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Types of Flu
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Seasonal flu (influenza) is a
respiratory disease caused by a virus that happens each year usually in the winter
months. It is easily spread from person to person and lasts from 7 to 10
days. Vaccines exist to prevent the flu.
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Avian flu, also called bird
flu, is a type of flu normally present in wild birds. The virus
can infect domestic animals and rarely humans. Right now there is
a severe strain of avian flu virus called H5N1 killing birds in Asia,
Africa and Europe. Since 2003, about 200 humans have been
infected. The main source of infection has been human contact with
sick poultry.
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Pandemic flu is any type of flu
that becomes a worldwide outbreak in humans. This happens when the
following three conditions occur:
1. A new virus appears
2. The virus causes
serious illness in humans
3. The virus spreads
easily from person to person
Two of the three conditions for a pandemic
have been met in the H5N1 avian flu. At this time, however, the virus does not spread easily
from human to human. Therefore, avian flu
is not pandemic at this time.
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Avian / Pandemic Flu homepage
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