Posted on 04/25/2009 5:51:39 AM PDT by FreedomFighter1013
In a discussion this morning with a cell biologist and medical doctor working at Johns Hopkins, my friend thought this 4-part flu combination is highly unusual and looks like it could be man-made. Especially because it has an avian strain. My doctor friend (he's Taiwanese) explained that in Asia, it's common for a avian-swine-human flu to happen naturally, but this virus first showed up in Mexico, where pigs and ducks are not usually raised together. Also, recombination of more than 2-different flu viruses is extremely rare. I'm just repeating what he said as an expert in the field. He says the CDC needs to explain if there is a possibility that we are under a bio-weapon attack.
From CDC via Wikipedia: Anne Schuchat, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said that the American cases were found to be made up of genetic elements from four different flu viruses -- North American swine influenza, North American avian influenza, human influenza A virus subtype H1N1, and swine influenza virus typically found in Asia and Europe. For two cases a complete genome sequence had been obtained. She said that the virus was resistant to amantadine and rimantadine, but susceptible to oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza).[22][23][24] Preliminary genetic characterization found that the hemagglutinin (HA) gene was similar to that of swine flu viruses present in U.S. pigs since 1999, but the neuraminidase (NA) and matrix protein (M) genes resembled versions present in European swine flu isolates. Viruses with this genetic makeup had not previously been found to be circulating in humans or pigs, but there is no formal national surveillance system to determine what viruses are circulating in pigs in the U.S.[25] The seasonal influenza strain H1N1 vaccine is thought to be unlikely to provide protection.[26]
Ooops...meant border..more coffee plezzzzz!
I saw that movie “Twelve Monkeys” in a big movie theater. Do not understand what people later saw in it. The crowd in the theater didn’t seem too impressed.
I never was.
Anyway, cue the pigs. lol
I hope your dismissive response is justified. If not you may regret thinking this is all chicken little.
I’ve read there are about 2.5M Tamiflu doses stockpiled in USA. Numbers probably much lower in Mexico, if any.
However, first world health care is likely to greatly reduce the death rate just through supportive care even in absence of an effective treatment. In extreme cases, unfortunately, this is likely to require ICU treatment and there is a strictly limited number of those beds.
If we get slammed with a major flu pandemic, things will get nasty quickly. We aren’t even close to being prepared. There is no way we will be able to provide state of the art medical treatment to all who need it, which promptly gets us into “who decides?” territory. In today’s world, this will immediately become a political and liability issue.
Tamiflu is only effective within the first 24-73 hours, per a CDC spokeslady I heard on the radio yesterday afternoon.
Whoa...that IS strange.
It seems peculiar it’s breaking out in April- flu “season” is fall/winter.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE53O0MW20090425
ping
I doubt this is bioterrorism. But keep in mind to cripple this country, a viral or disease outbreak does not need to have a high mortality rate. At any given time during flu season, there are no free hospital beds in most big cities, let alone ICU beds. Now add to that tens of thousands of people sick enough to seek medical care/need hospitalization, and the system would break overnight.
Sounds exactly like what I went through some years ago. I was in my early 30's, good health, and caught something I couldn't shake for three months. Delirium, fever, hallucinations, flu aches, drowning in congestion, on and off for months. When it finally wrapped up, my doctor concluded I'd had encephalitis after a real bad flu, but that's just a guess.
The good news is, you'll be immune to everything for like 15 years afterwards. :) (Seriously, not so much as a sniffle did I have for the next 15 yrs.)
True. Unless you have a mutating virus that becomes resistant quickly....allowing the medical community to go on a goose chase with tamiflu, then realizing it no longer works. Meanwhile, the infected population rises.
These situations are ripe for hysteria and mass panic.
Give me proof. I just think we look like a bunch of right wing kooks when we are on here opening up threads that there is a good possibility that there is bio-terrorism in the swine flu outbreak when there is absolutely no proof.
I work in the healthcare profession and we sell the flu kits that diagnose flu. We will see how this flu outbreak goes but remember the media wants to scare you so they can sell more newspapers and sell more media time.
There isn’t enough Tamiflu on hand to handle a crisis.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2237544/posts
Cue “Don’t Fear the Reaper”.
I wonder if this is connected.
That makes no sense. How would we have any chance of paying off our debt if our economy completely shuts down?
“Well, with a U.S. population of 300,000,000 that comes to 6,000,000 dead. And I think the mortality rate is more like 7%, if the numbers of over a thousand infected with 68 deaths, is correct. It’s definitely something to watch.”
Let’s be clear. 6 million would die ONLY IF all 300,000,000 Contracted the virus. The likelihood of that happening is extremely remote. Not disagreeing with the mortality rate, just keeping some perspective on your dire numbers you posted.
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