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World Wide Flu Pandemic Looms

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I think this is a beat up. The weather has been very cold in Queensland and people used to warmer conditions are for some reason catching a cold.
Could also be something in the food or water.
 
How could you possibly make a link between Flu and possible contaminents in food and water ?



http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2007/08/17/1701_gold-coast-top-story.html


Theyre not saying it is a Pandemic, but it sure isnt your average flu going around.
 
How does one catch the flue? It's a virus is it not? It can be spread like any other disease. I was just making a statement not based on any facts.
 
Im certainly no expert but i thought it was from air borne particles or fluid from infected people, interesting avenue to explore i guess, can the virus survive in water supplies and food - Im guessing not for long ?
 
G'day All,
Interesting thread for discussion. I live in Queensland and yes it has been a colder winter than we've had for a number of years, but in my opinion i don't think that is a major factor. I'm not in the medical field but am a plant breeder by trade and see similarities between disease infection in plants and humans.
Plants that are stressed or not healthy always seem to be more prone to disease infection than those that are healthy. It makes sense that the same would occur in humans and animals.
In my opinion, speaking in general terms, i think that the human diet is getting poorer and we are working longer hours. This causes more stress and poor nutrition resulting in an immune system that can be run down and susceptible to diseases or viruses such as influenza. The other important factor I think that is worth mentioning is that the spread of viruses etc is much more rapid in our world today than it ever has due to the ease and speed that people can move throughout the world these days. A confined environment such as a plane is also a very good environment to spread infectious diseases.
I don't want to scare people and these points are just my opinion. I do believe though that by living a healthy balanced lifestyle that we can minimize the effects of disease. This doesn't mean you'll be immune to coming down with infectious viruses or diseases but certainly gives your immune system the best chance at fighting them off in the most efficient manner.
I'd be interested to hear others thoughts!!
 
numbercruncher said:
...
Theyre not saying it is a Pandemic, but it sure isnt your average flu going around. ...
Click to expand...
So true... it's coming up for three weeks since I came down with it. Went to the doctor last week as, although the fever left after a few days, the other symptoms weren't giving up after the normal 10 days or so. The doctor said this flu is different with viral symptoms lasting up to four weeks.

He did say that the flu shot I had may well have lessened the severity, and if so, I am very grateful that it's no worse than it is.

Although I considered myself quite healthy (apart from a grumpy achilles tendon), my daughter and little 8 month old granddaughter both came down with the flu a few weeks ago. I brought the little one back home to care for her and she would have been extremely infectious at the time, so pretty obvious how I might have got it.

Flying Fish - sounds to me like you haven't had this Influenza A if you think it is a beat up I certainly trust you never experience it, but it is definately worse than the average flu and so many people I know here in southern Qld have been affected by it.
 
At the end of the day, if we don't look after ourselves, we get sick. That goes for exercise, diet, stress, workload, drugs etc.

Our society is getting faster, we work longer, sleep less, eat worse, exercise less, take more drugs (legal) and blame other people when things go pair shaped. Prevention is MUCH better than cure (if there even is one), and to put it in trading terms, you need to put a stop-loss in place so that you can identify when your body is struggling, and can take measures to minimise the impact, and protect your capital.

One thing I've learnt from having chronic fatigue syndrome (see depression thread as well) is that you have to listen to your body. There's only so much coffee you can use to mask your exhaustion.
 
Something i didnt know until now ....


"Influenza viruses are grouped into three types, designated A, B, and C. Influenza A and B viruses are of concern for human health. Only influenza A viruses can cause pandemics."
 

And we travel a lot more and mix a lot more in crowded places,especeially planes.buses & trains . We go shopping in crowded malls and if sick sit in the most dangerous places of all, the doctors waiting room. Luckily I can dodge all that most of the time. You can have the city life.
 
I'd love to see a herpes or genital warts pandemic... Be interesting news... imagine the news reporter reading it out... OK that's enough syphilis I mean sillyness...
 
numbercruncher said:
........the last Pandemic in 1918.....
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The last pandemic was actually in 1968. The Hong Kong flu which resulted in over 1,000,000 deaths; mainly those over 65. The virus returned for a short while in 1970.

It was a similar but less virulent virus to the 1957 Asian flu pandemic which resulted in some 2,000,000 deaths world wide.
 

Just to expand on this the reason why the flu is more prevalent during winter in not because being cold gives you the flu but that the cold weather forces people indoors into closer contact where the virus can spread more easily.
 
In winter we also change diet slightly, away from abundance of vitamins packed fruits and vegetables.
 
It's also because of the lack of sun - the UV steralisation and general evaporation of the droplets which the virus resides in while waiting to infect the next victim.
 
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