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]
I’ve read on FluTrackers and PFI that it has been seqenced, it is deposited at GISAID, and Niman has apparently seen it.
There was a discussion about this on PFI (Pandemic Flu Information Forum) the owner’s screen name is Monotreme, he’s some sort of scientist (I am NOT!!!) and he stated yesterday in answer to a question that newer info has determined that the 1918 flu was directly from avian, no swine. But I haven’t a clue, just trying to read and learn.
This could be a bio-terrorists dream weapon.
Ping in case you missed this....
Thanks, Joe, for any and all pings to these articles. FR is a terrific source of information.
Y’all seen this?
ping
My first thought as well...
Here’s a quote from the article above pulled out:
“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.”
I take that to mean that the genetic makeup of the virus as found in the American cases include partial genetic components of Swine Flu, N. American Bird Flu, Human Influenza A sub-type H1N1, and an Asian/European swine influenza virus.
Sounds like an awfully weird combination to occur ‘naturally’, frankly. What kind of weird environment would give the “base” virus access to these other viruses, and then not view them as “competitors”, but instead would integrate them into itself via genetic mutation??
Again, this is all is based on my lay-man’s SPECULATION, and I am not a doctor, nurse, or anyone who works with infectious disease (the furthest education I had in this area was Advanced Biology - and AP course in HS).
I will say that although I KNOW that my bronchitis last week, and the flu my family suffered from and is still getting over isn’t THIS particular flu — it’s one of those things that makes it ‘hit home’ so to speak.
HA! I was just showing my hubby one of RF’s OLD threads about rolling your own cigarettes this morning! I didn’t know we had a Mother Abigail here, though!
I just hope we aren’t living in some weird Stephen King movie that’s made the jump from books and movies to reality! :) LOL
VERY Interesting! Definitely worth a consideration. [As a personal point — I don’t believe in coincidences. I heard a comment once said by a murder investigator; “There are no coincidences in an murder investigation”. I’d hazard that there are no coincidences in tracing what looks like it could be malicious. Combine that with the various terrorist groups working in South America, it takes on a whole new hue, IMHO.
PS — When I first heard the age groups this affected I thought about that scientist who had found a frozen preserved specimen of the infamous flu from the early 1910/1920s, and prayed that something hadn’t gone horribly wrong in their testing of that strain...
I'm surprised by some here that are so cavalier about this. As you point out, even a very low mortality rate could be devastating to the country's health care system - impacting not only those infected with possible flu, but the other hundreds of thousands of patients with non-flu sickness or injury.
I'm not an alarmist, but even a less-than-deadly, but highly-contagious flu would be very damaging to an economy that's already on the brink.
I had many of the same symptoms last year, including being sick for a prolonged period of time.
It was cardiac failure in my case.
Tamiflu is an anti-viral medication that is only available by prescription. But, with a prescription is easily obtainable as virtually every pharmacy in America stocks it. FWIW.
L.O.L.
@% mortality rate is significant if you take into account economic impact and perceptions as well. Each sick person will have to be taken care of by others etc.. 2% of the US population is proximately 6 million people, nothing to sniff at.
One thing that might help...is get the pneumonia shot...I am allergic to thimersol so can not take flu shots...I always get the pneumonia shot...most flus that kill do so in the lungs...with pneumonia or related lung illnesses.
I will not be taking any of the cartel cocktail shots.
This was news back in February. I’m with you. No cartel cocktails for me, either.
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