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U.N. Health Chief Delivers Grim Message on Bird Flu
Reuters ^ | 9/15/2005 | Paul Eckert

Posted on 09/15/2005 2:37:19 PM PDT by ex-Texan

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Avian flu will mutate and become transmissible by humans and the world has no time to lose to stop it becoming a pandemic, the head of the U.N. World Health Organization said on Thursday.

Lee Jong-wook, a South Korean doctor, delivered his stark warning as the United States worked to rally states behind a new U.S. plan to fight the disease, which has already killed more than 60 people in Asia and spread to Russia and Europe.

"Human influenza is coming, we know that, and no government, no leaders can afford to be caught off-guard," Lee said.

"We must pounce on human pandemic outbreaks with all medicines at our disposal and at the earliest possible moment," he told a news conference in New York.

"When the pandemic starts, it is simply too late."

U.S. President George W. Bush unveiled a plan at the United Nations on Wednesday under which countries and international agencies would pool resources and expertise to fight bird flu.

His International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza reflects growing concern that avian flu could becomes a human pandemic, a threat Bush said the world must not allow.

Most of the people killed in Asia since 2003 caught the virus from infected birds. Health experts say the greatest worry is that the highly pathogenic strain of the disease known as H5N1 could mutate and become transmissible between people.

Lee said H5N1 "will acquire this capability -- it's just an issue of timing." Countries far from heavily hit Southeast Asian states would not be safe because the disease was spreading through migratory wildfowl, Lee added.

He urged states like Japan, Switzerland and France with stockpiles of anti-flu drugs to make medicines available for international emergencies.

Paula Dobriansky, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, said the United States would convene a senior officials meeting in Washington soon to coordinate policy. Canada will host a global health ministers in the coming weeks to support the U.S. initiative, she said.

Partner countries and agencies include Argentina, Australia, Britain, Canada, China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Russia, as well as WHO, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and UNICEF, Dobriansky said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: avianflu; biologicalagent; bioterror; bioterrorism; birdflu; terrorattack; wmd
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Really bad news about the Bird Flu. For the U.N. to issue a health warning statement in this way is almost without precedent. Read More Bird Flu Reports? There was a new outbreak of the Avian Flu among humans in Indodesia this weekend.
1 posted on 09/15/2005 2:37:22 PM PDT by ex-Texan
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To: Mother Abigail; Judith Anne; BassDir; redgolum; 2ndreconmarine; Fitzcarraldo; Covenantor; EBH; ...

*PING* !


2 posted on 09/15/2005 2:44:53 PM PDT by ex-Texan (Mathew 7:1 through 6)
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To: ex-Texan
For the U.N. to issue a health warning statement in this way is almost without precedent.

Yeah. It's great advance work for sure.

If a person didn't know better, you'd almost think this outbreak was planned.

3 posted on 09/15/2005 2:46:23 PM PDT by Freebird Forever (A thousand Bravehearts are better than one)
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To: ex-Texan

I just got done reading the post-Hurricane Ivan report as a spooky warning of the pending doom of New Orleans, then I read this. Does anybody out there get a teeny bit concerned that this article might be a warning that we may look back on one day?


4 posted on 09/15/2005 2:46:46 PM PDT by Lekker 1 ("Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?"- Harry M. Warner, Warner Bros., 1927)
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To: ex-Texan
From other reports on Free Republic it appears likely that the Avian Flu was a bioweapon experiment gone awry, from the ChiComs.

Please READ the threads before flaming.

First thread
Second thread
Third thread

5 posted on 09/15/2005 2:48:29 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: ex-Texan; All
Avian Flu Surveillance Project

Avian Flu Preparedness Project

6 posted on 09/15/2005 2:52:04 PM PDT by backhoe (-30-)
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To: ex-Texan

We're Gonna Die!!!!!


7 posted on 09/15/2005 2:57:50 PM PDT by RockinRight (What part of ILLEGAL immigration do they not understand?)
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To: grey_whiskers

Sadly, I am more inclined to agree with you than not, my FReeper friend. SARS might have only been a test of our response. Very suspicious how SARS was spread around the world by a lone medical researcher staying in a hotel near the airport. It was never explained why he was there at that time in that place. Of course, he died a few days after he infected people who simply came into momentary contact with him in common areas.


8 posted on 09/15/2005 2:59:18 PM PDT by ex-Texan (Mathew 7:1 through 6)
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To: ex-Texan

What is the fatality rate?


9 posted on 09/15/2005 3:08:34 PM PDT by expatpat
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To: ex-Texan

Japan, Switzerland and France have stockpiles of anti-flu drugs. Sounds like the US doesn't have stockpiles. Homeland security? Anyone? anyone?


10 posted on 09/15/2005 3:09:33 PM PDT by Cold Heart
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To: ex-Texan

People should read up on the 1918 influenza epidemic before they dismiss this as fearmongering.


11 posted on 09/15/2005 3:13:24 PM PDT by blueminnesota
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To: expatpat
The fatality rate depends on which form of H5N1 virus you have been exposed to. There is one form of the virus that has a 'death rate' of only about 25% - 30%. That form of the virus is spreading like wild fire in Asia. Another from of the virus kills about 90%. Remember the 1918 Spanish Flu killed about 50 million people worldwide. The death rate from that pandemic was only about 5% Read reports here The really bad thing about the Spanish Flu was it killed very healthy people in only about 24 hours. There are anecdotal reports about people getting on trolley in NY and going to work. Many were found dead on the trolley later when they returned home. The Spanish Flu was also spread around the world by migrating birds.

The H5N1 virus kills very healthy people too. Use your imagination. 'Nuff said.

12 posted on 09/15/2005 3:24:33 PM PDT by ex-Texan (Mathew 7:1 through 6)
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To: grey_whiskers
Where there smoke, there may be fire. China is very close diplomatically to Cuba. Thousands of Chinese have been to the island for 'vacation.' Cuba was also very close to Saddam. How many Iraqis were taught Spanish in Havana? Iraqi covert agents, Cuba and China are linked mysteriously below the surface.

Cuba May Have Used Migrating Birds as a Weapon

13 posted on 09/15/2005 3:43:54 PM PDT by ex-Texan (Mathew 7:1 through 6)
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To: ex-Texan

Could terrorists infect themselves and introduce them selves to the US? I think they are planning to do just that. Afterwords, AQ will release one of its tapes, claiming responsibility.


14 posted on 09/15/2005 3:44:11 PM PDT by Thunder90
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To: ex-Texan

The doctor had been in the agriculture areas doing work and contracted the disease from roaches and the horrible living conditions.

Reading about polio and how long that epidemic lasted is frightening to say the least. Healthy people picked off at seeming random and of all ages.

Unfortunately, I'm more concerned about not getting cancer than bird flu.


15 posted on 09/15/2005 4:09:51 PM PDT by Mrs. Shawnlaw (Rock beats scissors. Don't run with rocks. NRA)
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To: ex-Texan

Only(?) 25-30%? Wow. The 90% is very worrying.


16 posted on 09/15/2005 5:58:25 PM PDT by expatpat
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To: Cold Heart

I'm afraid if they are standard flu vaccines, and not targeted at the avian flu, they are useless for protecting against the latter.


17 posted on 09/15/2005 6:00:40 PM PDT by expatpat
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To: ex-Texan

Perhaps they want us to deplete our Acyclovir stock pile...


18 posted on 09/15/2005 6:19:01 PM PDT by TaxRelief (follow the money...)
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To: ex-Texan
The really bad thing about the Spanish Flu was it killed very healthy people in only about 24 hours

I believe it not only killed healthy people but even had a higher mortality rate among young adults than among children and the elderly. It's a real mystery.

19 posted on 09/15/2005 6:22:09 PM PDT by bkepley
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To: expatpat

I probably should have clarified. The medications they are talking about are not vaccines but medication when you actually have the flu. I did a quick look up and the main medication is called Tamiflu (oseltamivir) by Roche. As of August they had only 3 million doses. Production takes 12 months!! I guess they can't really make a vaccine until it mutates to the new form.


20 posted on 09/15/2005 7:02:30 PM PDT by Cold Heart
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