The woman, from Cameron County in Texas, had chronic underlying health conditions
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Swine flu epidemic breaks out in North America
Update: Now a national emergency
Now now trollydolly. Don't let hard facts get in the way of scaremongering and paranoia...
Sorry
We are all going to die arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
We are all going to die arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
While this is an swine Influenza A virus of the type H1N1, it can still pick up components of the avian Influenza A virus of the type H5N1 (bird flu) when co-infecting beasties (humans included). Combining highly pathogenic strains with highly infectious strains that retain both component rates (infection/pathogenicity) is what could lead to a Cat 5 or worse pandemic.
Now, that hasn't happened (yet) and may not happen (hopefully), but I can guarantee you it is being considered as the worst case scenario as it should be.
Top flu expert warns of a swine flu-bird flu mixNow, that hasn't happened (yet) and may not happen (hopefully), but I can guarantee you it is being considered as the worst case scenario as it should be.
Bird flu kills more than 60 percent of its human victims, but doesn't easily pass from person to person. Swine flu can be spread with a sneeze or handshake, but kills only a small fraction of the people it infects.
So what happens if they mix?
This is the scenario that has some scientists worried: The two viruses meet — possibly in Asia, where bird flu is endemic — and combine into a new bug that is both highly contagious and lethal and can spread around the world.
Now where have I heard that before...? So what happens if they mix?
This is the scenario that has some scientists worried: The two viruses meet — possibly in Asia, where bird flu is endemic — and combine into a new bug that is both highly contagious and lethal and can spread around the world.
Bird flu combining with a high transmitting flu.
H5N1 kills 60% of the people it infects.
H?N? (normal flu strains) kill less than 0.01% of the people it infects and those are mostly the "weak" people.
Now, some farmer with the normal flu variety is tending his chickens which carry the H5N1 strain. He gets infected with both and they co-mingle and share their DNA. The H5N1 virus gets a new shiny coat that is human to human transmissable but retains some of its pathogenicity. How much it retains is the big question here?
It could also mutate or rearrange some of its own genes to pick up the transmissibility factor that is now missing. Mutations happen every day in every cell containing DNA.
It is in the wild bird population and so it isn't likely to go away unless we kill all birds and other possible reservoirs for this virus. I doubt that will happen. We missed the chance to isolate in the chickens in Asia, now we better hope we isolate it in humans the instant it become human to human mobile.
H?N? (normal flu strains) kill less than 0.01% of the people it infects and those are mostly the "weak" people.
Now, some farmer with the normal flu variety is tending his chickens which carry the H5N1 strain. He gets infected with both and they co-mingle and share their DNA. The H5N1 virus gets a new shiny coat that is human to human transmissable but retains some of its pathogenicity. How much it retains is the big question here?
It could also mutate or rearrange some of its own genes to pick up the transmissibility factor that is now missing. Mutations happen every day in every cell containing DNA.
It is in the wild bird population and so it isn't likely to go away unless we kill all birds and other possible reservoirs for this virus. I doubt that will happen. We missed the chance to isolate in the chickens in Asia, now we better hope we isolate it in humans the instant it become human to human mobile.
@eurovol,
How do you believe this will happen?
Do you believe US will allow a flu vaccine cultured on dog kidney cell as opposed to the egg?
How do you believe this will happen?
Do you believe US will allow a flu vaccine cultured on dog kidney cell as opposed to the egg?
Even the Spanish flu of 1918-1920 which killed 25-100 million people only killed 2.5-5% of the people it infected. Source, our beloved Wikipedia.
1918 flu pandemic (Wikipedia) also says this about the 1918 Spanish flu:
Most of its victims were healthy young adults, in contrast to most influenza outbreaks which predominantly affect juvenile, elderly, or otherwise weakened patients.
CNN on swine flu:Investigators also want to know why the disease has killed young adults, who should have the greatest resistance.
And they(reports as much as I have read) have been saying this all along. Just as you have stated that this could mutate and become worse. The Flu season for the fall/winter season just began in the southern hemisphere. Brazil has new cases of H1N1 this week. So, This summer is very questionable as to what is next.
Current tallies:
2438 people infected worldwide
44 people died of it.
Meanwhile, 20000 people die of AIDS every year in the US, twice that number from prostate cancer, two-and-a-half times that number again of adverse drug reactions, five times that number (half a million now) each for tobacco-related and non-tobacco-caused cancers, and 50% more of even that number of heart disease.
Put another way, fewer people have died from this than die of lightning strikes annually. Fewer people have even contracted the disease than the number of people who die in motorcycle accidents each year in the US alone.
woof.
2438 people infected worldwide
44 people died of it.
Meanwhile, 20000 people die of AIDS every year in the US, twice that number from prostate cancer, two-and-a-half times that number again of adverse drug reactions, five times that number (half a million now) each for tobacco-related and non-tobacco-caused cancers, and 50% more of even that number of heart disease.
Put another way, fewer people have died from this than die of lightning strikes annually. Fewer people have even contracted the disease than the number of people who die in motorcycle accidents each year in the US alone.
woof.
Not really relevant, though, is it? AIDS, cancer, heart disease, lightning strikes and motorcycle accidents aren't likely to become airborne infections any time soon and there's treatment in place for them.
urrrmm... Lorelei. If you die instantaneously from a lightning strike or motorcycle accident could you please explain the treatments that are currently available for those, embalming aside that is...
CNN on swine flu:
That explains your complete paranoia on the subject - you watch CNN
look, the first wave of infection has been very mild. Thank goodness for that. But we really do not know how this virus will pan out through recombionations and mutations until the second wave comes in the autumn. Hopefiully that wave will be mild too, but it might not be and there are strong reasons to worry about that if you are virologist. In fact I am rather hoping the mild flu-like symptoms I have just had were swine flu because that could confer immunity on me when the autumn wave comes round.
BtC - no problem at all with exercising caution but spreading this blind panic does not serve any logical purpose at all. I have witnessed some incredible things over here lately that just leads me to think that assisted suicide would be the only option for them. Obviously they spend their lives waiting for the next disaster and do not really enjoy it so why not just put them out of the misery?
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