UK Bird Flu

Bird flu is a fairly common bug that wild birds and fowl spread between themselves. This is not normally an issue, as it remains a disease that only other birds can catch. However, a particular strain of bird flu - H5N1 - seems to have jumped the bird to human divide, and has infected humans, with pretty bad effect.

All of those who have been affected with this strain have worked in close proximity with infected birds, so there is no immediate worry outside of the affected areas, although there are stories of at least one human to human infection. This is what worries the scientists. Human to human infection means that the disease will become much easier to spread, and potentionally hit the world like the Spanish Flu did in 1918. This outbreak killed more people globally than those who died in the fighting of World War I. Makes you think...

This blog is intended to be a dumping ground for news and comment about bird flu focussed on the UK. Obviously, as this is a global issue we will need to report on other outbreaks, but our primary focus is the UK.

There are many US based sites offering advice of what supplies to get, which medicines are good etc. but not all of these are useful to people in the UK. Hopefully this blog will redress that.

Anyway, as was once said - "Don't panic Mr Manwaring!". It's not a pandemic, and it might not ever be. But it doesn't hurt to be prepared!