Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat

Laura, this came to me from Jeffrey Imm: -----Original Message----- From: Laura Mansfield Sent: Oct 14, 2005 10:54 AM To: terrorheadlines@lauramansfield.com Subject: October 14, 2005: Special Report: Islamist Terror in the Caucasus: Attack on Nalchik We have put together a special report consisting of translations from international media regarding yesterday's attack on Nalchik by Chechen Islamist Terrorists. There are some very interesting reports - including one that discusses the formation of a branch of HAMAS in the Caucasus and a call from a prominent Muslim leader demanding the banning of Wahhabism in Russia. We believe this is rapidly becoming the most comprehensive repository of news coverage on this subject. We are continuously updating the report so please access it at http://www.lauramansfield.com/j/nalchik.asp Laura -------------------------------------- For more translations and news on terrorism, visit http://www.lauramansfield.com or visit our forum at http://www.lauramansfield.com/forum/ Strategic Translations is a service provided by Laura Mansfield through http://www.lauramansfield.com

I've been thinking along those lines... still being alert yet researching the movement in biotech over the past few years...specifically who invested in the vaccine research and who now owns the stock...with the government stockpiling they are making a good sum of money...I've not come to any conclusion yet.

Cindy,

These are always good reports to read. Thank you for posting them.

(U.S. POLIO)---------------------------- 1] Date: 13 Oct 2005 From: ProMED-mail Source: Minnesota Department of Health News Release [edited] _____________________________________________________________ 3 additional cases of polio virus infection have now been identified in central Minnesota, according to officials at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). 3 children -- all members of the same family -- have now been found to be infected with the virus. MDH disease investigators say there are direct links between the family of the 3 children and the family of an infant found to be infected with the virus at the end of September [2005]. The 2 families are not related by blood. _____________________________________________________________ Like the infant, the 3 children do not have any symptoms of paralytic polio -- and like the infant, they had not been vaccinated against the illness. MDH officials are not providing any additional information about the cases because the information could be used to identify the children involved, in violation of the state Data Practices Law. ---------------------------------------------- Both of the affected families are members of the Amish community in central Minnesota. Health officials are working with the Amish community to identify people who may have been exposed to the virus -- and make sure people who may be at risk have been immunized against polio. ---------------------------------------------- The 3 new cases were identified through efforts by local, state and federal public health officials to follow up with people who may have been exposed to the virus -- either through direct contact with the infant, or through contact with individuals who had contact with the infant and became infected. -------------------------------------------- "These cases do not represent a generalized outbreak of polio virus infection," said Minnesota health commissioner Dianne Mandernach. "You are not at risk of infection unless you have had close contact with an infected person, and you have not been immunized against polio. The general public is not at risk." _____________________________________________________________ An estimated 93 per cent of Minnesota infants have been immunized against polio, and 98 per cent of Minnesota children have been immunized by the time they start school, Mandernach said. ---------------------------------------------- MDH has been focusing its disease investigation on the Amish community, and on health care workers who may have provided care to the infected infant, according to Dr Harry Hull, Minnesota state epidemiologist. --------------------------------------------- "We will continue to follow up directly with people who may have been exposed to the virus," Dr Hull said. "Unless you are contacted directly by a health care or public health worker, you are not at any risk of infection in connection with these cases." ------------------------------------------ "However, these cases do serve to underscore the importance of making sure your immunizations are up to date for polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases," Dr Hull added. -------------------------------------------- "Because members of the central Minnesota Amish community have links with Amish groups in other parts of the country, it's possible that cases of infection may eventually be identified outside Minnesota," Dr Hull said. ----------------------------------------------- MDH officials say the virus strain found in the 4 central Minnesota cases appears to be a variant of the strain used in oral polio vaccine, which is still used in some parts of the world -- but not in the US. -------------------------------------------- Use of the live-virus oral vaccine [OPV - Mod.MPP] was discontinued in the US in 2000. All polio vaccinations in the US are now done with an injected, killed-virus vaccine [IPV - Mod.MPP]. ________________________________________________________________ Before use of the live-virus vaccine was discontinued, it caused about 8 cases of paralytic polio a year in the US, on average. The last case of naturally occurring polio in the US was reported in 1979. Naturally occurring polio is considered to be eradicated in the western hemisphere. ______________________________________________________________ Paralytic disease is relatively uncommon in people who are infected with the polio virus, occurring in only about one of every 200 people infected. _____________________________________________________________ ****** [2] Date: 13 Oct 2005 From: ProMED-mail Source: Reuter's Health [edited] _______________________________________________________________ 4 children in 2 Amish families in Minnesota have been infected with polio after not being vaccinated against the disease, probably for religious reasons, state health officials said on Thursday [13 Oct 2005]. ------------------------------------- Genetic testing shows the polio involved likely originated overseas in an infant who had been vaccinated with a live poliovirus, state epidemiologist Dr Harry Hull said. That kind of vaccine has not been used in the United States for 5 years. ----------------------------------------------- He said a Minnesota Amish infant who was first diagnosed with polio [sic. poliovirus infection, not paralytic poliomyelitis - Mod.MPP] in September [2005] would have had direct contact with someone exposed to the imported virus, perhaps through a chain of people. _____________________________________________________________ 3 other children, all members of a 2nd Amish family, have now been found to be infected with the virus. None of the 4 has shown signs of paralysis, the Minnesota Department of Health said. --------------------------------------------- "Disease investigators say there are direct links between the family of the 3 children and the family of an infant found to be infected with the virus at the end of September [2005]. The 2 families are not related by blood," the department said. ______________________________________________________________ Hull said in an interview that the Amish community in Minnesota, like others spread across the United States, is insular, operating its own schools and often refusing vaccinations for religious reasons. ------------------------------------------- "This is very unusual," he said. "Our concern is that since the virus has started to spread there is the potential for it to spread to other Amish communities across the country," he added. The Amish are descendants of the Swiss Anabaptists who eschew modern devices such as motorized vehicles and live in rural areas. -------------------------------------------------------------------- -- ProMED-mail [Borrowing from this moderator's comment that accompanied the 1st report of a case of vaccine-derived poliovirus in the immunodeficient child in Minnesota, from the information presently available, it appears as though the polioviruses identified in these children are genetically related to the viruses used in the preparation of the oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). OPV has been associated with rare cases of vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP) in individuals who have directly received the vaccine and in those who have had contact with recently vaccinated individuals. In addition, there have been reports of cases of paralytic poliomyelitis associated with circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV) where there has been a reversion to neurovirulence of the involved circulating vaccine-derived virus. (see Poliovirus isolation, vaccine strain - USA (MN): RFI 20051002.2884 for more background on the occurrence of VAPP in the USA before cessation of use of OPV for routine vaccinations.) ________________________________________________________________ Since the USA changed vaccination policy to use IPV rather than OPV, there have been no further cases of VAPP reported in the USA (see ref. below). That decision was based on the observation that the majority of cases of paralytic disease in the USA after the outbreak in 1978 were VAPP, and were related to exposure to the OPV. Somewhat ironic, since that very same trait of the vaccine (OPV) -- spread to other non-vaccinated individuals -- is a positive trait in countries where wild poliovirus is circulating, as it helps to increase the overall "vaccination coverage" by spreading the vaccine virus in the community and infecting (and thereby protecting) other children who had not received the vaccine. ________________________________________________________________ The above 4 "cases" mentioned are not cases of VAPP, as there is no paralytic disease associated with these infections. One of the serious concerns in the current incident is the possibility of reversion of neurovirulence of the vaccine virus after continued passage in polio-naive individuals (with no pre-existing immunity, either through adequate vaccination or through prior exposure to poliovirus), especially in the immunocompromised infant mentioned as the 1st case, as chronic infection with vaccine-derived poliovirus has been reported in immunocompromised hosts (see ref below). _______________________________________________________________ The identification of 4 infections (involving 2 families that seem to have had contact with each other) suggests that there has been at least 2 and possibly 3 generations of passage of this vaccine poliovirus (the 1st generation being the original vaccinated individual -- the "index infection", the 2nd the immunocompromised infant identified on 1 Oct 2005, and now the 3 children in a contact family, although they may have been infected at the same time as the infant with a common exposure to the "index" infection). However, the news release does not mention identification of the "index" infected individual as yet, somewhat suggesting that there is cVDPV in the above community. _______________________________________________________________ Again, borrowing from the earlier moderator comment: "as the above articles clearly state, if one has been adequately vaccinated, the risk of paralytic disease from contact with a cVDPV is very low, and with a 93 per cent vaccination coverage rate with IPV in Minnesota, unless the virus "enters" a pocket of susceptibles, the risk of further cases associated with this event is low." That being said, it appears as though the virus has entered a pocket of susceptibles (a community that rejects vaccination based on religious grounds), and as stated by Dr Harry Hull of Minnesota (and formerly of the Polio Eradication Program at WHO in Geneva), the possibility of spread to other similar religious communities in the USA is a real concern. We do not know the actual risk of paralytic disease from cVDPV, but we do know it has occurred (see ProMED-mail postings on Poliomyelitis, vaccine-derived in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Madagascar, the Philippines and Egypt -- Polio, circulation of vaccine-derived virus). ______________________________________________________________ This moderator has not forgotten the last outbreak of wild poliovirus in the USA in 1978, among a similar community that rejected vaccination based on religious beliefs. The "itinerary" of the wild poliovirus involved in that outbreak probably began in Kuwait, as the virus identified was genetically similar to a strain of poliovirus that was in circulation in Kuwait in 1977. It then went to the Netherlands, where it circulated among a religious group that shunned vaccinations (and still shuns vaccines today), in which there were about 80 cases; it then traveled to Canada and circulated among Canadian members of this same religious group, resulting in 11 cases, and then traveled to a different religious group that also rejects vaccination in the USA and resulted in 15 cases. _____________________________________________________________ More information on the findings of further investigations would be very much appreciated. This moderator suspects that through this incident and investigation, we are now being given the opportunity to study more closely the "natural history" of cVDPV and perhaps learn more about the true risks of neurovirulence reversion, and perhaps further data to feed into the "endgame" strategy for poliovaccination once eradication has been achieved. ---------------------------------- 1: Kew OM, Sutter RW, de Gourville EM, Dowdle WR, Pallansch MA. Vaccine-derived polioviruses and the endgame strategy for global polio eradication. Annu Rev Microbiol 2005; 59:587-635. ----------------------------------- 2: Alexander LN, Seward JF, Santibanez TA, Pallansch MA, Kew OM, Prevots DR, et al. Vaccine policy changes and epidemiology of poliomyelitis in the United States. JAMA. 2004; 292(14): 1696-701. ------------------------------------ 3: Dowdle WR, De Gourville E, Kew OM, Pallansch MA, Wood DJ. Polio eradication: the OPV paradox. Rev Med Virol 2003; 13(5): 277-91. --------------------------------------- 4: Cherkasova EA, et al. Spread of vaccine-derived poliovirus from a paralytic case in an immunodeficient child: an insight into the natural evolution of oral polio vaccine. J Vir 2005; 79(2): 1062-70. ----------------------------------------- 5: Kew OM, Sutter RW, Nottay BK, McDonough MJ, Prevots DR, Quick L, et al. Prolonged replication of a type 1 vaccine-derived poliovirus in an immunodeficient patient. J Clin Microbiol 1998; 26(10): 2893-9. ------------------------------------------- 6: Prevots DR, Sutter RW, Strebel PM, Weibel RE, Cochi SL. Completeness of reporting for paralytic poliomyelitis, United States, 1980 through 1991. Implications for estimating the risk of vaccine-associated disease. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1994; 148: 479-85. - Mod.MPP] _____________________________________________________________ [Elsevier online reference: Prevalence of vaccine-derived polioviruses in sewage and river water in South Africa,Water Research, September 2005, ]

"Special Report: Islamist Terror in the Caucasus"

lauramansfield.com

===

Very interesting, thanks for posting the info.

AVIAN INFLUENZA - EURASIA (07): OIE *********************************** A ProMED-mail post ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases ______________________________________________________________ Sponsored by Elsevier, publisher of The Journal of Hospital Infection ______________________________________________________________ Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 From: ProMED-mail Source: Office International des Epizooties press release [edited] _______________________________________________________________ Update on avian influenza in Turkey and Romania ----------------------------------------------- Samples collected from sick turkeys in Kiziksa, Balikesi in Turkey and sent to the OIE Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza, Weybridge, UK have been confirmed today to contain avian influenza virus H5N1. The virus isolated seems to be very close to one of the viruses isolated in Siberia. ---------------------------------------------- In Romania, laboratory tests conducted yesterday at the Institute for Diagnostics and Animal Health (Bucharest) have now identified the virus isolated from sick poultry in the locality of Ceamurlia-de-Jos to be of subtype H5. Further tests being necessary, confirmatory diagnoses are being carried out in Weybridge, and results are expected soon. The probability of finding the same virus is high. ------------------------------------------- The OIE again strongly recalls the importance for both affected and at-risk countries of implementing all the necessary measures to ensure the early detection of sick poultry and a rapid response to the immediate control of the animal disease. The rapid response consists of eliminating the sick and in-contact animals in case of suspicion based on clinical signs seen by veterinarians on the farm. Of particular importance is the involvement of farmers in reporting the 1st occurrence of unexplained mortalities in their flocks and the creation of rapid and equitable compensation schemes. Supporting national veterinary services so that they can implement a rapid response in case of suspicion and outbreak is also a crucial element in the control of avian influenza in animals worldwide. --------------------------------------- The OIE also recalls that the transmission of the AI virus to humans by food consumption has not been reported. The virus in meat is killed by cooking at 70 deg Celsius for several seconds. -- ProMED-mail --------------------------------------------------------- [The confirmation of H5N1 is only for Turkey, although H5 has been confirmed for Romania. The text of the OIE release states there is a high probability of the virus being H5N1. ----------------------------------------- I also want to correct the record from my previous comment in Avian Influenza - Asia (40), in which I suggest "spread to Europe has been relatively rapid as the last official reports placed the disease in the Urals." As Christian Griot and others have pointed out, at that point, we had no confirmation it was the same virus. I should have noted that IF the virus is confirmed as H5N1, then spread to Europe was rapid. Our readers do a tremendous service is double-checking our postings, and it is a key contribution. My apologies for the error, but at least now we have the confirmation. Moreover, the press release notes that the virus is similar to the ones found in Siberia. - Mod.PC]

Thank you, Granny.

I found an interesting article...

Roche donates drug to WHO for bird flu stockpile

(updates with detail, background) By Tom Armitage

ZURICH, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche said on Wednesday it had donated enough of its Tamiflu drug to the World Health Organisation (WHO) to treat 3 million people in the event of a bird flu pandemic.

Fears of a global outbreak have risen since the potentially deadly flu virus spread from Asia into eastern Russian and Kazakhstan, and the U.N. health agency has been urging governments to stockpile antiviral drugs like Tamiflu.

"This donation is a critical early step designed to directly address an influenza pandemic at the place of origin, thereby potentially slowing the initial national and international spread of the virus," WHO Director-General Lee Jong-Wook was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the company.

"An influenza pandemic would be a serious threat to public health and it is therefore critical that all countries take steps now," he added.

Drug companies are currently working on a vaccine against H5N1 -- the bird flu which has killed more than 50 people in Asia in the past two years and forced the slaughter of millions of poultry.

Although it is not yet easily transmitted from birds to people or from person to person, experts fear it will acquire this ability and cause a worldwide pandemic such as that of 1918 in which up to 40 million people died.

In the meantime, the WHO says antiviral drugs are the best option and recommends that governments stockpile neuraminidase inhibitors -- the class of drugs to which Tamiflu belongs.

SET ASIDE

Roche will set aside 3 million packs of 10 Tamiflu pills, enough to help protect 3 million people against the virus, for the WHO. The stockpile can be deployed by the WHO wherever it sees fit in a bid to contain the possible spread of a pandemic.

Roche has received orders from around 30 countries, including Britain, France and Germany, for enough of the drug to cover between 20 and 40 percent of their populations.

The company has promised to increase production of the medicine, having doubled capacity in 2004 and again in 2005, with a further increase planned in 2006, and says it is well placed to meet the orders.

Roche's executive in charge of pandemic sales of the drug, David Reddy, told Reuters the stockpile, which comes in the form of capsules, would be good for five years and would be stored by Roche until the WHO requests shipment.

"This will not be directed towards any specific country. The rationale is to have rapid access to a stockpile of Tamiflu which could be deployed in any country which forms the site of outbreak of an influenza outbreak," he said.

Some governments, including Germany, have also opted to buy GlaxoSmithKline's Relenza, an inhaled drug of the same class.

MISSION ORLANDO - COMMUNIQUE #2:

It's nearly 10 p.m. and we just returned from 12 straight hours at Sea World (I'm getting too old for this!).

Terrorists can't afford the theme parks ... bin Laden doesn't give them enough per diem for overpriced food and plush Shamu toys. There were hundreds - no, thousands - of foreigners among us, but none looked like a potential jihadi. Many were just dangerously overweight. As for security, all they do is check people with backpacks. Good thing, you never know when some mega-foreheaded American college student is going to try to sneak through, then decide to "commit suicide" on a park bench - carefully, without harming anyone else.

Tomorrow is the ultimate test: the Magic Kingdom. It's fraught with danger. The Jihadis better not mess with this mommy and daddy, wielding a cranky 4-year-old and a know-it-all 6-year-old.

God bless America.

You are very welcome, I consider Laura to be one of the best sources of information.

Thank you for your prayers jer33 3. Yep, everyday counts.

Agreed, every day counts and every prayer counts!

Warning...warning....beep.beep.beep.....stay AWAY from Tigger!

Tigger would be boaring! Yuk Yuk!

(This is part one, it is important, in that it shows what the other countries are doing and how worried they are....granny) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AVIAN INFLUENZA - EURASIA (06): H5N1 ************************************ A ProMED-mail post ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases _____________________________________________________________ Sponsored by Elsevier, publisher of The Journal of Hospital Infection ______________________________________________________________ [1] Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 From: ProMED-mail Source: Nineoclock, Bucharest, issue 3536 page 2, 14 Oct 2005 [edited] _____________________________________________________ -------------------------------------------------- Romanian and European authorities are on alert after the avian flu virus was confirmed in Romania. The samples indicative of the virus' presence in the 3 dead birds at Ceamurlia de Jos, Tulcea County, will however be sent for confirmation by expert laboratories in the UK [see further comment below]. ------------------------------------------ The European Commission met in an emergency meeting Thu, 13 Oct 2005, whose 1st measure was to ban imports of live birds and poultry from Romania. ------------------------------------- Meanwhile, the slaughtering of the birds from certain areas in Tulcea County carried on, and quarantine measures taken by authorities have been stepped up. Expert doctors did not rule out that the residents of Ceamurlia might have come into contact with the virus, yet no such case has been reported. It is however reassuring to know that the avian flu virus is not transmitted from human to human but only from the sick birds to humans. ---------------------------------------- Authorities urged population to stay calm, but also asked people to comply with the minimum of hygienic measures, to avoid purchasing poultry from unauthorised sources and to take antiviral medicines. ----------------------------------- The National Audiovisual Council (CAN) also called on radio and television stations to broadcast information from authorised sources to avoid creating panic among the population. -------------------------------------------- The European Commission banned Thursday the imports of live birds and poultry from Romania. Brussels made the announcement Wednesday night, which then was reported by press agencies. The 3 European experts that the EC sent to Bucharest confirmed that the H5 virus of the avian influenza was found in the Romanian samples. The embargo comes a day after European experts said the test results in Romania were negative. [again, see further comment below]. -------------------------------------- The risks of the bird flu spreading in Romania are small, say experts of the European Commission who came to Romania. "Given that the virus emerged in a small locality, where locals do not buy birds from outside their community, chances of the disease spreading are smaller compared with what would be in a similar case in western Europe," says Danish expert Jorgen Westergaard. ---------------------------------------- The European Commission has announced it will provide assistance to Romania in eliminating the bird flu focus at Lower Ceamurlia. ------------------------------------ Fowl farmers are claiming that the contradictory information regarding the existence of the bird flu in Romania has triggered a fall of 40 per cent in the sales of fowl and products, although the risks of an epidemic are minimal as long as the population eats only tested meat. _______________________________________________________________ The same farmers are warning that the confirmation of the bird flu virus does not mean there is a pandemic. "There is talk of a pandemic only when this virus has undergone some mutations, when the mutated DNA of it further replicates. If there are deficiencies in the replication process, there will be equally odds of the virus being pathogenic or non-pathogenic for humans," Chairman of the Union of Romanian Fowl Farmers Ilie Van told a conference on Thursday about the measures against and the consequences of the bird flu. _____________________________________________________________ Romanian authorities confirmed late Wednesday night into the early hours of Thursday the existence of the avian influenza virus in Romania. Veterinary experts succeeded to isolate the virus 6 days after identifying the viral antibodies in the samples taken from the dead birds at Ceamurlia de Jos, Tulcea County. [This piece of information, repeatedly published by the Romanians, will need explanation. Were the antibodies against H5? Could the birds/geese have died from other cause/s? - Mod.AS] _____________________________________________________________ The BBC reports it is the 1st time that the avian flu has been discovered in Europe, since the virus had originated and spread through South East Asia. The samples taken from the geese in Ceamurlia de Jos proved positive for the H5 virus. Still, whether this is the subtype N1 that had been transmitted to humans and killed 50 people in Asia is yet to be proved. ________________________________________________________________ The samples will be sent for analysis to expert laboratories in the UK, whose confirmation is expected in a few days. The lab tests sent to UK will clearly indicate whether the virus suspected in Romania is the same as the one detected in Asia, and also if it is highly or slightly pathogenic. [The continued confusion about the fate of the said samples and the test results is puzzling. A Romanian statement of 8 Oct 2005 said that samples were sent by them to the EU/OIE Reference laboratory in Weybridge; this was refuted by the laboratory, who stated that their experts were due to arrive in Romania on Tue, 12 Oct 2005, to take samples. On 13 Oct 2005, several hours after a Romanian newswire saying that the samples were found negative by EU experts, the EU Commission officially announced that "its experts had detected the H5 virus strain in 2 samples taken in a suspected backyard farm in the Danube delta, while further tests were necessary to ascertain if the virus in question is the H5N1 strain". In addition, a statement of Defra, dated 13 Oct 2005, said that "results from further tests to find out the exact strain of (the Romanian H5) virus will be available in a few days"; see . Clarification will help. - Mod.AS] ______________________________________________________________ Agriculture Minister Gheorghe Flutur said that measures had been taken to completely isolate the village in Tulcea County, and that European officials have also been informed that the virus had been confirmed. ------------------------------------------- The bird flu does not spread by human contact, and it is caught only through direct contact with infected birds. Doctors assure that the virus only passes from contaminated animals to humans and not from human to human, but they are warning about the danger of the emergence of a crossbred virus between bird flu and a human influenza virus. --------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, birds continue being slaughtered in the area of Ceamurlia de Jos, with local authorities asking for more staff to take care of the action. "All the birds at Ceamurlia de Jos and within a radius of 3 kilometres around the village are being slaughtered," said the Agriculture minister. Authorities in Tulcea requested the sending in the area of expert chemical weapons troops, to avoid veterinarians from becoming overworked, and to allow bird slaughtering to continue at a fast pace. ---------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, neighbouring counties stepped up the safety measures. Teams made up of border police and representatives of the Braila Veterinary Department (DSV) beefed up the road blocks at the Bac Smardan crossing point that connects the county to the neighbouring county of Tulcea. All the vehicles crossing the Danube and entering the municipality through that point are inspected and disinfected with a special pump installed at the Bac crossing point. --------------------------------------------- Also, all ship captains received written advisories against transporting birds and animals from Tulcea. Similar safety measures have also been taken at the Small Island of Braila County, which is on the list of places with a high risk of avian flu, given its opening to the Danube and the large number of migratory birds that take shelter here each year. ---------------------------------------------- Authorities in Constanta have also been on alert in the northern part of the Constanta County, at the border with the Tulcea County, where they are conducting preventive, disinfection, and control measures. The dead body of a pelican was found on Wednesday night on a field between Mangalia and Albesti. Given the bird's advanced state of decomposition, no samples have been taken. There are also signals that hundreds of birds had died in the village of Silistea over the past few weeks, yet the deaths went unreported. _____________________________________________________________ Answering a request for medicines by Romania's Health Minister, Eugen Nicolaescu, the representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO) agreed to supply, at no charge, 1000 of the 5000 doses of antiviral medicines the government needs for the preventive treatment of the population that came into contact with the identified focus of avian flu. ---------------------------------------- A special commission was set up at the Health Ministry on Thursday. The chairmen of the Ministry's expert commissions for infectious diseases and epidemiology respectively, have also been convened. During the next few days, the Health Ministry will be made available 25 000 doses of antiviral medicine. In about 10 days, the ministry emergency stock will be supplemented by another 20 000 doses. _____________________________________________________________ Health minister Eugen Nicolaescu said that aside from the protection offered by the ministry, "citizens need to know 3 basic things: firstly, to wash their hands with water and soap, secondly, to only purchase poultry and egg from authorised sources, namely veterinary-certified stores, and thirdly, to keep away from dead birds or birds that had come in contact with dead birds". ---------------------------------------------- The National Audiovisual Council (CNA) requested the radio and TV channels to avoid speculations over the bird flu, and give priority to the official information, in order to avoid alarming the population. CNA requests the radio companies to not enhance the concern of the people and the speculations, to show responsibility and to use insomuch as possible the opinion of the specialists in their programmes. CNA recalls that mass media have the obligation to check the information from their own sources and from occasional collaborators, comparing it with the data furnished by the competent authorities, before transmitting news or points of view which can generate panic. [byline: Alina Grigore] ******

The man who shot and killed himself Oct. 7 was identified by the Medical Examiner's Office as Khaled Yusufi, 29, a medical student.

Spares us imprisonment, trials, bail and CAIR activism.

That is wonderfult that Roche is donating the drug for this flu, it is a needed goodwill gesture.

I am getting the impression that several countries have attempted to hide the disease, it comes up in Russia often that they do not tell the truth about tests and diseases that are in the countries they control.

As in the last one I posted, says they said not positive, at the same time the tests showed positive.

Anyone that is planning to travel, had better go with a set of the drugs and a live prescription from the doctor, to show that they are not taking them to sell......

The bird flu does
not spread by human contact, and it is caught only through direct
contact with infected birds. Doctors assure that the virus only passes
from contaminated animals to humans and not from human to human,
but they are warning about the danger of the emergence of a
crossbred virus between bird flu and a human influenza virus.<<<<<<<

I think this paragraph from the last post on this (part one)
is the most important thing to know, it explains all we face, "crossbreed".......

LOL, now to convince it to stay in its own territory and not go out looking for something different.....

Does 'virus' think?

Med student. Just great.

Middle Eastern Medical Student Association (MEMSA)

Snip: Among medical students, more than 75 percent — and perhaps as many as 90 percent — end up staying in the United States. (more below)

The faces of American Islam

Islamic Medical Association

(part 2, there appears to be a lot of important posts in this one email, more fear then expected.. ---------------- A couple years ago, when the bird flus first started, the farmers, would report finding dead chickens at the waterers, that they did not own and had never seen, as tho they had been thrown in the pen. --------------- Then their birds came down sick. ------------------- For most of the poor of the world, poultry is the meat on the table, you can kill it and cook it the same day, without refrigeration needed.... We did in Texas, we did not have those fancy things, like electric and running water. granny) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ****** [2] Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 From: Mary Marshall Source: BBC News, 14 Oct 2005 [edited] _____________________________________________________________ 9 people are under medical observation in Turkey after reports of 40 pigeons in their neighbourhood died in mysterious circumstances. All 9 are from Manisa, which is close to the village where the fatal H5N1 strain of bird flu was identified this week. The 9 are being monitored as "a precaution", officials said. ------------------------------------------- The news comes as EU veterinary officers begin an emergency meeting to discuss measures to contain bird flu. ----------------------------------------- The H5N1 strain of avian flu has killed more than 60 people in South East Asia since 2003. Those who have been in the presence of dead or dying birds are most likely to become infected, and the chances of human-to-human transmission are still seen as very slim. ------------------------------------------- In Turkey, around 8600 birds were culled this week in and around the village of Kiziksa, in the neighbouring province to Manisa. ------------------------------------------- The Anatolia news agency reported samples from the dead pigeons have been sent for testing in Izmir, western Turkey. ---------------------------------- There have been several other reports of unexplained bird deaths in the country, but except for those in Kiziksa, none has been confirmed as bird flu. ----------------------------------------- Osman Ozturk, deputy head of the Manisa health department, said: "There is no sign of illness in the 9 people." He said they were put under medical observation simply as a precaution while their house was being disinfected. -------------------------------------- Scientists fear that the bird flu virus could mutate into a human pandemic strain if people suffering normal human flu are also infected with the H5N1 type. European Union health commissioner Markos Kyprianou confirmed on Thursday that the virus found in the Turkish village of Kiziksa was the deadly strain, adding: "There is a direct relationship with viruses found in Russia, Mongolia, and China." He went on: "It is a highly pathogenic and aggressive virus and we in the European Union have to deal with that." ------------------------------------------ The EU veterinary officers meeting in Brussels will look at measures to try to reduce the chance of contact between wild birds and poultry in high-risk areas, which could include requiring some poultry to be kept inside. ---------------------------------------- A separate EU meeting of bird flu experts is expected to issue advice on the potential risk for humans who come into contact with migratory birds. ------------------------------------------ EU foreign ministers are also to hold emergency talks on the bird flu threat on Tuesday [18 Oct 2005] when they meet in Luxembourg for WTO negotiations. ----------------------------------------- Turkish authorities have urged calm, amid reports of people flocking to pharmacies to buy Tamiflu (oseltamivir), the antiviral believed to be most effective against bird flu. Health minister Recep Akdag said the situation was "under control", adding that Ankara was prepared for any possible flu pandemic. Pharmacies in Romania have also reported a big surge in demand for vaccines against common flu. --------------------------------------- The EU moved to ban all bird and poultry products from Romania on Thursday after tests on 3 ducks which died last week in the Danube delta confirmed the presence of the H5 strain of bird flu. Tests for the H5N1 strain are expected to be completed on the ducks on Friday. The EU has also banned the import of live birds and feathers from Turkey until April 2006. --------------------------------------- The H5N1 strain remained largely in South-East Asia until this summer, when Russia and Kazakhstan both reported outbreaks. Scientists fear it may be carried by migrating birds to Europe and Africa but say it is hard to prove a direct link with bird migration ________________________________________________________________ ****** [3] Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 From: ProMED-mail Source: BBC News, 14 Oct 2005 [edited] ________________________________________________________________ People should not panic after the discovery of a deadly form of avian flu among birds in Turkey, the UK government has said. The Department of Health stressed its advice on who should be vaccinated against flu was unchanged. It said vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and some children, to have the seasonal flu jab as normal. EU veterinary officers are holding an emergency meeting in Brussels to discuss measures to contain bird flu. ------------------------------------- People in the UK with weak immune systems, such as children with asthma or diabetes, have long been advised to have an annual jab to protect them against flu. "I don't think, at this stage, the public should feel they are under a different threat than before," said Dr David Salisbury, head of immunisation at the Department of Health. Since the H5N1 strain of bird flu, which has killed 60 people in South East Asia, was confirmed in birds in Turkey on Thu, 13 Oct 2005, concern has risen about the UK's plans to contain any outbreak here. ---------------------------------------- News of the outbreak in north west Turkey came after avian flu was also confirmed in ducks in Romania. The EU said those cases were assumed to be the same strain. Samples of the dead birds were sent from Turkey and Romania to the UK for laboratory analysis. ----------------------------------------- David Salisbury, head of immunisation at the Department of Health, told BBC News that people in identified groups, including the elderly, children with conditions such as diabetes or asthma, and others who had weakened immune systems should get the seasonal flu vaccination as normal. But he added: "The currently available vaccine is for people vulnerable to flu, but will not protect them against an emerging pandemic strain." --------------------------------------- The government orders around 14 million doses of flu vaccine for the annual vaccination campaign again seasonal influenza. But Dr Salisbury said experts were planning for the eventuality of bird flu mutating to spread between humans. "The risk is very real, we're very aware of what's happening in South East Asia and are monitoring very carefully the spread of disease amongst birds. We're watching very carefully for cases in humans, and the presence of bird disease in Europe of course raises everybody's anxieties." ----------------------------------------- Dr Salisbury said the UK public should not feel the dangers from bird flu had increased, following the emergence of bird flu in Turkey. "I don't think, at this stage, the public should feel they are under a different threat than before." But he said the developments in Turkey would be considered in UK preparations. He said developing a vaccine would take 3-5 months, and could only be undertaken once the strain of any virus causing a pandemic was identified. ------------------------------------------ This time delay was the reason the UK was stockpiling antiviral drugs to treat symptoms if they emerged, Dr Salisbury said. The government has ordered 14.6 million doses of the antiviral drug Tamiflu. This would be enough for 25 per cent of the population -- the proportion the World Health Organization predicts would be affected in a pandemic. "Normal" flu affects 5-10 per cent of the population. ------------------------------------- The UK government said plans were also in place to contain the spread of avian flu among wild and domestic birds. But the National Farmers' Union has expressed concern that public fears over the virus could damage chicken and poultry sales -- even though the virus cannot be passed on through eating chicken. _______________________________________________________________ Meanwhile EU specialists are meeting to discuss new measures to stop bird flu spreading in Europe after the outbreaks in Turkey. The European Commission has already banned the import of live birds, poultry and feathers from Romania. --------------------------------------- EU veterinary officers are also holding emergency meetings to explore measures to reduce the chance of contact between poultry and wild birds in high risk areas. ******

But IIRC there were AQ notes that indicated that they encouraged tainting street drugs.

Hard for me to understand how anyone (including the rich and famous) could take drugs mixed up in someone's sink with who knows what is mixed in and how sanitary the "lab." Those who indulge play Russian Roulette pill by pill IMHO.

I have no particular affection for Mr. Shapiro, but I feel sorrow for him as a parent tonight. From what I see on TV there is an epidemic of Ecstasy and Meth prevailing in our country and crime reports across the country document this. What better way for AQ and Islamists to attack us - by addicting, making criminals and street people of and even killing our youth with drugs they view as commonplace in the high school and college culture.

Flu is airborne...the direct contact bit is only for the current mutation which hasn't made the big jump of being spread man to man easily*(yes, crossover with another HN variant.) Once that species jump has been made it will spread across the world in a month or two. If you happen to be vaccinated with the variant you should stand a better chance to survive.

*There have been more and more cases of familial tranmission so the relative ease is slowly increasing.

(part 3) ~~~~~~~~~~~ ****** [4] Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 From: ProMED-mail Source: Surfbirds news, 14 Oct 2005 [edited] _______________________________________________________________ Over the last few weeks, many birdwatchers will have become aware of considerable media interest in the subject of avian influenza or 'bird flu', following outbreaks in central Asia and the Black Sea region of the highly pathogenic type of the H5N1 virus strain which developed within poultry. ------------------------------------- Representatives of BTO (British Trust for Ornithology), WWT (Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust), RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), and JNCC (The Joint Nature Conservation Committee = UK Government's wildlife adviser) have been involved in discussions with the relevant government agencies, principally to advise on the latest knowledge of the origins of birds wintering in the UK, migration routes and timing, and bird distributions within the UK. Such information is derived in large part from the hard work of volunteers working on schemes such as the BTO Ringing Scheme and the BTO/WWT/RSPB/JNCC Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS). We have also remained in close contact with international colleagues. --------------------------------------------- The overall assessment is that the chance of this strain of the virus being carried to the UK by a migrating bird is currently low (and perhaps much less than the chance of transmission via illegally imported poultry). In addition, even if the highly pathogenic form of H5N1 avian influenza did make it to the UK, it is important to note that there are no known cases of transmission from wild birds to humans. In South East Asia, the virus has spread (infrequently) to humans as a result of people coming into close contact with infected poultry within the context of the confined proximities of poultry farms. Thus, the risk to human health from wild birds carrying avian influenza would currently appear to be very low. --------------------------------------- Nevertheless, it is clearly sensible to keep the situation under review. A number of organisations are working together to deliver a national surveillance programme for wild birds on behalf of Defra; for further details see . ______________________________________________________________ This will include enhanced monitoring for sick or dead birds, coupled with a programme of taking faecal samples from a) apparently healthy live birds, and b) birds shot as part of legal wildfowling activities. As part of this process, we would ask birdwatchers in the field to keep an eye out for any suspicious cases of large-scale mortality or sickness among wild birds. -------------------------------------------- Waterbirds are potentially among the most vulnerable wild birds. Obviously, all birdwatchers encounter dead birds occasionally, almost all due to perfectly natural causes, so use your common sense. However, if you should come across an incident that seems out of the ordinary, this should be reported via the Defra Helpline on 08459 335577. Calls would then be referred to more local laboratories. Specialists at the labs would then make an assessment on what further action, if any, should be taken. -------------------------------------------- Although there have been no proven cases of humans catching the disease from wild birds, the virus is spread through nasal secretions and faeces, so please do not touch sick birds or carcasses in the event of a suspicious die-off. Note that separate guidelines have been provided to ringers and these will be made available to anyone else who regularly handles wild birds. In general, however, to guard against a wide variety of illness including avian influenza it is always prudent to exercise basic hygiene (such as washing hands with soap, especially before eating) when coming into close contact with wild animals. ------------------------------------------ At a time when there is a lot of misinformation circulating on this issue, it is essential to keep matters in perspective and to sift fact from fiction. We reiterate that, to the best of our current knowledge, we consider the chance of wild birds bringing highly pathogenic H5N1 to the UK to be low and the potential for onward transmission from wild birds to people to be very low. Obviously, however, we are continuing to monitor the situation and if there are any further developments we will communicate these widely, in the first instance via organisational websites. ---------------------------------- -- ProMED-mail ------------------------------------- [The advice to birdwatchers provided in the common statement of the 4 British ornithology-related organisations, includes information and instructions which are currently useful for birdwatchers anywhere. They are applicable in the many other countries -- particularly in Europe and the Middle East -- which have recently intensified the surveillance in wild and migrating birds. This has become particularly important in view of the following new OIE press release. - Mod.AS] _______________________________________________________________ ****** [5] Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 From: Maria Zampaglione, Communication Department, OIE Source: OIE press release, 14 Oct 2005 [edited] ______________________________________________________________ At the request of the Russian authorities the World Organisation for Animal Health sent a team of worldwide renowned experts in avian influenza and ornithology to Siberia in order to assess the avian influenza situation in the region (see OIE press release of 4 Oct 2005]. -------------------------------------- The complete Mission Report of this scientific mission will be available online in the Highlights of the OIE website this afternoon(). ______________________________________________________________ One of the main conclusions of the report is that in certain conditions migratory birds could carry the Asian H5N1 influenza virus to other parts of the world. The migratory routes of these potentially infected wild birds are mainly directed to the Caspian Sea, the Middle East, and Africa. A number of these birds could rest during the migration or migrate to western Europe. ________________________________________________________________ Facing the current and potential evolution of the Avian influenza spread, the OIE confirms its position about the priority of eliminating the virus at the animal source, emphasizing the importance of the early detection and rapid response mechanisms carried out by Veterinary Services in countries at risk. ----------------------------------------------- -- ProMED-mail --------------------------------------------- [The Mission's report (29 pages) has become available in the meantime; see . - Mod.AS]