Row over 'tree man' virus samples

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 11-26-2007 | Felix Lowe

[blam]

Virus Ping.

[AppyPappy]

Better for people to die than risk a company making money

[Red Badger]

Gives whole new meaning to “Getting a woody”.............

[Jeff Chandler]

I wonder why that poor man hasn’t died from secondary infections? His “hands” look like a good place for that.

[mother22wife21]

I’m gobsmacked at this woman’s greed.

[nuke rocketeer]

What a friggin’ moron. Probably a socialist.....

[weegee]

"We are offended because the samples were taken from Dede without our permission," she told reporters at the hospital where the man was being treated. "If they are taken abroad, they could become lucrative commodities."

Bigger question. Were they taken with Dede's permission? Or does "The State" own the patent on his illness?

[donna]

All those sex-starved NEA teachers should show that photo in their child sex education classes.

[weegee]

[SwankyC]

Developing nations such as Indonesia risk exploitation unless they maintain control over their virus strains, Mrs Supari said.

Huh? Is he trying to accuse America of using these infections for our benefit? Lemme guess, in this moron's next breath he criticized Americans for doing nothing to combat turd-world (did I say turd, I meant third) afflictions.

[Jaxter]

He can’t throw well but he’s a hell of a fielder.

[Smokin' Joe]

virus ping
(Thanks, blam!)

[Judith Anne]

Thanks for the ping. I saw photos elsewhere of this poor man, how horrible for him. I doubt any blood samples would be of any profit to anyone, but I hope it could help him in some way.

[driftdiver]

“Mrs Supari has, however, steadfastly refused to share samples of the deadly H5N1 strain of the disease until she receives assurances they will not be used to make expensive pandemic vaccines.”

Yeah, wouldn’t want a vaccine after all.

[DivaDelMar]

"Developing nations such as Indonesia risk exploitation unless they maintain control over their virus strains, Mrs Supari said."

As if the viruses are an asset.....is that the argument? Is there any mystery to why these countries remain mired in poverty and disease? Unbelievable.....simply unbelievable.

[Bigg Red]

“We are offended because the samples were taken from Dede without our permission,”....

&&&
Well, maybe Dede should be offended that your country is so backwards that no one there has been able to treat his horrible disease beyond shaking chicken entrails at it.

[Geritol]

It can be argued that the degree of success or advancement of the economic status of the bulk of the individuals in any country is pretty much dependant on the individual’s ability to have and hold and direct their personal property. This includes both low or non-existant confiscatory taxes, low levels of graft or bribery required to conduct business, freedom of movement, association and investment, and little or no banditry by government, militias or Achmed Blow.

The way this woman is talking about the country owning the viruses, their citizen’s blood, controlling treatment protocols, etc. I am assuming this is pretty much a third world country.

[null and void]

The Republic of Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation.

Need I say more?

[GovernmentShrinker]

This lady should be cleaning bedpans, not blabbering about medical care policies. We can see where her brilliant policies have gotten this poor man.

Anything taken from this man’s body is his to give. He chose to give it to a doctor who is really trying to help him. Now it belongs to the doctor, unless the patient specifically retained some rights to it. His condition is so extraordinarily rare that any medication developed specifically from his sample would surely be one of those “orphan drugs” that has no profit potential at all. The extreme growths he has are the result of a problem with his immune system’s response to a common virus, not some extraordinarily virulent or rare strain of the virus.