problem? |
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This BF really makes you think things you wouldn't normally say..........
you are doing a good job. You are doing the right thing by keeping in touch with him. Gatorade would be a good thing unless he is infectious. Going into a store could infect others. A hospital can check him out, give him an IV and send him on his way. If he is ill with something then he shouldn't be infecting others. It is scary and threatening and my heart goes out to you. |
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Mayy
advanced Member Joined: May 24 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 175 |
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keep calm....
Symptoms depend on the type of food poisoning
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Bill 100
Valued Member Joined: May 21 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 524 |
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I would like to apologize raptureready. Your situation did not did not register with me straight away (must be getting old). I wish you and yours the best.
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Mavvy,
Can't read your blue fonts.
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packrat/mama
Valued Member Joined: June 04 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 31 |
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Hi all!
I am new to post, but have been tracking the forum for several months.
My youngest daughter ( age 22) moved to San Diego in late March. This past Wed night she phoned me late feeling sick - stomach ache. She was scheduled to take an early morning flight back to Chicaco ( where she had moved from) to visit her girlfriends whom she is homesick for. When she got up to go to the airport, she felt worse, so cancelled her flight. Temp of 99-101, vomiting, terrible body aches. She kept calling me worried about BF. I tried to keep her calm and reassure her it was just a viral " bug". She still felt terrible on friday but by mid-day Saturday was beginning to feel better.
Just wanted you to know that there could be some viral thing spreading on this side of the country. Try to stay calm, but it is hard when they are so-o0o0 far away from you!! By the way , I am in Ashland, Ohio so can really empathize with your worry and concern. I also have a male-age 52 - has never been to doctor for being sick in 30 years of marriage!
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packrat/mama
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He has had stomach upset since Friday night. In the first aid kit I put Emetrol, this has helped the stomach yucks. He had his append. out when he was young. He doesn't eat very rich stuff, truck stops usually don't have great fare!!!! I will call and tell him to get the Gatorade....thanks! And I only have 3 cases stored for this type of thing and never thought to mention it. Thanks Annie! When one starts to panic...I swear all practical stuff leaves ya, or it could be I am blonde!!!!!!
I packed masks/gloves/hand sanitizer in his truck and he is using the masks whenever he stops and goes into public places..thank goodness. Will keep you all updated!
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Thank you Doug,Bill100,Standing firm,Mavv and Packrat Mama.....my nerves can't take no more. First my water is out for over 2 days...and now this. OK...time for a BF BREAK vacation. Is there any place on planet earth where there are no birds?????????
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P.S. The stuff I mentioned "Emetrol" is for nausea and vomiting. I took it during all 5 pregnancy's and I swear it is all that got me through with morning sickness. I also have given it to all my kids, even when very young and it stops it in a snap. Wal-mart has it and they also sell a generic brand that is cheaper. A great item to add to your prep lists! Blessings |
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