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2006-03-14 Science & Technology

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Posted by Anonymoose 2006-03-14 18:56|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I'm not at all conversent with the nuances of flu mutation etc. etc. But I do understand the doom & gloom business.

Given that, can anyone explain why I should be frightened of Avian Flu given the Swine flu scare of 19xx?

I seem to recall all the same "Oh my god we're all gonna die!! Just like in 1919 (or whenever it was)!!!!"

Nothing came of that. How do I know this isn't just more wolf crying?

Posted by AlanC">AlanC 2006-03-14 19:40|| 2006-03-14 19:40|| Front Page Top

#2 "Society just can't accept the idea that 50 percent of the population could die. And I think we have to face that possibility," Webster said. "I'm sorry if I'm making people a little frightened, but I feel it's my role."

Bullshit. Society does quite well knowing that 100% of the population will die.

Posted by Robert Crawford">Robert Crawford 2006-03-14 19:43|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/] 2006-03-14 19:43|| Front Page Top

#3 Back in 1976, the international infrastructure for tracking and reporting flu was very underdeveloped. Statistically, we were due not only for a serious flu, like the Hong Kong flu of 1968-69 (that I personally remember because it laid my parents out for six weeks); but we were overdue for what even then was called "the killer flu".

The US had been horribly traumatized by the Spanish flu in 1918, and these were people inured to many epidemics across the country, as commonplace events. Most people had a mental block to the year or two of the Spanish death. Only after WWII were even our health authorities able to come to grips with what it meant.

The first wake up call we got about the Swine flu were overseas reports that it was serious, but only when a soldier at Ft. Dix died, did the alarm bells go off.

The US was not saved by anything we did, only by the fact that the Swine flu had mutated again to a less virulent strain before it arrived. President Ford and congress had wasted no time in reacting, but they realized after the fact that their reaction time was far too slow to have mattered.

From that point on, it became a national prerogative to do whatever was necessary to track the next "killer flu" before it hit the US. The US has done one heck of a lot in that direction, but only with the minor SARS outbreak, did the rest of the world really catch on to what we were up to.

Their doctors know what an immense disaster avian flu could be in especially Asia, and they have done anything they could to stimulate their local political leaders--most of whom are getting the message.

Right now, we know that "the flu" will continue to hit us during the flu season. We also know for sure that the avian flu has the potential to devastate domestic birds, perhaps pets and livestock--costing tens of billions of dollars if nothing else.

The odds do favor the avian flu turning H2H, while keeping much of its virulence. Recently, it's been noted that its spread in wild birds is far faster than expected.

We shall see.

Posted by Anonymoose 2006-03-14 21:44|| 2006-03-14 21:44|| Front Page Top

#4 Exploding Commie BioWar factories and research complexes notwithstanding, it also helps iff farm animals are not allowed to eat andor wallow in pervasive urban, suburban, and agricultural-provincial industrial waste heaps. FTLG, film footage of China's recent chemical spills show local children waving and playing amidst huge piles of wastes and trash. Its no longer how many heaps are in the rivers BUT HOW MANY, AND HOW MANY MORE HEAPS CAN THE RIVERS HOLD!?

Posted by JosephMendiola 2006-03-14 21:51|| 2006-03-14 21:51|| Front Page Top

#5 WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!
What do we do in the meantime?

Posted by Snuns Thromp1484 2006-03-14 23:59|| 2006-03-14 23:59|| Front Page Top

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