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]
Interesting, huh?
Plus - is anyone asking where the heck are our so-called leaders? Why no statements? I sure to miss having a president who would at least give a reassuring word.
Has anyone wondered why CDC nor WHO doesn’t seem to have a plan? Oh, one reason is that they were expecting this to come out of Asia so they expected to have 3 months headstart. Also WHO, is like the UN. Lots of talk, little substance. Margaret Chan (director-general, WHO): “It has pandemic potential. It is infecting people.” DUH
Bottom line - if a pandemic or any other disaster ever does come to this country we are on our own. Government does not have stocked up all that we will need (not for each person) At the very least folks need 30 days food, water, medicine. 3 months is better because that is the length of one pandemic wave. And you won’t want to be out in public during a bad pandemic. Just my .02.
ping
Pig "flew"
“People treated for bird flu hop on one foot and jump off balconies”.
That’s nothing compared to what I did when I was vaccinated against Swine Flu....
He’ll start the panic during his ‘Sweeps Week Address’.
Why do you think this is? Perhaps it's striking the working ages who tend to be out in public areas and have more person to person contact. I suspect we'll start seeing it move into the elderly and children before too long.
I certainly hope the Pentagon is weighing its options, even if Hussein isn’t. If the US is under some kind of massive attack designed to kill off large segments of our population, we must respond in kind, I don’t care what the democrats are prattling on about.
My theory is people contract a lot more “deadly” disease than they’ll ever know. It’s just that they have the proper genetic makeup to survive it. We only hear encephalitis deaths. It probably strikes a large portion of the population but most survive. I was probably close to death in college one time when I got something and was deathly ill for a month. Like you say, eventually it wrapped up and I went on with my life.
My doctors office has a poster in every examining room I have been in regarding a pandemic and what people should do, in advance, to prepare.
"Suddenly LA's a scary place to be."
Wouldn’t it be something if it could be ascertained the real rate of infection was so much higher but a large portion of the population just sloughs it off with little or no symptoms. That would mean all the masks and such were pointless. It’s whats in you that determines your survivability likelihood.
Unfortunately, with a mortality rate of 2% - 7% (depending on what numbers you use/believe), we haven’t had enough cases in the US to even know if it is more or less or equally as deadly here. We have to have 1 death in 14 cases at a 7% mortality rate, up to 1 death in 50 cases at a 2% mortality rate. So 8 cases is not enough of a sample to draw any conclusion about its “deadliness” here in the US.
We need to take all appropriate precautions, just in case, but we don’t have enough information or data yet to make many conclusions.
When I try to see the third...all I can see is the moon!
argh
And keeping the controversy going about the torture memo and whether to prosecute or not. Dumb doodoos.
Couldn’t agree more. I was thinking just this morning why we haven’t heard from the “Exalted One” or any of his mouthpieces. Maybe he’s waiting for Mexico to call him if there is a problem.
The general populace is the lease of the gov’s concern. They will be taking care of themselves first and foremost. I pity those who have given their lives over to the gov.
Your advice on how to take care of yourself/family and riding this out is spot on. I will be prepared because the gov won’t be.
At this time, Im more inclined to think this just evolution in action. Nature always finds away to continue evolving, some times violently so. A re-combination like this one here could be a virus that is dead set on continuing to evolve. That is why I believe stockpiling Tamiflu is a waste of time..
And if you really want to get the tables turned on 9-11 truthers, you can say this was obama’s engineered crisis to achieve his policy goals. Whereas the prior Administration had set in stone military action in Iraq (what if 9-11 was a pre-emption to get us sidetracked from the 5 year plan?), this administration needs a crisis to show how woefully undermanned we are in the healthcare business. What better way than to show the clinics overflowing with people not being served. I aint no troofer. Just shows how you can twist anything to conspiracy.
She told how people would place their dead wrapped in sheets with an ID tag at the garden or yard gate. Undertakers would come along and pick up the deceased. There were no gatherings for funerals or anything else including church, school, etc.
although i do not discount the seriousness of the out break, i doubt it is man made but rather just the natural progression of flu that mutates and guards itself against destruction.
#1, recall terrorists about 3 months ago killing themselves while trying to replicate bubonic plague. They want something that has a higher mortality rate than 2%.
#2 they want something that travels much faster
#3 they would not have spent the tim eto make something that is treatable by tamaflu
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