Most of us are familiar with the flu. Every year, you probably go to your doctor to get a flu shot, or perhaps you take your chances with the virus and just hope you do not end up in bed. However, the new bird flu that has made so much news lately is considerably different than the regular flu we are accustomed to dealing with.

The regular flu has a myriad of symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, headache, body aches, fatigue, nasal congestion, and sneezing. Many people will recover from the virus within a couple of weeks; however, others will develop pneumonia, bronchitis, or other life-threatening complications. Chronic disorders are also sometimes aggravated by the flu, causing complications as well. Although such complications are possible, they usually do not lead to death unless the carrier is already in poor health. Healthy people may suffer with the flu, but will rarely have any lasting effects or die as a result of contracting the virus.

Bird flu, on the other hand, is a very different ailment. There are actually several strands of avian influenza, also known as bird flu. Many of the various kinds are not harmful to humans; however, one in particular has caused a great deal of controversy recently. H5N1 is a strand of bird flu that has arisen in Asia, which has resulted in the death of over half of the people that contracted it.

The two viruses are similar in that they are both influenza viruses. They also show similar symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat, etc., as detailed above. The primary difference in the two strands is the impact of the illness on humans that contract it. The regular flu is usually only lethal to those in very poor health, while the bird flu takes the lives of almost all that become infected.

Another difference is how the viruses are spread. The regular flu virus is usually transmitted in droplets of saliva and mucus as infected people sneeze or touch objects that other people later come in contact with. However, avian influenza is not passed from human to human, but through direct contact with infected fowl or their feces.

The regular flu is common in the United States, as is the vaccine. However, the bird flu is currently only being identified in Asia. Although many people think within a short period of time it will spread worldwide.