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]
Before we get overly freaked out, it’s inappropriate to multiply the entire population by the mortality rate. Many, usually most, people don’t actually get the disease, and the mortality rate is calculated from those who contract it.
The US population in 1918, during the Spanish Flu, was about 110M. About 28% contracted this disease, or about 30M. Of these, about 500,000 to 700,000 died, or about 2 to 3%.
The rate of contraction and the mortality rate varied in different parts of the world.
But even this disease, probably the most virulent in human history, killed only about .5% of the US population. Today that would be about 1.5M, a horrible tragedy but not nation-destroying levels. We are also much better equipped to fight a similar disease than in 1918. Not adequately, but better.
They reported this morning, not this, but they have NO plan to close the border.
“Possibility of Bio-Terrorism in Swine Flu Outbreak”
Excuse me, there’s no such thing as “bio-terrorism”.
Now it might be a “human-caused bio-disaster”, but certainly not “bio-terrorism”.
Didn’t you get the memo?
(sarcasm off)
We’ve already had confirmed cases in CA, AZ and TX and it’s in Canada. Yesterday, up in Queens, a private school had 75 students being tested.
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Wonder where these kids went on Spring Break?
What’s awful is just trying to function daily because you think it’s just a bad cold or it’s almost gone etc. And then there’s people saying-”you’re STILL sick?? Did you get a flu shot??” Like I got this on purpose and a flu shot is not a cure-all.
Have only been out of my mind when I had the really high fever-didn’t know what I was doing. But the weirdest thing was having the stomach thing as a part of it. You’ve GOT to be kidding me!!...that’s just not right!
I had encephalitis as a child w/scarlet fever...not fun AT ALL. Maybe that’s why I never did drugs; did enough hallucinating when I was 5-I’m all set with that!
Glad you’re feeling better, fellow Freeper!
SZQ
Proof is in the pudding as they say. This could be a bug that just mutated on its own. I hope you are right and this is just all Y2k like hysteria.
I just had that conversation with a friend 5 minutes ago about our next terrorist attack.
It will be blamed on us, not the Muslims
Exactly what i said yesterday....terrorists involved...(maybe)
You can get Tamiflu at any drug store.
My first thought as well...
Baby, can you dig your mannnnnn
Bio-Terrorism. I’m sure Janet Napolitano will hop right on this. < /sarc>
Another reason why it isn't engineered. A mutation is as likely to make it harmless as it is to make it more harmful.
Deadly strains of flu virus are at fault here. These are not toys and they should be registered! What we need is a new set of laws making flu illegal! Anyone found with an unlicensed flu should be fined and jailed. See, this flu in Mexico could only have come from the U.S., especially if it is human engineered. I have heard that (in spite of having huge amounts of money and a corrupt government) big-time Mexican drug dealers are crossing the border and obtaining their flu at U.S. trade shows! Once flu is outlawed, there will be no more problems with it.
The ones lost were H2N2 whereas today's flu contains H1N1. Anyone know how closely related these two are or if H2N2 is a combination of H1N1 and one of the other three viruses in this current outbreak?
Ciiibolaaaa!
Until it decides to mutate from a bad bug to a super bad bug and we don't any way to stop it.
Mutation is neutral, that means that 50% will be more deadly and 50% less deadly, but at a mutation rate of 1.5/10,000 per per nucleotide per infectious cycle, 50% of these mutation will be more deadly. And, since this virus has already mutated to become extremely deadly (i.e., 1918), the possibility of this super, possibly human-engineered, 4-virus combination (strain) to become extremely deadly again is greater than 0. How much greater, we don’t know with current information.
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