Posted on 03/23/2006 8:10:18 AM PST by Gritty
The CP interview: Dr. Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy talks about the flu that could bring the world to its knees.
(snip)
Of the 100+ human cases of H5N1 flu recorded, the vast majority have involved bird-to-human transmission, mostly among open-air poultry handlers in Asia. In addition, there are confirmed clusters in which it has passed person to person, though none of those has yet resulted in a breakout of the virus. One thing is clear, however: In its present form, H5N1 has killed over half of the people it's infected. The great flu pandemic of 1918-19, by contrast, killed about 5 percent of its victims.
Will it cross over? If it does, can it possibly remain as deadly? Though Osterholm notes that viruses usually do lose strength as they spread—it's not really in their own evolutionary interest to kill the majority of their hosts—he believes the only responsible answer on both counts is we don't know. But it's not just the characteristics of the virus that worry him.
One of the things that sets the former Minnesota state epidemiologist apart from other public health officials is his attention to the fate of the medical and social infrastructure in any serious contagious outbreak. With respect to bird flu, his outlook recapitulates in many ways what he had to say in his 2001 book about bioterrorism preparedness, Living Terrors much of the human toll in death, hysteria, and anarchy would be exacted not by infection but by the wide-scale breakdown of global supply chains and just-in-time delivery systems for vital goods and services. "I think Secretary Leavitt has been brutally honest in telling American communities, you're going to be on your own," says Osterholm. "I think he's right."
(snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at citypages.com ...
Time to lay-in vast supplies of canned creamed corn, Vienna sausages, canned tuna fish, powdered milk, and hide it all under your bed! Panic!
I got plastic and duct tape
I see that the financial shows have gotten in on the act as well in predicting mass panic and a market crash.
You'll be fine.
Duct tape won't work, ya gotta get duck tape.
Someone needs to write a book.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, West Nile virus is almost in season, killed a lot more than 100...
LOL!
Y2K redux?
Time to cancel Hildabeast's "It's fer the chilluns" vaccination bill and revive a decent vaccination-making capacity in our country. We are NOT prepared for any kind of flue emergency because the vaccination companies have almost all been driven out of business by hillarycare.
Actually, it's probably too late, because it will take years to restore the capacity she succeeded in destroying. But at least we could try.
Bush's behavior has been extremely puzzling. We get these canned tunafish alerts, but he has done NOTHING to really prepare the country for an epidemic.
Does anyone think that if there is a worldwide emergency we will be able to buy all the vaccine we need from foreign suppliers, like the French? I think they will want anything they manage to produce for themselves.
You have to wonder what hillary has on President Bush in her FBI files.
What a foul story indeed Batman!
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=410181
If someone can post this as a link I will be grateful.
This is a long article. I suspect more rational discussion will come at a later time.
In the meantime, enjoy the mockery!
I used up all my Y2k creamed corn and sausages, so I'm getting ready for another load. TP; lotsa TP this time...
I didn't buy into the Y2K hype......much. I did buy a generator but Y2K gave me a good excuse and I've used it dozens of times since.
In the event that we have no water, I think we should all look into THIS product.
Fox News was reporting this a.m.
that studies show the Bird Flu
virus is "unable to attach itself
onto cells in the nasal passages of
humans" (I paraphrase this part)
and DIRET CONTRACT with the dander
of an infected bird is necessary for
transmission of the disease. To date,
we have had NO cases of bird flu
in humans without that direct contact.
This was reported as GOOD NEWS this a.m.
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