† † †

Recently we have received several inquiries about bird flu:

1. Is Avian flu still a concern?
   Machaelle: Yes. Below I have included an article from the international conference on bird flu that was held in India just a couple of weeks ago. I feel this will give you a good overview of where we are with bird flu right now.
   
2. Should we continue to purchase FSBS Plus?
   Machaelle: Yes. I recommend it. As I explain in the cover sheet we include with the FSBS Plus purchases, I continue to work with nature to monitor the evolution and mutation of this virus and to adjust the FSBS Plus tincture pattern when needed. This adjustment automatically "upgrades" the FSBS Plus pattern in all of the bottles you currently have on hand as well as the bottles we produce at Perelandra. In short, your FSBS Plus is never outdated.
   
3. Do we need to take FSBS Plus now or only when bird flu is an issue in our country/area?
   Machaelle: I think it's important to continue taking FSBS Plus until we get clear word from the World Health Organization and the U.N. that bird flu is no longer a pandemic threat to humans. By taking FSBS Plus now, you will help your systems strengthen and adjust to potential exposure to the H5N1 virus.
   
4. If the Avian flu does not mutate from human to human by fall 2008, will Perelandra replace all FSBS Plus bottles with the current Seasonal Flu Solution?
   Machaelle: When I first offered FSBS Plus, I made a commitment to replace your FSBS Plus bottles with the 2008/09 Seasonal Flu Solution should H5N1 not become a pandemic. I will hold to that commitment for those who want to switch in 2008. However, I am now recommending that you not back away from taking FSBS Plus in 2008 if H5N1 is still a threat and that you continue taking it until H5N1 is no longer a threat to humans. It's a bit like getting a preventive vaccine for a disease you may never be exposed to but wish to avoid contracting should you ever become exposed to it. In light of the ongoing H5N1 situation, I'll be amending/expanding my commitment about FSBS Plus and announcing those changes in our next catalog and on our web site this spring.
   

† † †

More from Machaelle:

It is easy for those of us living in the Americas to feel that bird flu is a non-issue because we have not experienced an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 virus and we never see or hear any reports about it in our media. Those living in Asia, the Middle East, Russia, Africa and Europe have been dealing with this virus and outbreaks for several years now. Consequently, they know it is a serious problem that could become catastrophic at any time. Those of us living in the United States have not had to deal with bird flu directly. That's not necessarily good news. Because we haven't had to address bird flu directly, we are the least educated about the virus and the least prepared for a possible pandemic. What I can tell you is that for this past year cities, hospitals and communities all around the United States have been quietly preparing for a pandemic by putting into place crisis-response plans. This summer a number of cities and communities ran bird flu drills to see how well their response plans would hold up in a pandemic. Although this is good news and shows that some are taking the bird flu threat seriously, it still doesn't address the importance of personal preparation for individuals and families. Should bird flu become a pandemic, the major impact will be on the individual families, their neighbors and surrounding community. There has been little to no preparation for, or information about bird flu on these levels.

One thing that we Americans tend to not understand is that we don't have to have any outbreaks of H5N1 in our chicken and turkey industry for us to have a pandemic. It never has to touch us the way it has impacted countries like Indonesia, China or Vietnam. We can remain free of bird flu outbreaks in our bird population all the way up to the onset of a pandemic that will move human to human and spread around the globe in a couple of days. We only need for this virus to mutate to human pandemic status in one small area, one small village in one small country. That's all it's going to take. As soon as this virus can easily spread human to human, it will take off and engulf the world's population in a pandemic. Right now, they are slowing the spread of the virus by culling millions of chickens and turkeys wherever an outbreak occurs. Should this virus start spreading human to human, it will spread unimpeded. They won't be culling millions of humans to slow the spread.

So the onset of a pandemic only depends on one person in one country becoming infected and spreading the disease directly to one or more people they come into contact with. Each time an individual becomes infected is one more opportunity and practice for this virus to learn what it needs for easily inhabiting the human body and then mutating to provide those needs. (By the way, right now the WHO and other organizations are focused on a son and father in China. The son died of bird flu a couple of weeks ago, then the father came down with the infection. They can't yet trace the origin of the virus to exposure to sick birds and they are saying that it looks like it might be a human-to-human transmission.) To say it differently, it doesn't matter if no one in New York or St. Louis or Denver or Houston or San Diego have reported sick chickens or come down with bird flu themselves. What matters is what's happening in China, Bali, India, Vietnam, Russia, Poland, Germany or Nigeria. As long as H5N1 is active in these areas, it is a threat to us.

† † †

Experts: Bird flu risks will persist for years H5N1 virus still being transmitted between domestic, wild fowl

The Associated Press
updated 10:13 a.m. ET, Tues., Dec. 4, 2007

NEW DELHI, India – Bird flu is a potentially lethal problem that will persist for years as the H5N1 virus strain continues to spread, pandemic experts were told Tuesday at an international conference in India.

"The virus is still being transmitted between chickens and it is going into wild birds, which are carrying it long distances as they migrate," said United Nations bird flu expert David Nabarro.

"Bird flu is a problem that will be with us still for some years to come," Nabarro said at the opening of an inter-governmental International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza conference, hosted by the Indian government.

Delegates from more than 100 countries were taking part in the meeting.

Another speaker, World Bank Director Peter C. Harrod, warned that bird flu is a long-term problem that must remain a priority for government officials and international donors.

He said the international community has pledged more than $2.3 billion to help developing countries fight bird flu and prepare for any possible pandemic.

The H5N1 virus had afflicted more than 60 countries, forcing the slaughter of hundreds of millions of birds since it began ravaging Asian poultry stocks in late 2003.

It is now entrenched in several countries, including Indonesia, Egypt and Nigeria, and has killed at least 206 people worldwide.

The virus remains hard for people to catch, but experts fear it will mutate into a form that spreads easily among humans, potentially sparking a pandemic. So far, most human cases have been linked to contact with infected birds.

Scientists say it is impossible to predict what the H5N1 virus will do, but as temperatures drop in the winter months there is a risk of bird flu outbreaks rising.

Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this paper
is complete and accurate. However, neither the publisher nor the author are engaged
in rendering professional advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas,
procedures and suggestions contained in this paper are not intended as a substitute
for consulting with your physician. All matters regarding your health require medical
supervision. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for
any loss, injury or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion in this
paper. The opinions expressed in this paper represent the personal views of the author.