Long Beach, NY, (PRWEB) November 14, 2005

The Bird Flu Handbook: What Is Avian Influenza, And What Do We Need To Know To Be Prepared For A Pandemic? is the new title to be published and released under the Vayu Publishing brand. Written and compiled by Manoj Kunda and Ward Lin, this is a very timely book that achieves Vayu Publishing’s mission statement of publishing books in an expeditious fashion, with a focus on the important current events or topics of the moment that consumers want to be informed about.

Written in a convenient, concise, and easy to read format, The Bird Flu Handbook is an excellent resource guide that provides extremely valuable and up to date information concerning one of the most serious issues in the global news today…Avian Influenza, or Bird Flu, and the impending threat of a worldwide pandemic that could cost millions of lives and cripple the global economy.

The Bird Flu Handbook was compiled using extensive current information and research obtained from many of the U.S. Government Agencies that have had significant experience in dealing with viruses, pandemics, and similar crisis issues and, therefore, are able to inform us of what we need to know to prepare ourselves.

To highlight the importance of this issue, President Bush has announced $ 7.1 billion in emergency funding in order to prepare our country for a possible pandemic. The U.S. Government is right to be concerned, and so should we, considering that the Bird Flu has already spread to birds in 16 countries, while infecting 121 people and killing 62 people, according to the World Health Organization.

Anyone who has read the newspapers, or watches the news, and wants to learn more about this potential crisis will find The Bird Flu Handbook to be an extremely valuable resource. Among the issues covered in the book are: information about avian influenza (what it is, and how it spreads); information about influenza pandemics and what we can do to help protect ourselves; how influenza is spread from animal to human, and human to human; and a very extensive chapter answering the most commonly asked questions about avian influenza.

Especially susceptible to avian influenza are the elderly, children, and anyone with a weak immune system. The Bird Flu Handbook could prove to be a valuable addition to your library, and could help you to take the necessary precautions should the need arise.

In addition, the complete Table of Contents will be made available on Vayu Publishing’s web site to any interested party who wants to get a better understanding of the type of content available in the book. http://www.vayupublishing.com

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Fork, MD (PRWEB) November 21, 2005

The Avian Flu Blended Medicine Prevention Guide was written by Dr. Pavel Nyvlt and April Kelley. Dr. Pavel Nyvlt is a primary care physician that believes in combining naturopathic treatments with conventional western medicine. Dr. Pavel Nyvlt earned his medical degree in Czechoslovakia in 1985. April Kelley, a healthcare student, created an award winning scientifically based blended medicines website. She has recently met with homeland security officials and just updated this guide with fresh information from her meeting.

When an avian flu outbreak occurs hospitals will be over run and most people will have to ride out the pandemic in their homes with the medical resources they have readily available. Victims of the avian flu will become their own caregivers cut off from the rest of the world for an extended period of time. This guide focuses on the realities of a pandemic and the best ways to practically treat avian flu victims who are riding out a bird flu outbreak in their own homes. For example, it is important to have the vitamin selenium readily available because a deficiency in selenium may increase the chances of dying of avian flu. If a child becomes ill it is important not to give a child aspirin as this may cause Reye’s Syndrome in conjunction with the bird flu virus. Ingesting most fruit juices, chocolate, sugar and processed foods may worsen conditions when infected with the bird flu. The Avian Flu Blended Medicine Prevention Guide also reveals what type of plant leaf can make the virus inactive, where to purchase bird flu (H5N1) test kits, what prescription drugs should be readily available, what natural antiviral agents can dramatically increase the chances of survival and what role protein plays against this deadly virus. This guide also reveals what most survivors of the 1918 flu pandemic had in common.

The Avian Flu Blended Medicine Prevention Guide gives detailed information regarding the symptoms of avian flu, the history of avian flu and its current threat to society. Avian flu symptoms include a fever between 101.3F to 104F, shortness of breath, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, rhinorrhoea and in some cases severe acute respiratory syndrome or conjunctivitis. Avian flu outbreaks first occurred in the late 1950’s. Since then several mutations have occurred with special attention paid recently to bird flu virus strain (H5N1). Health officials worry a further mutation will result in a human to human contagious bird flu strain.

For more information go to : www.avianfluremedy.info

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Everything You Need To Know About Equine Influenza

Equne influenza is also known as horse flu and the symptoms of the disease are very similar to the human flu. The disease rarely progresses to a life threatening situation in healthy horses, but young, old or debilitated horses are at risk of developing serious complications. There are two know types of the virus: Orthomyxovirus A/Equi-1 and Orthomyxovirus A/Equi-2, the latter being endemic in certain parts of the world.

The disease varies in severity depending on the overall condition of the horse. The health and age of the horse determines how serious the infection will be. Most horses recover over a period of a few days. One of the first noticeable signs of equine influenze is an high temperature in the range of 38C (101F) to 41 C (106F). A normal body temperature is in the range of 37C to 38C. The horse will seem lethargic and less alert.

The next symptom is usually a dry hacking cough which becomes moist over a period of a few days. Nasal discharge will be apparent and the horse may experience loss of appetite, in fact equine influenza symptoms closely resemble human flu symptoms. A diagnosis should be made through a nasopharyngeal swab and blood tests to eliminate any doubts and to rule out more serious respiratory conditions such as viral arteritis and viral rhinopneumonitis.

If the horse doesn’t develop any complications, then supportive care and rest are all that is needed for a recovery. For Every day of fever, the horse should be rested for a week with a minimum rest period of three weeks. NSAIDs and antibiotics may be prescribed by the vet if the horse has a fever over 40C (104F) or if the fever persists for more than 3-4 days. Antibiotics and NSAIDs will also be administered if there is a risk of pneumonia or in the case of pus in the nasal discharge.

Due to the fact that there is no cure for the flu, prevention is necessary. Good husbandry and management practices along with a vaccination programme prevent the spread of the disease. The introduction of new horses to a stable or barn should entail a two week isolation period to avoid the spread of the virus. The virus is transmitted easily between horses through the inhalation of respiratory secretions and an infected horse can infect others by simply coughing. As with all viruses equine influenza is spread through the air. Nasal and intramuscular vaccinations help prevent infection in healthy horses your veterinarian should be able to advise you on which to use depending on your location and your horse’s environment and overall health.

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All The Bird Flu Facts You Need To Know!

By now everyone in the Western world is aware of the disease known as bird flu and all the facts associated with it. Everyone should also know the potential consequences involved with this virus if there was ever an outbreak in their town or city. Therefore in order to stop this from occurring people need to know every single bird flu fact there is available to them. There are surprisingly a lot of avian flu facts available and this article will endeavor to discuss most of them so that if ever the event of an outbreak, you will know what to do.

Bird Flu Fact Number One

The first bird flu fact is one that most people don’t know about and it’s this – the avian flu virus is not deadly to humans. So you’re wondering “so why is it that so many people have died as a result of this virus”. Well it’s not the actual bird flu virus that affects humans, it’s a strand of the virus that bird flu is able to mutate into and it’s called the human influenza virus. Millions of people have died as a result of influenza outbreaks throughout history and this is the main reason why people are so scared of this virus. Fortunately we are now capable of stopping this infection before is causes serious harm or even death by the use of some powerful antiviral drugs that have been made available over the past few decades, however many third world countries don’t have access to these drugs and as a result we hear about more and more casualties from this disease.

Bird Flu Fact Number Two

There is in fact currently no cure for this virus. This however doesn’t mean we aren’t close to one though. Scientists are currently testing a cure to the virus, which they say will be ready in the next five or so years. For now the only way to stop avian flu from affecting humans, is to destroy any poultry stock that has been infected by the virus. Many thousands of chickens have been destroyed over the past few years as a result of outbreaks and this can have a serious effect on third world countries.

Another bird flu fact that people don’t know about is that there is a lot ways to prevent the influenza virus from entering a person’s system. Right now there are things that people can do in case the unlikely event of a bird flu outbreak occurs close to home. There is a lot of equipment on the market that specializes in preventing viruses from entering a persons system. One of the cheapest and most affective pieces of equipment is the bird flu mask and can be found in both online and offline stores.

Swine Flu How Is It Caught? – Very Real Facts You Need To Know

You may recall that learning how is the swine flu transmitted is one certain system for preventing becoming contaminated by the virus.

No doubt about it, the swine flu pandemic is all you hear on the morning news and what you read in the newspapers. Regarding the swine flu symptoms being very contagious schools many schools have shut to try to stop the virus from spreading even more.

This makes sure that you are receiving a factual swine flu update on a regular basis – even daily – basis will help to decrease widespread panic and fear.

All in all, it’s best to be educated on what swine flu precautions to take in order to stay safe.

By the time you finish reading this article you’ll find out some important facts about swine flu and what you can do to protect yourself.

To start off with, your first question may be “What is swine flu anyway?” In short, it’s a respiratory virus that originally showed up in pigs. The strain that is affecting humans is a new strain of the virus dubbed novel H1N1 by the United States government.

Obviously, discovering how is swine flu transmitted means understanding that swine flu normally does not infect humans. Only those who were in constant, direct contact with infected pigs was at risk.

Now this particular strain of the virus is airborne and is passed on through person-to-person contact.

On another point it is now known that the swine flu incubation time can last as long as 7 days after you have been in close proximity to an infected person.

The meaning of swine flu seems to make people believe that the virus can be transmitted by eating pork products however this is not the case.

The CDC or Centers For Bug Control and Prevention is and always has recommend that you cook foods at a temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit in order to destroy not only the swine flu virus but other bacteria and viruses as well.

Since swine flu is transmitted through human contact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has let the cat out the bag about containment. It states that it is virtually impossible to contain the virus, so people around the world must focus every bit of effort on preventative procedures.

For instance, not covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze is a way to spread germs. So the CDC is telling everyone to cover their mouths with a tissue or cough or sneeze into their arms.

They are also promoting good sanitation by telling everyone to consistently wash their hands with warm soapy water for around 20 seconds to ensure they destroy all germs.

The CDC is also recommending you go the extra mile and continue with you a type of hand sanitizer to sanitize common areas such as door knobs, tables, and public restrooms.

Being clever and aware is the ticket to your good health, while we all live through this global crisis, we all know that prevention is better than cure. At the same time do not panic and blow it out of proportion we deal with flu strains every year.

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Tips for Parents to Know How to Help the Kids With the Cold or Flu

It’s that time again…either the kids or the parents start to feel under the weather.  It isn’t hard to know that an illness is coming on.  You know it’s either the cold or the flu and know full well that the next week is going to be a living nightmare.  But, how can you tell the difference between the cold and flu?  And, what do you do when you figure it out?

Both the cold and the flu are respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses.  The cold lasts a little bit longer, usually one week.  The flu is much more intense, but only lasts about 4 – 5 days.  Yet, the flu is more serious.

The cold always begins with the inhalation through the nostrils of a tiny strand of the cold virus floating around somewhere, or an object.  The virus starts in the nostrils.  Your body then tries fighting it off by sending out mucous and making you sneeze and cough a lot.  The symptoms get worse in the next 48 hours, then finally start to mellow out.  However, it is contagious about 2 days before you get the common symptoms up to a few days after the symptoms go away.  So, it is contagious for almost 2 weeks.

The flu, on the other hand, comes on much more sudden.  The flu contains more body aches, fever, tiredness, dry cough (verses a wet and mucous cough), headaches and chills.  It is contagious for about 5 days to a week, depending on the health of the infected person.  The flu is often times confused with the stomach flu, which is totally different.  The stomach flu has symptoms of stomach problems and is quick and goes away swiftly, whereas the actual flu (influenza) is more serious.

To help your cold, the best thing you can do is get plenty of water and rest.  If your body is telling you it is tired or thirsty, you cannot ignore it.  When you cough and sneeze, your body releases fluids and your body becomes dry.  Drinking plenty of fluids rebuilds your body and helps thin down the mucous.  Taking too much medicine can actually do the opposite effect you want.  Your body can actually get used to the medicine and build up a tolerance.  But, even if you have a tolerance to the medicine, taking more than the recommended dosage can have serious side effects.  The best thing you can do is just to drink plenty of water, get sleep, and eat some chicken noodle soup.

For the flu, you should always just be prepared and take the flu shot about every October.  But, if you still do come down with the flu, taking antiviral medicine is best.  And, just like the cold, getting plenty of rest and fluids are a necessity.  Make sure when you have the flu to NOT take aspirin.  Taking aspirin with the flu can cause Reye syndrome, and in some cases, can be fatal.  Instead, take Tylenol.  Tylenol contains no aspirin and instead uses a more safe form of pain relief.  If problems persist for more than a week or a fever reaches above 103 degrees, see your doctor.  And, when in doubt, see a doctor anyways!

So, the old traditions your Grandma tells you when you are sick still work the best.  Modern medicine only temporarily relieves the pain, and eventually may cause more harm than good, aside from some special flu medication.  Just make sure you get all the sleep your body tells you to, drink water, and get chicken noodle soup made for you. If you can, let your loved ones spoil you!  You will need it and deserve it!

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Pandemic Influenza – What You Need To Know

PANDEMIC INFLUENZA is a widespread occurance of the influenza disease that attacks a great portion of the world’s population. It occurs when new and novel strain of the influenza virus A surfaces and most of the world population do not have immunity.

The symtoms of influenza will emerge without us knowing or realising it. Signs and symptoms include:

# High fever of over 38 C

# Sore throat

# Headache

# Tiredness and fatigue

# Body ache

# Severe coughing without phlegm during the early stage

Normal body temperatures differs according to the places at which the readings were taken:

Mouth                      35.5C to 37.5C ( 95.9F to 99.5F )

Ear                           35.8C to 38.0C ( 96.4F to 100.4F )

Armpits                     34.7C to 37.3C ( 94.5F to 99.1F )

Rectum (anus )         36.6C to 38.0C (97.9F to 100.4F )

If you are experiencing any signs and symptoms of the influenza disease, you are advised to:

# Take fever medication such as paracetamol

# Drink alot of water

# Get alot of rest

# Avoid alcohol and smoking

# Stop visiting public places or gatherings to avoid spreading the disease  to those  around you

# Cover your nose and mouth with mask, tissue paper or handkerchief when you cough or sneeze

# Inform the relevant authorities about your health condition

Pay attention to the warning signs that could threaten the lives of children:

# Difficulty in breathing

# Lips turning blue

# Constantly exhausted or unable to move

# Lethargic, stupor or difficulties in getting out of bed

# Stiff neck

# Looks confused

# Having fits or convulsion

# Have not been urinating for the past 12 hours

Pay attention to the warning signs that could threatens the lives of adults:

# Prolonged fever for more than 5 days

# Difficulty in breathing, even while resting

# Lips turning blue

# Chest pain while breathing ( inhaling )

# Coughing without phlegm

# Feels that you are recovering, but suddenly having fever and compressed breathing all over again

# Looks confused and lacking orderliness

# Becoming unconscious

If you experience any of the warning signs above, please proceed IMMIDIATELY to the SPECIAL COUNTERS at the designated hospitals.

Do You Know the Symptoms of the Flu and Ways to Naturally Treat Them?

It seems like as soon as cold weather hits each year, people start coughing and sneezing. The weather itself isn’t to blame, but rather the tendency of people to remain indoors, aiding in the spread of germs. But no matter what the reason, many people dread winter because of the increase in sickness.

One of the most dreaded illnesses that is common during the cold months is the flu. We’ve all heard the horror stories about deadly flu outbreaks. But in the overwhelming majority of cases, the flu is just a serious nuisance.

Even so, it’s important to know the signs of the flu. This will help you keep from spreading it to others if you get it. Besides, the quicker you realize you have it and start resting up, the sooner you can be back on your feet. Here are some signs to look for:

* Fever – Unlike the cold and most infections, the flu is usually accompanied by a high fever. The standard is 100 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, but it could go even higher. In any event, if your fever is 106 or over, it’s important to seek medical attention.

* Body aches – This is often the first indicator that you have the flu and not something else. Aches can be quite severe, and are often present in the back, arms or legs.

* Headache – A headache can be a sign of a number of illnesses, so if this is your only symptom, there’s a good chance that you don’t have the flu. But if the headache is accompanied by some of the other symptoms, you probably do. A related symptom is pain when you move your eyes.

* Fatigue – Feeling “run down” is a classic sign of the flu. Many people feel like this any time they get sick, but the flu tends to make us more exhausted than we ever thought possible.

* Gastrointestinal symptoms – Vomiting and diarrhea are often associated with the flu, but these symptoms occur more often in children than adults. Adults do, however, usually experience a loss of appetite.

* Dry cough with sore throat and runny nose – These symptoms are common to many illnesses, but with the flu, they often do not appear in the beginning. They are less noticeable during the first few days, perhaps because of all the other symptoms, and usually become more prevalent when the fever breaks.

Many of us go to great lengths to prevent the flu, and with good reason. It is an unpleasant and potentially dangerous ailment. But if we recognize the symptoms early, we can get the rest and medication we need for a quick recovery.

Know About the Swine Influenza

Swine influenza also known as the pig or hog flu is a disease of the pigs spread through any one of the several strains of the influenza virus. The virus known as SIV or Swine Influenza Virus has many sub-types of its strain. These are known as H1N1, H1N2, H3N2, H2N3 and H3N1.

The virus gets transmitted from pigs to human beings and gets assimilated in the human blood to create antibodies. Swine flu is common among the pigs that are human-bred world over but it does not always cause influenza or sickness in humans. Many from the pig population die through the virulent swine flu and even vaccinations are injected to protect the home-bred pigs that are bred in huge quantities.

The symptoms of Swine flu are similar to the normal influenza in human beings, therefore detection in some cases take some time. Though his strain of the swine flu virus is not as dangerous as a few others, it is deadly enough to kill a person if not detected early. Some of the symptoms of Swine flu in human beings include chills, coughs, body aches, diarrhoea, headache, sore throat, temperature, vomiting and tiredness.

To protect yourself from the H1N1 virus you should maintain some personal protection and precaution like you should try to maintain health and fitness and get enough of sleep, try to manage stress and do exercise, eat a well balanced diet with plenty of fibre and liquids. You should most importantly be careful in public and not get in touch with sick people and should wash your hands regularly with antiseptic soap or alcoholic hand sanitizers.

Besides, there are other precautions to be kept in mind if you or your friend gets infected like you should cover your mouth while sneezing, clean all surfaces since sometimes small droplets containing the influenza virus can remain behind and also to maintain minimal social contact. The virus also can be stubbed by vaccinating the pigs in the pig farms properly.The farmers who look after them and remain in regular direct or indirect contact with the pigs are more susceptible to acquire the virus and should therefore maintain certain measures like smoking the area and wearing gloves since they are the ones who come in contact with the infected pigs on a daily basis and may lead to human to human transmission of the virus.

The H1N1 virus had spread to many countries and had taken many lives in the past from 1976 to 2009 and will continue to do so in future since the virus can mutate and remain dormant for several years to again emerge in the form of a different strain. Pigs can be infected by both human and avian influenza strains which in turn create new strains. The best way is to ensure your own protection by being aware of the influenza virus and its workings. You can gain information from online health care information. A health guide can also bail you out, if you are confused about the Swine flu and its virus.

Peoples-Health.com is a health information site where you can find information on several diseases like allergies, blood disorders, cancer, children’s health, digestive disorder, liver diseases etc. and tips on dieting, nutrition and improving lifestyle has been provided.

Everything that you should know about influenza

Influenza is a viral infection disease that is highly contagious, even a handshake with an infected individual can easily pass on the disease on for example. Masks and vaccines do help to protect you from the disease but cannot do much if you catch the virus. The only thing that remains for the treatment of influenza is medications like Tamiflu. This medicine is used for both prevention and treatment of influenza.

What is Influenza?

Influenza is an infectious viral disease. It is transmitted through droplet infection and can spread up to an endemic or epidemic form. It is more commonly seen during winter but may strike at any time. It impinges on people of all ages. The main effects of the influenza viruses on the body are seen on the upper respiratory tract, the nose and throat, and sometimes in the lungs and bronchi.

If you catch the influenza virus, the most common symptoms you may notice are chill, fever (102F to 104F), headaches, sleeping problems, weakness and severe muscular pain. Inflammation in the nose and throat spreading down the windpipe to the lungs, resulting in a sore throat, cough, running of the nose and eyes are some of the severe symptoms of influenza. If left untreated, influenza may carry a bigger threat leading to severe health problems. Therefore, it is very important to seek treatment for influenza.

How to treat influenza?

Tamiflu is a World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended drug, also approved by most health authorities across the globe. Tamiflu was recommended during the bird flu and swine flu pandemic and was stocked by many nations creating a shortage of the drug. Tamiflu is found to be effective in treating influenza A and B and also for avian influenza and swine influenza.

Medicines available for the treatment of influenza

Tamiflu belongs to a class of drug known as neuraminidase inhibitor like zanamivir. Both these are effective in treating influenza virus A and B, but the latter is to be inhaled and hence proved to be difficult for people with respiratory problems and also people were not sure about its dosage, as one cannot measure if he or she inhaled the right quantity or not.

Adamantane derivatives like Amantadine and Rimantadine are other possible modes of treatments for influenza but they are only effective for influenza A and do not work for the more complex influenza B.

Flu shots or vaccines are available for the prevention of influenza but they are not always up-to-date and viruses mutate faster than vaccines can be developed. Thus, even if you have had your shots, there might be a new virus looming around and your body would not be ready for the attack from this new virus. Tamiflu is the best option left for people who have influenza or been exposed to people who have influenza.

Consult a doctor and find out if Tamiflu is right for you.

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