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]
Am I to understand this MAY be a combination of swine and avian flu? I’m not up on these various strains- but I don’t remember learning about a combination type. Odd.
Thanks for passing on your conversation.
Cue the movie “Twelve Monkeys.”
ping
Uh oh.
Here’s more from AP via Seattle Post Intelligencer: http://www.seattlepi.com/health/1500ap_med_swine_flu.html?source=rss
The worrisome new virus - which combines genetic material from pigs, birds and humans in a way researchers have not seen before - also sickened at least eight people in Texas and California, though there have been no deaths in the U.S.
“We are very, very concerned,” World Health Organization spokesman Thomas Abraham said. “We have what appears to be a novel virus and it has spread from human to human ... It’s all hands on deck at the moment.”
Interesting perspective but it looks like there is only a 2% mortality rate so far. I would think a bio terrorist bug would kill more people. Unless of course this is just a test run.
engineered
unless there is a plausible reason for it to appear in 4 different parts in Mexico among people with no known risk factors for exposure to combined livestock, and that it kills adults in prime age (such as military men)
or a lab screw up in testing a vaccine that was intended to protect against combined strains and had a live strain in it
?? live bird flu was “accidentally” sent out in a test vaccine by a lab in Austria this winter
The quickness of CDC to jump on this suggest incompetent alarmists at CDC or foreknowledge of a time bomb waiting to go off
______________________________________________
WHO and CDC know more than they are saying.
Probably a right-winged extremist plot. Waiting for those words from Mz. Napoliano at HLS to justify her recent rantings.
This does look like a man-made pathogen...perhaps destined for our southern border?
Our crack DHS Sec. will probably be on CNN soon telling us there is absolutely no link to terrorists, and that will make everyone feel safe.
Lots of flu is resistant. If you wanted to kill people, the LAST thing you would do is engineer a strain susceptible to tamiflu.
bump and ping
RR I’m off to work, keep me posted. I have a co-worker who has been rally sick like down in the bed all week. Scary!!
No, the only way that the admininstration will allow the words "biological terrorist attack" to be used would be if they can squarely rest the blame on the Bush administration.
Mark
I dont think its the first. Everyone has been watching the h5n1 for awhile and expecting something to happen at anytime. We will have to wait and see if this was enigneered or naturally occuring.
Captain Trips...
And you have what kind of proof?? Nothing.
Didn’t know about the specific types, but yes, the possibility of bio terrorism was discussed here last night. Disperse it in Mexico or Central America where it won’t be detected too quickly. Let it spread there knowing that it would soon be brought across the border in no time. Spring being the perfect season with Americans going down to Mexico for Spring Break and vactions and illegals coming north for the planting season. We’ve already had confirmed cases in CA, AZ and TX and it’s in Canada. Yesterday, up in Queens, a private school had 75 students being tested.
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