News: Bird Flu Is Circling in China Again—Here's How It Could Develop into an Outbreak
Avian flu is making the news again with new human cases in China reported in January. What does "avian flu" mean to you—and how dangerous is it?
Avian flu is making the news again with new human cases in China reported in January. What does "avian flu" mean to you—and how dangerous is it?
A state of emergency has been declared in Malaysia's northeastern Kelantan state after an outbreak of avian influenza virus H5N1.
Cats give us so much—companionship, loyalty, love... and now the bird flu. Several weeks ago, a veterinarian from the Animal Care Centers of New York City's Manhattan shelter caught H7N2 from a sick cat. According to a press release from the NYC Health Department on December 22, "The illness was mild, short-lived, and has resolved." This isn't the first time cats have passed infections on to humans, but it is the first time they passed on the bird flu—avian flu H7N2, to be exact.
China just confirmed a sixth avian flu outbreak since October. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Agriculture stated that there had been another instance of bird flu in the Hubei province, of the H5N6 influenza virus. The outbreak occurred in the city of Daye, which is home to some 900,000 people, but hasn't been linked to human infections yet.
You know the signs—sneezing, fever, nagging cough, no energy, no appetite. It's the flu, but this time, it's your dog who's down and out. Yes, dogs get the flu, too. However, a team from the University of Rochester Medical Center and their collaborators have developed a new vaccine that may make the doggy flu a thing of the past.
A new medical development is going to change the way many of us look at getting the flu vaccine. A painless flu vaccine skin patch is making needles and vials a thing of the past. Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University have shown that a flu vaccine can be administered safely and comfortably with this new patch, which delivers the vaccine through a matrix of tiny dissolving microneedles.
Most of us equate feeling cold with catching a virus—but we've also heard plenty of debunkers proselytizing that being cold isn't what gives you the flu.
Could your fever, body aches, cough, and sore throat be the flu? Soon, finding out may not involve a trip to the doctor.
Flu vaccines can help prevent us from getting or suffering the most severe effects of the flu. But, each vaccine only protects us from three different strains of the flu. If we don't have a vaccine against all types of flu, it leaves us open for an epidemic with a flu virus we didn't expect.
Our quest to find novel compounds in nature that we can use against human diseases —a process called bioprospecting — has led a research team to a small frog found in India. From the skin slime of the colorful Hydrophylax bahuvistara, researchers reported finding a peptide — a small piece of protein — that can destroy many strains of human flu and can even protect mice against the flu.
Want to see more birds in your garden? There are three basic things you could give the birds to keep them coming back, and those are fresh water to drink and bathe in, plenty of cover for them to nest and hide in, and a variety of quality foods to eat.
Learn how to harvest your elder tree! If you have an elder in your backyard, you can finally do something special with those elderberries. Mountain Rose Herb shows you the steps required to make delicious elderberry syrup with this video recipe. This herbal syrup can be used for colds, flu and coughs. It's a simple natural home remedy with dried elderberries.
There’s no getting around it: clipping your bird’s nails can be nerve-racking for both you and your feathered friend. But it’s got to be done. Sandpaper perches can damage a bird's feet, but regular trimmings are necessary in order to keep a bird from hurting itself on it's own claws. Watch this video pet care tutorial and learn how to clip a pet bird's nails safely and easily.
Especially in winter time, your immune system can go on a roller coaster ride. In this tutorial, learn how to boost your immune system naturally and up your defenses against things like colds and the flu. In this episode of Ask Amy, Amy takes you through your local supermarket and shows you the right things to eat and drink to build immunity. Follow these tips and fly through next flu season like a breeze.
Birds are feisty little creatures, especially when it comes time for grooming. If you want to trim your bird's wings, you have to cut those feathers off, and this video shows you how to do it. This technique is the easiest way to go about cutting feathers off your bird's wing, and here it's demonstrated on an Eclectus Parrot. Find out more information at the Olathe Animal Hospital.
Falconry is the art of hunting with a bird of prey. The British School of Falconry at Equinox in Manchester, Vermont shows how to handle eagles and other birds of prey. Birds are trained to respond to human signals and people are taught the correct procedure for interacting with these hunting birds. Learn how to handle a bird of prey by watching this instructional video.
With the height of the flu season ahead, there are some good reasons to keep a flu vaccination in mind.
Quit hogging your own backyard. Make it a haven for your fine feathered friends. Learn how to attract birds to your yard.
If you live in the US then you've probably already seen a crow if you recognized it or not. The common crow has a distinctive if not dramatic appearance and a less than melodic sound. With this information you'll be sure to spot one.
There are several ways to clip a birds wings. This is for simple smaller birds. We use the towel so they don't flail and peck at the scissors.
Have the sniffles? Yes. Does your head hurt? Yes. Coughing? Yes. Could you have influenza? Yes. How do you know the difference? With these symptoms, you could also have a cold.
Glyn Harris demonstrates what he describes as proper falconry when he uses his birds to hunt other birds. The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird in a swoop of all hunting birds. This is the proper handling for falconry hunting.
With the current oil spill in the Gulf, the victims suffering the most are birds and fish. All of these gorgeous animals that have been living in this area forever are suddenly covered in BP oil and fighting for their lives.
This is a short video on how to hydrate and feed pigeons before you ship them off. These are homing pigeons. Make sure you only ship pigeons in official and marked 'Live Birds' crates that are specifically designed for birds. There are four types of dry food and water that must be fed to a bird before they are packed and sent off.
In this tutorial, pet expert Marc Morrone teaches you how to teach your feathered friends some manners so that they don't squawk all day and night. Parrots and other exotic birds are essentially wild animals kept in captivity and are not domesticated like dogs and cats, so they require a tad more patience with their training. Follow along with this clip and learn all about your birds and how to teach them a little respect.
In this tutorial, learn all about taking care of pet birds from Marc Morrone. Marc will offer your expert advice on choosing and loving a beautiful bird and explain why they make fantastic pets. Before you welcome a feathered friend into your home, be sure to check out this video and be prepared.
Congratulations, you've made it deep into the middle of flu season! If you're reading this, you're either a very smart preemptive sick day prepper, or already in the throes of fighting off a cold or flu situation.
Growing evidence suggests that neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's may develop in part due to environmental factors, including infections that can cause inflammation in the nervous system. New research from investigators from Jude Children's Research Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University has strengthened that connection.
Over 6,500 waterfowl—mostly ducks—have died in Canyon County, Idaho, stricken by avian cholera. The outbreak started in February, and before it's over, it may not only be Idaho's largest outbreak, but one of the largest in the country.
Parrot Trainer Chet Wombach shows how to use 'positive imprinting' to get rid of negative feelings towards objects, people, or things. Exotic birds may not immediately adapt to a domestic situation and may find household life unnecessarily threatening or stressful. Watch this video training tutorial and learn how to use the technique of positive imprinting to better acclimate a pet parrot, cockatiel, Macaw, or any exotic bird into the household environment and to be a happier, healthier, and ...
Birds are tricky to train due to their tiny brains, but nearly any hook-billed bird species can be trained to step onto your finger on command. They're at least that smart. This video will teach you a quick and easy way to do it.
Hook-billed birds are the ones in the parrot family—from petite parakeets to massive macaws. Here’s some stuff you should know if there’s going to be a hookbill in the house.
Learn how to identify bird tracks and then actually track the birds by watching this video.
DIY Guide to building a birdhouse. This easy to make bird box can be built in 1 day out of one 6 foot long 1" by 6" plank of cedar. Attract more wild birds into your garden (or provide for those already there).
If you start to feel sluggish and tired, don't worry it's temporary. Your body is going through withdrawl! Not from drugs, but from carbohydrates. Kent tells you how to combat the induction flu and to be happy, it means the diet is working!
A birdcage is your bird's home, and if you want them to be happy members of your family you should follow some common-sense guidelines for positioning the cage. This video will introduce you to these rules and show you how to make your bird a little happier.
Bird feeding is something everyone can do. But keeping the birds in your garden can be just as easy. This how to video gives you a few tips that will help you attract the most popular wild species of birds and entice them to stay for more than a quick lunch.
This is just a quick video on a simple way to make homemade baby bird food, preferably for wild baby birds such as sparrows, starlings, robins, etc. This is a great starter recipe. If you've rescued an orphaned chick or taken one in as a pet, can be tricky to feed, but this simple feed is easy to make from cat food. Watch this video animal care tutorial and learn how to make baby bird food at home.
In this tutorial, animal expert Marc Morrone shows you exactly how to feed and care for your pet bird so that they live a long, healthy life. Check this out and learn when, how and what to feed your feathered friends.
This video is for those of you that find yourself in the position that requires hand feeding an un-weaned baby bird. Hope this helps.