[utvolsfan13]

Linked on drudge.. It wouldn't let me link it directly to the article

[kAcknor]

First?

WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!

;)

[satchmodog9]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=aWESsJvt6CFE&refer=asia here you go. I guess Bloomberg scooped Drudge by about four days.

[pax_et_bonum]

Quarantine this area now.

[sphinx]

SIx out of seven died. The enviros will be getting their hopes up again.

[DJtex]

The fatality rate is so scary: 6 of 7 dead. I read somewhere that the virus will have to get a bit milder to be really dangerous. If you kill 80-100% on contact, the flu will be limited to pockets of disease--like Ebola. Ebola kills so efficiently that it doesn't spread very effectively.

The Spanish Flu killed 20-30% of those who contracted it. Also, it killed younger people more than older. The young people's strong immune system went totally overboard and killed them in one day a lot of the time.

[little jeremiah]

Okay, little list. A new article.

[apillar]

Guess it's time to dig out my old copy of "The Stand"...

[blam]

"So far, studies of the Sumatran outbreak and genetic analyses of the virus don't indicate the virus has undergone major changes, Cheng said. Scientists at WHO-affiliated labs in the U.S. and Hong Kong found no evidence that the Indonesian strain of H5N1 has gained genes from pigs or humans that might change its power or spreading ability, WHO said."

Here's the defining statement in this article. This is similar to people getting it from close (handling) contact with chicken/birds. I don't think we've seen a 'shift' yet.

Some other facts: The 2005 mortality for Bird Flu was 55%, for 2006 (YTD) it is 70+%. This data is from people who were confirmed to have had H5N1 flu.

[heights]

[Smokin' Joe]

The reason (despite the lack of sympathy expressed by many on the post) this may be important is the specialty of the doctor who is now deceased.

WHO chief dies after emergency brain surgery

Lee, who spearheaded the UN health agency’s fight against the spread of bird flu and the preparations for a potential human influenza pandemic, died this morning, said South Korea’s Ambassador to Switzerland, Park Won-hwa. Lee was 61.

(happened on May 22, 2006)

What effect that will have on research is not known, but the sudden nature of his demise suggests there will be at least a little disorganization as things there get sorted out.

It is possible that the folks at WHO researching this can make a seamless and smooth transition, (hopefully they do) and I won't discount that possibility, but most organizations would take a little bit to get back up to speed.

It appears they are doing fairly well, considering.

[Doc Savage]

Run for your life!

[Lazamataz]

We're all gonna die!!!!

[Allegra]

It's Captain Trips!