It is far too soon to start to relax and get complacent...

Scientists say the H5N1 bird flu virus is being found in less wild birds which they say could be because the virus is slowly dying out in the countryside; however they did say that it appears to be just as virulent in domestic birds. The World Organisation of Animal Health released a statement recently explaining that there are many different types of the H5N1 bird flu virus and the types that are found in wild birds are sometimes different to the ones that are found in domestic birds.  The virus has been around now for 4 years and has managed to infect about 300 humans and has killed 185 of them.  It is still extremely difficult for the bird flu virus to jump from birds to humans but the fact that it may do so means that it could change into a form which would make it very easy for the cross species jump. 

What is clear however is that all nations around the world reported less incidences of the bird flu virus in wild birds and birds that migrate over their countries. According to the World Organization of Animal Health this is possibly very good news and could mean that the H5N1 virus is approaching the end of its lifecycle and may just go away on its own. Nevertheless they also said that it is far too soon to start to relax and get complacent and that all controls and measures put into place to be the bird flu virus must be maintained and people must be vigilant.

The World Health Organization says that citizens must be educated about the bird flu virus and that the world cannot rely on Tamiflu alone to cure itself of the virus. If a bird flu virus does break out it will be extremely important that individuals do not maintain close contact, that they wash their hands on a regular basis and that they try and go outside and little as possible. If you do contract the bird flu virus it is imperative that you get some Tamiflu within the first 48 hours of feeling the symptoms of the deadly flu otherwise you could well end up dying.