Posted on 08/29/2011 10:47:11 PM PDT by americanophile
Bird flu was in decline -- but health officials warned Monday that it appears to be on the rise again.
The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) "urged heightened readiness and surveillance against a possible major resurgence" of the virus, which has crossed over from birds to infect 565 people and kill 331 of them since its appearance in 2003.
At its peak in 2006, avian fluwas present in 63 countries around the world. Just two years later, it was gone from most, and cases of illness in humans followed suit, dipping to just 302 in 2008. But almost 800 cases of bird flu were recorded in people during the last flu season, and the virus recently spread to Israel and the Palestinian territories, Bulgaria, Romania, Nepal and Mongolia, the FAO reported.
A 6-year-old girl in Cambodia died ealier this month after being infected with the virus, joining seven others in that country so far this year.
In people, H5N1 has caused symptoms rincluding fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory disease and, occasionally, death.
The cause of its reappearance now? Birds' migrations, boosted by poultry farming practices, the FAO said. Also cause for concern: a new mutant strain of the virus, resistant to vaccines and known as H5N1 2.3.2.1, has been detected in China and Vietnam.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
"We're all out, boss."
"How did Wisconsin go? Oh, we lost. Dammit."
"We need a crisis to feed to the press so you can look Presidential boss. The dog isn't going to wag itself."
"Err, umm, are there any we can dust off?"
"Well, there's bird flu. Pretty dusty, but we'll see if we can make it fly."
"OK, warm up the teleprompter. And make it snappy. I've got a golf cart to catch."
Cheers!
I am selling Aviary Credits, if anyone wants to get in early....
You beat me to it! Does anyone believe the silly crisis fairy anymore?
The only sky that’s falling is on Obozos head.
The new movie coming out, “Contagion”, is about some virus that’s spread by birds. I figured it wouldn’t be long before the “bird flu - we’re all gonna die!!” stuff would start. I didn’t expect it quite this soon, though.
The timing of the movie’s release is perfect (suspect). People will see it and get nervous about birds and flu. They’ll rush out for shots as soon as the gov’t. starts pushing their vaccines (who knows what’s really in them?). Maybe this time, the gov’t. won’t get stuck with millions of unused doses like last time.
Yep, my tinfoil hat is close by but I’m not slappin’ it on my head just yet. I remember all the bird flu hoopla the last time around.
The UN: Creating a crisis when Obama’s will not work any more.
damn that Bush sure gets around...I kmow its just got to be Bush’s fault somehow ;)
All politics is keeping the public frightened, and clamoring to be led to safety, by an endless series of hopgoblins, all of them immaginary.-H L Menchkin
The purpose of a politician is to keep the public frightened of an immaginary boogerman that only the policician can keep you safe from.—Me.
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