Avian influenza is a natural infection in wild birds, which are actually carriers without ever being affected by the disease. Never the less, the avian flu can be passed to domestic poultry through various types of contact such as sharing the same food and water or coming in contact with excrements and cages of contaminated birds. A fairly easy way of determining whether poultry such as chicken, ducks, turkeys has bird flu is microscope examination of their saliva and nasal secretions.
Bird flu caused by influenza A viruses does not have a spontaneous effect on humans. The possibility is rather low to many because we are not as susceptible to it as birds. Though rare, cases of human infection have been outlined by the press. The virus that spreads among humans is known as the human influenza virus and has three branches: H1N1, H1N2, H3N2. The viruses vary through the different types of proteins that form their genetic coat: Hemagglutinin and Neuraminidaze. Parts of the virus affecting humans have also been found in birds, but the main concern is that the virus is in permanent replication and may one day evolve into a more potent form.
Furthermore, there are two forms of influenza, differing through pathogenic capacity. The low form is usually not easily spotted and can cause minor derangements, while the high extremes of virulence are much more dangerous leading to high death ratio and damaging vital body parts.
Moreover, the H5N1 virus or the influenza A virus has affected a number of people. For this reason, it is becoming a nuisance in undeveloped regions of Asia and Africa where poverty is widespread and living conditions are at a limit. In these places transmission between different species of birds and bird to human transmission is very likely because people live in very close contact with their poultry. Generally the following manifestations are present: conjunctivitis, pneumonia, breathing disorder, fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches.
Although researchers are trying to come up with a vaccine as fast as possible, further experiments with the genetic coat of the virus are a must for the cure to be efficient. However, medication does exist. The likes of Zanamavir and Oseltamavir are currently on the market but it is not known whether they work or not.
At present time nobody can tell 100% if bird flu can cause a pandemic, but the H5N1 virus is closely monitored by experts worldwide.
For more information about bird flu or even about bird flu treatment please review this page http://www.bird-flu-info-center.com/bird-flu-treatment.htm
Symptoms found in chicken pox and shingles
Symptoms of Chickenpox ( varicella ) may vary from pacient to pacient making us see people that have headaches, flue like symptoms or even fever, that in some cases can reach 105 F, and swollen glands are also included. The incubation period of the theChickenpox may also vary from 10 to 20 days, again depending on the pacient and its immune system.
This doesn’t last much. Shortly after the flue like symptoms have past the rash breaks out. By rash we understand the appearance of tiny red bumps, mostly on the face, chest or abdomen. Spreading relatively quickly, they start to get bigger in a mater of hours forming a blister on a red base. A funny comparison has been found for them: dewdrops on rose petals. At first the fluid in the blisters is clear only to become cloudy during the period of several days and eventually forming a scab and falling of after another four. The number of blister also varies; while some pacients of chickenpox have only a few ones, other can have hundreds, on top of that being the fact that they each like crazy. Lasting seven to ten days, the disease causes the pacient to have several crops of blisters.
Another type of skin disease would be the shingles (Herpes Zoster) attack. Occurring nearly always on adults, we see it developing on one side of the human body and having three identifiable symptoms.
->Prodrome: a cluster of warning symptoms appearing before the outbreak of the infection.
->The infection begins.
->Postherpetic neuralgi a develops.
Pain is a very common symptom in herpes zoster, often appearing well before the appearance of the rash.
Predrome (pain) – being the first symptom to appear in pacients, it appears to be located at the very site where the virus will be re-activating, making the pain be sharp, piercing, tearing or even similar to an electric shock. Besides pain, the pacient might feel that thatarea is itching or be unbearably sensitive to touch. Muscles aches and even fever are some of the extreme symptoms of the disease. Although usually lasting only a couple of days before the rash, cases have been known where the pain has lasted more … lot more for weeks or even month.
Active shingles – it marks the actual infection. 50% or 60% of cases occur on the trunk, the side of head being the next big area on witch it appears, making a very big risk the fact that the infection could spread to the mouth or eyes. First a rash appears only to become small fluid-filled blisters in about 12 hours witch eventually grow and become pus filled. The healing last as long as in chickenpox : up to 10 days.
Zoster Sine Herpete is the condition when the pain is not followed by the rash, this thing occurring more often in elder pacients, with symptoms very similar to the ones of chickenpox.
For more information about chicken pox virus or even about symptoms of chicken pox please review this page http://www.chicken-pox-center.com/
Some things you have to know about the gastroesophageal reflux disease
When the liquid content of the stomach refluxes into the esophagus, we can say that we have a condition common in gastroesophageal reflux disease. It is believed that the acid is the component of the stomach liquid that does the most harm to the lining of the esophagus. The refluxed liquid also contains pepsin and bile, but their role in injuring the esophagus is not so clear as in acid’s case.
Once gastroesophageal reflux disease appeared, it usually lasts all life long. Even if the esophagus has healed, if the treatment is stopped, the injury will return in most patients soon. The treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease usually needs to be continued indefinitely.
It is known that the reflux of the stomach's liquid contents into the esophagus can appear in most normal people, but in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease the refluxed liquid contains more acid and remains in the esophagus longer.
Usually, most reflux occurs during the day, when we are in upright position. This position makes the liquid to flow back into the stomach, due to gravitation. When we are awake, we swallow often, and saliva travels down the esophagus, neutralizing the small quantity of liquid that remains in the esophagus after the effect of gravity and repeated swallowing. The saliva contains bicarbonate, and that is why it can have a neutralizing effect for acid.
If a reflux takes place during the night, while sleeping, it will probably cause a greater damage effect to the esophagus because, swallowing stops, the secretion of saliva is reduced and gravity is not in effect.
The gastroesophageal reflux disease can cause serious problems during pregnancy, and also in patients that have diseases that weaken the esophageal muscles, such as mixed connective tissue or scleroderma.
There are a lot of factors that can cause the gastroesophageal reflux disease.
The lower esophageal sphincter is a specialized ring of muscle that is surrounding the lower-most end of the esophagus where it joins the stomach. It is known that the muscle that makes up the lower esophageal sphincter is active most of the time. It is contracting and closing off the passage from the esophagus into the stomach. It is this closing that prevents reflux, and there are a few situations of abnormalities of the lower esophageal sphincter that must be mentioned.
If the lower esophageal sphincter performs a weak contraction, that will reduce the ability of preventing the reflux.
There can also appear abnormal relaxations of the lower esophageal sphincter, and these
allow reflux to occur more easily.
Hiatal hernias also contribute to the gastroesophageal reflux disease. As a result of the hiatal hernia, small part of the stomach and the lower esophageal sphincter come to lie in the chest. Normally, the lower esophageal sphincter is at the level of the diaphragm.
The diaphragm that surrounds the lower esophageal sphincter seems to be important in preventing reflux. Effects of the diaphragm and lower esophageal sphincter appear at the same location in patients without hiatal hernia. The sum of the pressures generated by them prevent the reflux. In people with hiatal hernia, the diaphragm and lower esophageal sphincter continue to generate pressure, but at different levels, and in this way, the pressure barrier is decreasing.
In hiatal hernia disease, there exist a sac, which is a small pouch of stomach above the diaphragm .It is full of acid, and when it is pinched off from the esophagus above by the lower esophageal sphincter and from the stomach below by the diaphragm, it can reflux easier during a swallow or a relaxation.
It is known that the esophagus connects the stomach obliquely, and due to this, a flap of tissue is formed between the stomach and esophagus. It is believed that this tissue is acting like a valve and preventing reflux. When hiatal hernia is present, the valve-like flap disappears, or is distorted and will not help to prevent the reflux.
Esophageal contractions are very important, they are caused by the act of swallowing. During this, food, saliva or whatever there is in the esophagus is pushed into the stomach, and if there is a abnormality with this contraction, refluxed acid is not pushed back into the stomach.
Some abnormalies that can appear: the waves of contraction may die out before they reach the stomach, or waves of contraction do not begin after each swallow, or the pressure generated by the contractions is too slow to push the acid back into the stomach.
These are frequent in patients that have gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Usually, in most cases reflux during day appears after meals, and this probably happens because of the transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations. There were seen patients that are having an extremely slowly digestion, and it is known that during this period the reflux has greater chances to appear.
For more resources about acid reflux or especially about acid reflux symptoms please click this link http://www.acid-reflux-info-guide.com/acid-reflux-symptoms.htm