Posted on 07/13/2009 11:15:14 AM PDT by AngieGal
The new H1N1 influenza virus bears a disturbing resemblance to the virus strain that caused the 1918 flu pandemic, with a greater ability to infect the lungs than common seasonal flu viruses, researchers reported on Monday.
Tests in several animals confirmed other studies that have shown the new swine flu strain can spread beyond the upper respiratory tract to go deep into the lungs — making it more likely to cause pneumonia, the international team said.
In addition, they found that people who survived the 1918 pandemic seem to have extra immune protection against the virus, again confirming the work of other researchers.
"When we conducted the experiments in ferrets and monkeys, the seasonal virus did not replicate in the lungs," said Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin, who led the study.
The H1N1 virus replicates significantly better in the lungs."
The new swine flu virus has caused the first pandemic of the 21st century, infecting more than a million people, according to estimates, and killing at least 500. The World Health Organization says it is causing mostly moderate disease but Kawaoka said that does not mean it is like seasonal flu.
"There is a misunderstanding about this virus," he said in a statement. "There is clear evidence the virus is different than seasonal influenza."
Writing in the journal Nature, Kawaoka and colleagues noted that the ability to infect the lungs is a characteristic of other pandemic viruses, especially the 1918 virus, which is estimated to have killed between 40 million and 100 million people.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Swine Flu- Gore and his croonies cure for Global Warming.
1918 lets see, a war was going on, there were no antibiotics, hygiene was different (in the USA).
You also had a whole lot more people who were rural, and able to stay home, avoid crowds, and take care of themselves and family members
And no global jet travel where a person sick in Hong Kong could be in NYC 18 hours later
Face it, the greatest medical system in the world can’t put tens of thousands of people on respirators, even if it would keep them alive. And most Americans will find it very hard to stay hunkered down at home for weeks if schools and grocery stores are closed
They're immortal, which is why the scientists can still use them for research....
Ferrets?
They mean people who were alive in 1918, and were exposed to the Spanish Flu and have survived until today seem to have added immunity protection against H1N1 that people who weren't exposed to Spanish Flu don't.
Well, not to get paranoid, but I have to wonder if something didn’t escape from one of the labs that were investigating the 1918 Spanish Influenza.
In 1918, we also did not have millions of people with HIV, AIDs and 3rd world immigrants who are sitting ducks and vectors for other diseases of opportunity that will accompany a flu pandemmic, My G Grandmother survived the 1918 flu but was brain damaged by encephalitis
Add the lack of indoor plumbing & no anti-biotics. That is who the swine flu will hit the hardest - Those in the world who are still living like it’s 1918.
If it just kills old people and the infirmed, Obama will take credit for it as part of his cost-saving health care plan.
Those that has the flu in 1918 and survived still carried antibodies 70-80 years later, is how I read it.
That's exactly right. I have no idea how this latest pandemic compares to 1918. But, if that 1918 Flu would have happened today, instead of then, it would still be very, very deadly. It probably wouldn't be as deadly as it was 100 years ago because of advances as distribution of modern medicine, but millions would be dead in America, and tens or hundreds of millions globally. An influenza with a 3.5% mortality rate (like the Spanish Flu), would be devastating today.
In point of fact, the H1N1 virus, well it's a virus. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses. However, there are two antivirals available today that have shown to be effective against this latest strain, save for two known cases (one in Europe and one in San Francisco) that appear to be drug-resistant.
I have been sick with a lung issues and coughing for the last three weeks. I am starting to suspect H1N1, I was sick earlier for a few weeks with something before this latest bout.
history
http://www.riskinstitute.org/peri/images/file/Lessons_from_1918_PartI.pdf
duh....one flu virus resembles another one....both have protein coats and strands of DNA inside...time to shell out the next Pulitzer Prize for Journalism!
If they make it MANDATORY that all Americans receive the vaccine, then I do not want it.
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