Posted on 04/25/2009 3:58:41 PM PDT by dynachrome
In the past 24 hours I've received dozens of e-mails from SurvivalBlog readers about the emerging Mexican Flu. Some news stories have included cryptic comments from heath officials, implying that the mechanism of infection makes this particular virus "very difficult to contain." This leads me to conclude that those infected have a long latency period during which they are infectious, yet, they do not display frank symptoms. This does not bode well for any hopes of containing the spread of the virus.
Then we hear a CDC official stating: "The swine flu virus contains four different gene segments representing both North American swine and avian influenza, human flu and a Eurasian swine flu." That strikes we as something very peculiar.
The disease is respiratory, and has one strong similarity to the 1918 Spanish Flu: "The majority were young adults between 25 and 45 years old," said one official under the condition of anonymity. Since, young and healthy people with strong immune systems are the most likely to succumb, this might indicate that the biggest killer is a cytokene storm--a collapse caused by the human immune system's over-reaction to a pathogen.
I strongly recommend that everyone reading this take the time to re-read my background article on flu self-quarantine and other precautions: Protecting Your Family From an Influenza Pandemic. The details that I give there are quite important. Pay special attention to my discussion of the shortage of hospital ventilators. If anyone in your family is immunosuppressed, consider yourselves on alert. Make your final preparations to hunker down, immediately.
(Excerpt) Read more at survivalblog.com ...
Anyway, I like this site and believe he and his readers have good advice on preparing for disasters in general.
(J. W. Rawles is also the author of the novel "Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse")
There's a couple of verified cases (supposedly) in Canada.
This map looks like it's spreading in the USA along the migratory wildfowl pathways.
That's a clue.
Mexican officials are saying that this Mexican Flu, has left 5 dead in San Luis Potosi, and they are reporting confirmed cases now in the State of Hidalgo.
I believe somewhere on FR there is a story about Canada havein some cases (returning vacationers)
Someone started this because we beat them at soccer. We should have just let them win.
Migratory wildfowl pathways or migratory illegal alien pathways?
It’s the Wild Burrito migration paths
That's interesting. I think ducks are generally the big vectors in the bird world, but neither the US nor Mexico is a big duck-raising place (unlike China, where duck is a popular food).
I suppose it could have been brought by migratory birds from some place in Latin America, not necessarily Mexico. In other words, because Mexico is more urban and probably has a better health system and more educated population, they were able to notice a surge in cases; other poorer countries in Latin America (where birds winter) may not have even noticed it, especially if it started in a rural area where the population is somewhat dispersed.
It's possible that it's terrorism. But I don't think terrorists would have set this stuff off in any place they are located, unless, of course, they were certain that they had a vaccine. In that case, it would have to be a technologically sophisticated power behind it.
Sure there’s a bunch of ‘em cutting through Manitoba and Saskatchewan trying to get to St. Catherines eh!
Flyways may be found at: http://www.birdnature.com/flyways.html
Can you imagine the chaos that would grip this country if the President and a bunch of senior politicians died of this flu?
Senior Dhimmicrat politicians?
I’ll have to think about that one.
Chaos? LOL! I'd throw a real big party...........
"It's the Ft. Marcy flu." /sarc>
>>Drudge is reporting that when he was in Mexico last week, Obama met and shook hands with a man who later died of flu-like symptoms.<<
Obama’s death would be very bad for this country.
He would be a martyr and we would never get rid of the bunch that replaced him.
When this thing gets to China could it combine with the bird flu into some kind of super transmittable flying pig virus?
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