Is there a difference between Influenza and Aviar influenza?

many people in my area seem to be geeting sick of a flu which pharmacists are calling "Influenza", an area where no outbreaks of bird-flu influeza have been reported. Can someone explain to me why regular cold-flu medicine is un-effective and how serious this epidemic might be?

Well firstly, the main difference is in some genetic variation. The H5N1 strain has different receptors (the H and the N) to current human flu's. It is also more virulent, meaning it does more damage.

There is no medicine that cures colds or flu. They only try to relieve the symptoms, but most colds and flu's don't require medicine, just patience. The medicine one might take for normal influenza won't be as good against H5N1 because it is just more virulent.

This has the potential of being very serious: The current human mortality rate is 2/3rds of infected individuals. When the virus mutates to be able to spread between humans, it could either keep a high mortality rate (probably around 10-15%), or loose its virulence. We just don't know.

Still, there is no need to worry just yet.

yes there is a difference. influenza is just the term for "flu" it is something that is very common that mose people ger. the avian influenza is a bout 100 times worse and comes from getting in contact with a bird that has the disease. it is hard to get unless you work in conditions dealing with live poultry in an area where they can easily becoem infected. so dont worry you are not likely to get the avian influenza.

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