World Health Organization: Bird Flu Pandemic Coming !

Channel News Asia ^ | 12/9/2004 | CNA Staff

[ex-Texan]

World Health Organization: Bird Flu Pandemic Coming and Millions May Die !

U.S. Army Photo: Victims of 1918 Spanish Flu Which Killed Millions

WHO Urges Countries to Prepare Against Flu Pandemic Threat

MANILA : With up to 50 million people expected to die from the next influenza pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is to convene a meeting of international experts in Geneva next week to plan how best to meet the threat, it said in a statement Thursday.

Although it cannot predict when the next pandemic will strike, the WHO said the arrival of the avian influenza or "bird flu" virus, which is now widely entrenched in Asia, signals "the world has moved closer to the next pandemic."

* * *

Estimates of the number of people expected to die from the next pandemic vary from two million to 50 million with between 20 percent and 50 percent of the world's population ultimately affected, the WHO said.

Hit the excerpt link to go directly to Flu Pandemic Report

[txhurl]

The Austin American-Statesman, who never ever publishes anything even remotely spooky, ran this yesterday.

[steve86]

Does this bird flu news get posted 3 times every two weeks?

Well, I guess it's time for another one.

You can view the postings as annoyances or warnings; I'll take the latter.

[null and void]

Essence of murrlap...

[txhurl]

'We are talking at least seven million (deaths), but maybe more - 10 million, 20 million and the worst case 100 million,' he said. And Shigeru was backed by Henk Bekedam, the Beijing WHO representative. 'This is a very real threat,' Bekedam told The Observer.

[null and void]

Does one of those reports discuss the reason that all types of influenza outbreaks originate in China?
Something to do with their odd agricultural practices?

Yes. Humans, pigs, ducks and chickens all live under the same roof.

Very practical in some senses, as fuel is expensive and refrigeration nonexistent.

The peasant grows rice, and vegetables, eats the pigs, ducks, chickens and catfish from the pond. The pigs, ducks chickens, etc. get leftovers and human waste (Which is also used to fertilize the rice, and veggies).

This creates a virtual closed loop. the plants capture energy from the sun, which feeds people, people byproducts feed the animals, which are partially recycled through the people, animal wastes end up in the pond which feeds the catfish which feed the people and animals, the pond water and waste products fertilize the fields.

Round and round it goes.

An ideal system for maximizing the number of pathogens that can adapt to more than one host. In effect every player is eating the other players feces, either directly or once or twice removed.

The problem comes when a pig is infected by both an avian flu strain and a porcine flu strain. A pig cell unfortunate to be infected with both ends up with a soup of genetic material from both in its walls. Some mixing and matching of the DNA/RNA happens.

Voila! A new flu strain!

A few of these new strains can infect humans, a few of those are lethal...

[Judith Anne]

It happens every year, like clockwork.

[Judith Anne]

I take this seriously, but I'm retired from nursing, so I don't have many of the same concerns I used to...

Anyone here can laugh if they want to, but I think some of the herbal remedies will help, should H151 go pandemic at some point.

[ex-Texan]

At least, that is the typical excuse from China these days. 'Nuff said.

[bill1952]

Warnings? LOL! :^)

How about the recent warning that the coming reversal of the North & South poles will result in serious problems?

Or the giant asteriod warning?

And please don't smoke while using hair spray.

Warnings? Ooookay.

- Here's one for you:
Warning: Living in areas that may be flooded by tidal waves may be hazardous to your health. - Please install coastal seimic recorders to reduce the risk of serious injury or death.

[txhurl]

You're strange.

[bill1952]

It's okay Flake. - I know. 8^)

[bill1952]

Okay, that's it. - I just laughed so hard I was choking!

[txhurl]

And Watergate don't bother me...

[txhurl]

Even Nick Danger is dead meat now?

[steve86]

To Hillbilly1952: You're strange.

I think he's beyond strange. Really strange.

[blam]

I still have my N-95 masks.

[steve86]

I didn't see the deleted post but notice how the anti-Christian people are getting progressively more hostile and forward in their ridicule?

[Quix]

Yeah. Sadly.

The bird flu thing is a huge hazard, imho.

The hostility to Supernatural Christianity is incredible--even by some "Christians."

Hard for me, though, to know how much of it is hostilty to the Christian issues--I think a lot--and how much is to me personally--though the latter is probably largely because of the former???

Anyway--I just hate to roll over and play dead and let the evil forces driving such rebellious mentalities have a field day of writing the rules of discourse.

Thanks for your kind posts.

[steve86]

There is always an undertone in their posts (beyond the personal innuendo and sardonic absurdities) that "Man will Triumph over Nature" and "No Fear of God and the Afterlife" and "The World is Here to Please Man" (instead of man is here to please G_d).

Basically comes down to secular humanism. Very different from what I believe as a Traditional Catholic.