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How To Evolve A Pandemic Flu Virus
Scientific Blogging ^ | Oct 6, 2009 | Michael White

Posted on 10/06/2009 4:53:23 PM PDT by decimon

Most years, we generally don't worry about the flu (unless we're paid to worry about it, or we belong to an especially susceptible population). Yet some years, like this one, threats of a pandemic flu virus make it on everyone's radar screen. So exactly what is it that makes a flu virus reach pandemic proportions?

A group of researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control, Mt. Sinai and Harvard recently used engineered versions of the disastrous 1918 flu virus (don't try this at home!) to learn just what makes a flu virus go global.

(Excerpt) Read more at scientificblogging.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: evolve; flu; h1n1; influenza; pandemic; swineflu; virus

1 posted on 10/06/2009 4:53:24 PM PDT by decimon
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To: decimon

Poor ferrets....


2 posted on 10/06/2009 5:12:31 PM PDT by KoRn (Department of Homeland Security, Certified - "Right Wing Extremist")
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To: KoRn
Poor ferrets....

Not an easy life.

3 posted on 10/06/2009 5:15:06 PM PDT by decimon
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To: decimon
The way this one`s behaving its not much worse than your garden variety influenza. I`m healthy, I`d rather be exposed to it in it`s present form and develop a natural immunity then risk the gubmint`s vaccines.
4 posted on 10/06/2009 5:16:33 PM PDT by nomad
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To: nomad
The way this one`s behaving its not much worse than your garden variety influenza.

AFAIK, the death rate hasn't been worse than other flus.

I`m healthy, I`d rather be exposed to it in it`s present form and develop a natural immunity then risk the gubmint`s vaccines.

I'm 64 so I may have some immunity from past years. And I haven't often suffered much from flus. I guess I get them but with just cold symptoms.

OTOH, I am 64 so maybe I should be more concerned than in the past.

I believe that military personnel are required to get flu shots. If that is so, and the swine flu vaccine is included, then I guess they will be guinea pigs for the rest of us. Stay tuned.

5 posted on 10/06/2009 5:43:53 PM PDT by decimon
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To: decimon; KoRn
Poor ferrets....

Not an easy life.

...or death.

NO cheers, unfortunately.

6 posted on 10/06/2009 8:05:52 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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