Will This Year's Flu Paralyze The US And Canada?

by: Tom Rogers

According to the Associated Press on August 26th, the US  and Canada may have to close schools, restrict travel and  ration scarce medications if a powerful new flu strain  spurs a worldwide outbreak, according to the federal  planners for the next pandemic. It will take months to brew  a new vaccine that works against the kind of super flu that  causes a pandemic, although government preparations include  research to speed the production. Federal plans have long  been awaited by flu specialists, who say that it is just a  matter of time before the next pandemic strikes and the  nation is woefully unprepared for it!  There have been three flu pandemics in the last century,  with the worst in 1918, when more than a half a million  Americans and 20 million people worldwide died. Pre-baby  boomers most likely heard about it from their parents and  boomers from their grandparents.  The specialists say that the next one could be triggered  by the recurring bird flu in Asia, if it indeed mutates in  a way that lets it spread easily among humans. Bird flu has  caused recurring outbreaks in recent years and has killed  27 people already this year in Asia. Until now, human  infections have been traced to direct contact with infected  poultry or poultry waste, and millions of chickens and  other fowl have been slaughtered in attempts to stem the  disease.  In a recent report, Dutch researchers found that cats can  not only catch the bird flu, but can also spread it to  other felines. Dr. Klaus Stohr, the influenza chief of the  World Health Organization, states that there is not enough  evidence yet to prove that cats can spread the deadly virus  to humans, but has urged scientists to examine household  cats and other mammals whenever researchers investigate  human bird-flu infections. The cat research is of  considerable concern because it illustrates the virus  continuing adaptations in mammals, said Dr. Nancy Cox of  the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Dr. Cox adds we need to do a lot more in the veterinary  arena in order to understand what other animals can be  infected and can transmit the virus. Last winter Thai  veterinarians reported that the bird flu had killed three  house cats. That was a big surprise as domesticated cats  have long been thought resistant to infection from  influenza A-type viruses.  As pointed out above, the US is woefully unprepared for it  and public health experts worry that such a bug might come  so fast that there will not be enough time to prepare  adequate vaccine to keep the risk to a minimum.  The above, now combined with the shortage of normal-strain  vaccine, HOW DO YOU PREPARE YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY FOR A  POSSIBLE FLU EPIDEMIC OR PANDEMIC?  FOR THE ANSWER, PLEASE GO TO http://www.americasdiscounthealthsource.com/AnswerPage.html  About the author: Tom Rogers is the founder of America's Discount Health Source and publisher of the monthly news letter "Healthy Highlites". Visit Tom at:www.americasdiscounthealthsource.com