Re-Creation of 1918-19 Virus Suggests Bigger Bird-Flu Threat

Wall Street Journal ^ | 10/05/05 | BETSY MCKAY

[Centurion2000]

Two teams of scientists reported that they re-created the influenza virus that killed as many as 50 million people in 1918 and 1919

Sounds like a nice bioweapon.

[RightWhale]

Last week the Pres thought this is hype. Now he wants to send in the military. Kind of a joke, Dubya style. Sounds like he still thinks this is hype.

[sandbar]

I remember SARS was supposed to be a huge pandemic too.

[BurbankKarl]

My alma mater was injecting monkies with the 1918 virus...


http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/191418_flu18.html

(look out Seattle!)

[Uncle Miltie]

Could put a damper on pheasant hunting....

[doc30]

You bring up an important point. However, the key words were "not necessarily." Yes, a vaccine could be made from the curent bird flu, but is the risk of it not working on the mutated strain justified by the cost and time of development? Someone should be gearing up to start vaccination development as soon as the virus is observed to mutate and get the needed resources in place as soon as possible. Need to be ready to acquire lots and lots of live chicken eggs.

[EagleUSA]

You can't create a vaccince for a disease that does not yet exist.
------
Good point Doc!!!
Let's hope they are ready to go if it does occur!!!!

[SunkenCiv]

alas...

Scientists: 1918 Killer Spanish Flu Was a Bird Flu
Fox News | October 05, 2005 | Daniel J. DeNoon
Posted on 10/05/2005 11:20:11 AM PDT by stm
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1497138/posts

(literally, the number before this one)