One Bird Flu Over the Cuckoos Nest (Part 1)

Unlimited possibilities exist for occupying our minds with fearful thoughts these days, whether we focus upon terrorist people or terrorist germs. We frequently envision the worst possible scenarios that could sabotage our lives.

Indeed, bad things do happen, however, most of the time, it's like the fire alarms at school during our youth. They ended up being either practice drills or some one was just being mischievous and pulled the lever to disrupt the daily routine. It was almost never the real thing then and it rarely is now.

Even acknowledging that tragic things can occur, how constructive is it to live in fear on a daily basis? How much does it distract us from achieving our goals and expressing our creativity? The only purpose for fear is to protect us from real and immanent danger through the taking of appropriate action.

We are being inundated with dire predictions of the coming avian or bird flu pandemic. We humans can be masters of unfounded drama. Roy Curtiss III, a professor of life sciences at Arizona State University expressed concern about our lack of preparedness for this pandemic by declaring, "If it were to occur today, there would be only one way to deal with the situation…learn to dig graves."

Comments like that tend to inspire fear. Vaccines and other pharmaceuticals are always the recommended miracle antidote to our fears. Fear often arises in an atmosphere of limited knowledge or understanding combined with a negative emotional slant on the issues.

Is there a vaccine to protect us against ignorance and fear?

Instead, we could gather facts and seek to discern reasonable truth? Let's explore a couple of key questions toward that end. Relative to the avian virus, are our fears well founded and is it productive for us to be engaged in them?

Bird flu is a big deal to birds. Millions of chickens have been slaughtered in Asia. Wild birds have not been considered primary carriers of the H5N1 virus. It has essentially been an issue in the Asian domestic poultry industry.

Is the Avian flu virus truly a big deal to people? Is it likely that we will soon be in the midst of a devastating pandemic like we had in 1918? What are some of the experts saying?

The Bird Experts Speak

World Health Organization spokesman Dick Thompson stated in The Scientist in 2003, "There have been a half dozen pandemic 'false alarms' in the last 30 years."

Marc Siegel, M.D., in his new book False Alarm: The Truth About the Epidemic of Fear, declared, "If anything is contagious right now, it's judgment clouded by fear. If Americans are scared of avian flu now, imagine what will happen if a single scrawny, flu-ridden bird somehow manages to reach our shores."

A September 29, 2005 New England Journal of Medicine article reported that "The relatively low frequency of Influenza A illness in humans despite widespread exposure to infected poultry indicate that the species barrier to acquisition of this avian virus is substantial." In other words, human resistance is very high.

"Realistically, avian flu is not a threat to people, but everywhere you go, it has turned into a circus," says Dr. Gary Butcher of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, specialist in avian diseases and Ph.D. in poultry virology. "Billions of people have been exposed and only about 120 are reported to have fallen ill. They have all worked closely with chickens and encountered their blood and feces."

Many children that have been infected have been found to be playing with dead birds. It's time for them to find different toys.

Dr. Butcher said, "Although there is a potential that the virus could mutate, as it exists, it could not become an important disease in humans. For it to become dangerous to humans, it has to go through a significant genetic change. If you put this in perspective, it's not going to happen. For a person to be infected now, it appears that the exposure level has to be astronomical."

(To Be Continued Next Month)

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Healing Hints

1. Determine each day to shift from weaker, negative fear thoughts to stronger, positive confidence thoughts. Picture best possible outcomes and begin to create them. Your immune system will be strengthened.
2. Stay alert and discerning as you listen to media depictions of potential disaster and the risky recommended actions that are motivated by fear.
3. Read and study resources not produced and promoted by drug companies to expand your understanding of infection threats and the best options available to prepare yourself. www.mercola.com and www.redflags.com are a great place to start.
4. Read Dr. Marc Siegels' new book False Alarm: The Truth About the Epidemic of Fear. Realize that you were born with an amazing immune system that has a tremendous capacity to keep you healthy and strong in a world where germs were designed to be a part of the plan.
5. Understand that your immune system function is dependent upon nervous system integrity. Schedule an appointment today with a local chiropractor who utilizes specialized computerized nervous system assessments to determine your degree of interference.

About Dr. Norton

Dr. Norton unites his passion for learning, teaching, and healing with a compassion for those who are struggling with pain and illness or not performing at their peak. He brings to his work a high level of academic achievement and cutting-edge bodymind research. However, he also brings a deeply caring heart transformed by difficult personal life experiences. Read more.