Swine flu pandemic 'caused by accidental leak from laboratory'

Daily Mail ^ | 30th June 2009 | NA

[neverdem]

The swine flu pandemic may have been caused by an accidental leak from a laboratory three decades ago, scientists have claimed.

An investigation into the genetic make-up of flu viruses claims the pandemic may not have occurred, had it not been for the accidental release of the same strain of influenza virus from a research lab in 1977.

The Independent reported that researchers believe this strain of the virus had been extinct in the human population for more than 20 years until it was unwittingly reintroduced by scientists.

The study in The New England Journal of Medicine said: 'Careful study of the genetic origin of the (1977) virus showed that it was closely related to a 1950 strain, but dissimilar to influenza 'A' (H1N1) strains from both 1947 and 1957...

[woodchukwood]

...things that make you go hmmm, cough, gasp, croak.

[neverdem]

micro ping!

Historical Perspective — Emergence of Influenza A (H1N1) Viruses

Geographic Dependence, Surveillance, and Origins of the 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) Virus

The quote in the Daily Mail came from the first link. You may have to register, not subscribe, at the New England Journal of Medicine for free access to the articles.

I couldn't find it until I used the ' mark searching the net.

"Careful study of the genetic origin of the (1977) virus showed that it was closely related to a 1950 strain, but dissimilar to influenza 'A' (H1N1) strains from both 1947 and 1957." I couldn't find it.

'Careful study of the genetic origin of the (1977) virus showed that it was closely related to a 1950 strain, but dissimilar to influenza 'A' (H1N1) strains from both 1947 and 1957.' That found it.

[neverdem]

I forgot. There are a number of other swine flu articles at the NEJM’s latest issue.

Could some one let me know if you have to register to access their open access articles, i.e. those two articles that I just linked?

[Boogieman]

Accidentally released 20 years ago and now it causes a pandemic? Sounds fishy. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is just a cover story for the real origin of this virus.

[bushwon]

flu virus bump!

[Smokin' Joe]

Ping...

[LucyT]

Mounting evidence that H1N1 Swine Flu virus was cultured in a lab and is not natural by any means.

http://tinyurl.com/m975xj

[LucyT]

Emergency Health Powers Act-An Assault on Civil Liberties in the Name of Homeland Security See #1-10

http://tinyurl.com/8d8ga9

[blueplum]

there are signs the virus is becoming resistant to Tamiflu.

interesting...not only is the virus not degrading into one or the other of it's four components, it's mutating resistance to tamiflu already

[LucyT]

Studies: Novel H1N1 affects deep lung tissue, transmits fairly well
Maryn McKenna and Lisa Schnirring Staff Writers

Jul 2, 2009 (CIDRAP News) – The novel H1N1 (swine) influenza now circling the globe causes more serious lung disease than seasonal flu strains and sheds from the lung and throat tissue where it reproduces at higher rates, according to two animal studies published today—findings that could explain autopsies and case reports of severe pneumonia as well as the virus’s rapid spread.

And while the studies, conducted in ferrets and mice, agree that the new flu passes fairly well between individuals, they disagree over the effectiveness of different modes of transmission.

[snip]

“We all anticipate that H1N1 will be a dominant if not the dominant influenza strain.”

Much More Here:

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/swineflu/news/jul0209h1n1.html

[DvdMom]

.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/07/04/ david-beckham-s-11-year-old-niece-is-battling-swine-flu-115875-21493652/

David Beckham’s 11-year-old niece is battling swine flu

By Aidan Mcgurran 4/07/2009

David Beckham’s 11-year-old niece is battling swine flu after staying at an adventure camp.

Georgina Every, daughter of Becks’ sister Lynne, was one of three youngsters hit by the bug during the fiveday school outing.

Parents had been warned about an outbreak before the children set off - but were told they would lose their £300 payments if they pulled out.

Lynne, 36, yesterday said she bitterly regretted letting Georgina attend after watching her suffer with coughing and aching limbs.

She added: “If I had known she would come back so sick I would have forfeited the money.”

Georgina, now taking the anti-viral drug Tamiflu, was among 90 pupils from St Edward’s Primary, Romford, Essex at the PGL centre in Marchants Hill, Surrey.

A pgl spokesman said they reported an outbreak in a previous school group in the middle of June, but had been cleared to stay open by the Health Protection Agency.

Eight camp staff have also come down with the virus and have been told to stay at home.

Beckham, who once gave Lynne £130,000 to buy a house, is being kept closely informed of Georgina’s condition and has sent a get well message.

[jiggyboy]

Then may I suggest

CDC To mix avian, human flu viruses in pandemic study(2004 article)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2238991/posts

and

Scientists Resurrect Deadly Flu Virus (1918 Spanish Flu “resurrected” at CDC 2005)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2237775/posts

and

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5385894.stm

[SunkenCiv]

Well, my fault, I shouldn’t have had that last cup of coffee.

[AdmSmith]

Mounting evidence that H1N1 Swine Flu virus was cultured in a lab and is not natural by any means.

No, it is completely natural, the influenza virus mutates with high frequency as its enzymes responsible for replication are very sloppy, and it recombines very easily. Why do people believe in conspiracies and why do journalists produce rubbish? Probably as it sells more newspapers.

This is a somewhat related link http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/health/24flu.html?_r=2

[AdmSmith]

and a link to a technical article

In March and early April 2009, a new swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus (S-OIV) emerged in Mexico and the United States. During the first few weeks of surveillance, the virus spread worldwide to 30 countries (as of May 11) by human-to-human transmission, causing the World Health Organization to raise its pandemic alert to level 5 of 6.

This virus has the potential to develop into the first influenza pandemic of the twenty-first century. Here we use evolutionary analysis to estimate the timescale of the origins and the early development of the S-OIV epidemic. We show that it was derived from several viruses circulating in swine, and that the initial transmission to humans occurred several months before recognition of the outbreak.

A phylogenetic estimate of the gaps in genetic surveillance indicates a long period of unsampled ancestry before the S-OIV outbreak, suggesting that the reassortment of swine lineages may have occurred years before emergence in humans, and that the multiple genetic ancestry of S-OIV is not indicative of an artificial origin.

Furthermore, the unsampled history of the epidemic means that the nature and location of the genetically closest swine viruses reveal little about the immediate origin of the epidemic, despite the fact that we included a panel of closely related and previously unpublished swine influenza isolates. Our results highlight the need for systematic surveillance of influenza in swine, and provide evidence that the mixing of new genetic elements in swine can result in the emergence of viruses with pandemic potential in humans.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v459/n7250/full/nature08182.html

[AdmSmith]

Since its first emergence in March/April 2009, the swine-origin influenza (H1N1) virus has infected 35,928 people in 76 countries (as of June 151) through human-to-human transmission. Some early speculation suggested that the H1N1 virus might have been a product of a laboratory accident. However, Yi Guan at the University of Hong Kong, Andrew Rambaut at the University of Edinburgh and co-workers have findings to prove otherwise.

The researchers used evolutionary analyses to estimate the timescale of the origins and the early development of the epidemic. Their analyses showed a well-established swine influenza lineage in H1N1. This lineage is possible only if the virus had been circulating in swine for 10 years or more before the outbreak.

Their analyses also showed that the H1N1 virus contains genetic elements of avian, human and classical swine origins. The mixed genetic ancestry rules out the possibility of a laboratory accident as the virus origin.

The researchers believe that H1N1 originated from several viruses circulating in swine, and that the initial transmission to humans occurred months before recognition of the outbreak. The findings highlight the pandemic potential of H1N1 and the need for systematic surveillance of influenza in swine and swine workers.

http://www.nature.com/nchina/2009/090624/full/nchina.2009.133.html

[LucyT]

Laibow sees a “manipulated disaster of unprecedented magnitude precipitated by unprecedented avarice and greed,” and adds that “Baxter International Inc. is no stranger to recalls and lethal contaminations.”

Its record includes producing faulty infusion and volumetric pumps, HIV-2 tainted Albumin Buminate 5 percent, faulty dialysis machine tubing and blood-cleaning filters, and various other products that should make everyone leery of its soon-to-be-released Swine Flu vaccine.

Along with similar ones from other pharmaceutical companies, these drugs cause serious autoimmune diseases and absolutely should be avoided, even if mandated.

Laibow expresses great alarm in stating:

“Baxter mixed a virus which has a hard time infecting people (H5N1 Avian flu) with one that infects them easily (”Seasonal Flu”) in a medium which can promote mutations of the H5N1 virus into a type which can infect us easily.

[snip]

By combining human influenza H3N2 with bird flu H5N1 virus in its BLS-3 lab, “Baxter produced a highly dangerous biological weapon with a 63 per cent mortality rate. The H5N1 virus is restricted in its human-to-human transmissibility, especially because it is less airborne.”

“However when....combined with seasonal flu viruses (easily transmitted by air), a new flu virus is created which is unknown to the human immune system and which will have a severe impact on an unprotected population.

A deadly virus of this kind could spread around the world in a short time and (potentially) infect millions and even billions of people.”

Baxter (via Avir) “distributed (72 kilos of) contaminated (live bird flu) vaccines using false concealment and a false labels to 16 laboratories in Austria

and....other countries at the end of January/beginning of February, potentially infecting at least 36-37 laboratory staff, who (were) treated preventively for bird flu and ordinary flu.” On the same day, 18 Avir employees were as well at Vienna’s Otto Wagner Hospital.

[snip]

http://tinyurl.com/kmr6xj

[DvdMom]

thanks for the ping :)

[AdmSmith]

Well, what shall I say, the article that you referred to is a mixture of strange items most of it wrong.

[LucyT]

WHO to Recommend Countries Stop Testing All Flu Cases - Bloomberg

http://tinyurl.com/kkc4x9

New “novel” strain of flu virus attacks two Sask. hog barn workers

http://tinyurl.com/m2yuaw

[azishot]

Thanks, LucyT. Gives me more to think about.

[ga medic]

Thanks for the article link. Very interesting. I have been trying for weeks to tell everyone that the idea that this is a “laboratory created flu” is nothing but ridiculous speculation. Many people have trouble understanding why bird-swine-human flu makes perfects sense and has always been a highly predictable occurance. I suppose for some it is easier to believe the lab story than it is to understand the biology of flu evolution.

[AdmSmith]

As you know it is very common that people tend to believe in simplistic ideas as they want to have a “complete picture” of how the world works and it takes more than 15 minutes of fame to describe the state-of-the-art of science. They prefer to have a “complete picture” that conforms to their beliefs in big bad companies or whatever.