Swine flu has killed 60 people in Mexico - WHO concerned over 800 Mexican flu cases

[seemslikeadream]

SEVEN mysterious cases of swine flu have been found

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5521925&mesg_id=5521925




http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/24/mexico-city-flu-epidemic-_n_191021.html

MEXICO CITY — Mexico closed schools across this metropolis of 20 million Friday after at least 16 people died and more than 900 others fell ill from what health officials suspect is a strain of swine flu new to Mexico.

Mexico's Health Secretary Jose Cordova said officials have sent samples to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, to determine whether it's the same virus infecting seven people in Texas and California

Cordova told local media the flu is a "new, different strain ... that originally came from pigs."

Mexico's Public Health Department said tests proved that 16 died from the new strain, and about 44 other suspected cases still being were still being tested. The department put the total number of people sickened at around 943 nationwide.

Cordova described a chilling new strain that had killed only people among the normally less-vulnerable young and mid-adult age range. One possibility is that the most vulnerable segments of the population _ infants and the aged _ had been vaccinated against other strains, and that those vaccines may be providing some protection.

But Dr. Anne Schuchat of the CDC said "at this point, we do not have any confirmations of swine influenza in Mexico" of the kind that sickened seven California and Texas residents.

All seven U.S. victims recovered from a strain of the flu that combines pig, bird and human viruses in a way that researchers have not seen before.




ON THE COINCIDENCE PAGE


Army: 3 vials of virus samples missing from Maryland facility

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/04/22/missing.virus.sample/index.html

April 22, 2009

Missing vials of a potentially dangerous virus have prompted an Army investigation into the disappearance from a lab in Maryland.

The Army's Criminal Investigation Command agents have been visiting Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland, to investigate the disappearance of the vials. Christopher Grey, spokesman for the command, said this latest investigation has found "no evidence of criminal activity."

The vials contained samples of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis, a virus that sickens horses and can be spread to humans by mosquitoes. In 97 percent of cases, humans with the virus suffer flu-like symptoms, but it can be deadly in about 1 out of 100 cases, according to Caree Vander Linden, a spokeswoman for the Army's Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. There is an effective vaccine for the disease and there hasn't been an outbreak in the United States since 1971.

The vials had been at the research institute's facility at Fort Detrick, home of the Army's top biological research facility, for more than a decade. The three missing vials were among thousands of vials that were under the control of a senior scientist who retired in 2004. When another Fort Detrick scientist recently inventoried the retired scientist's biological samples, he discovered that the three vials of the virus were missing. The original scientist's records about his vials dated back to the days of paper-and-pen inventories.

[phantom power]

1. "This is the first time that we've seen an avian strain, two swine strains and a human strain,"

WTF?

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. That is what a lot people said in an earlier post about the multiple strains of virus..

:wtf:

[northernlights]

73. the fear with flu viruses is that they mix n'match

and can do so across certain species. For example, people get avian flu from *birds* but so far don't pass it along to other humans. It is transmitted bird-to-bird or bird-to-human, but not human-to-human.

The fear has been that someone with human flu would also get exposed to a new avian flu strain, that the 2 flus would mix n'match some dna, and we'd end up with a new strain that 1. passes human-to-human, and 2. we have no prior exposure and therefore no immunity. So you end up with a pandemic -- it spreads a lot because there is no existing immunity or vaccine for it. And if it also is particularly virulent, then you have a lot of death.

Same thing with swine flu -- a strain that people can catch *from* pigs mixes with a human strain and you get a new human-to-human strain.

So it looks as though what has happened is somebody who already had human flu was either exposed to both a swine and avian strain, *or* a pig with swine flu caught avian flu and created a swine/avian mix which then was passed to a human with human flu (or vice versa, with a bird catching a swine flu).

And ended up with a frankenflu that is possibly passing human-to-human.

[seemslikeadream]

2. Mexico flu outbreak kills dozens

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8016909.stm

Mexico flu outbreak kills dozens

The virus is normally linked to contact with pigs
Dozens of people have died and hundreds of others have been infected in a viral outbreak in Mexico suspected to have been caused by a strain of swine flu.

The WHO says it believes the virus is behind 60 deaths, mostly in and around the capital since mid-March.

Mexican authorities have closed schools in affected areas and a vaccination campaign is being launched.

Seven non-fatal cases of a new form of swine flu have also been confirmed in the southern United States.

Experts will carry out tests to determine if the two viruses are linked.

'Mutated from pigs'

[seemslikeadream]

3. WHO concerned over 800 Mexican flu cases

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/international/americas/view/2009_04_24_WHO_concerned_over_800_Mexican_flu_cases/srvc=home&position=recent

GENEVA — The World Health Organization is concerned about 800 suspected flu cases in Mexico that could be linked to a new type of flu infecting people in the United States.

A WHO spokeswoman says the agency cannot confirm that all the cases have been caused by swine flu.

But Fadela Chaib says 800 suspected cases in the Mexico City area are similar to the sickness that that killed three deaths and infected 24 in central Mexico.

In the United States health officials are investigating a new form of flu that combines pig, bird and human viruses that has infected seven people in California and Texas.

Swine flu is usually caught by contact with pigs.

U.S. officials say none of the American patients have been in contact with pigs, and the cases are a growing medical mystery.

[Submariner]

4. From International SOS

Medical Alerts

Mexico

Severe respiratory illness in Mexico

Created: April 24, 2009 07:04 GMT
Updated: April 24, 2009 08:15 GMT

Over one hundred and thirty cases of a severe respiratory illness have been detected in south and central Mexico, of which at least some are due to influenza.

Public health officials in Mexico began actively looking for cases of respiratory illness upon noticing that the seasonal peak of influenza extended into April, when cases usually decline in number.

They found two outbreaks of illness - one centered around Distrito Federal (Mexico City), involving about 120 cases with 13 deaths. The other is in San Luis Potosi, with 14 cases and 4 deaths. A death in Oaxaca, in the south, and 2 in Baja California Norte, were also detected.

The majority of cases are occurring in adults, between 25 and 44 years of age. Some have occurred in health care workers. Symptoms are initially like flu, with fever, cough, headache and muscle pains. Severe cases progressed rapidly within 5 days.

In response, health officials have temporarily suspended classes for schools and universities in Mexico City and nearby locations.

Investigations are ongoing, and samples have been sent to Canada for further testing. Influenza virus was detected in at least four of the fatal cases.


International SOS Comment



It is unclear at this stage whether all severe cases are the same illness, and whether they are due to seasonal flu. There is no indication at this stage that this situation is linked to the swine flu cases in the USA. (See the International SOS medical alert on Swine Flu in the USA)

International SOS is monitoring the situation closely and will update this alert as more information becomes available.

Travel to Mexico can proceed. People who have not had an annual flu vaccination should consider having one to prevent regular seasonal flu.

In addition, to prevent respiratory infections, including flu and prevent spreading illness:

Maintain good personal hygiene. Wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face.
Cover coughs and sneezes with a mask or a tissue.
Avoid obviously sick people
Stay at home if you are unwell, and seek medical attention if you develop flu-like symptoms
Parents should take their young children with fever or influenza-like symptoms for prompt medical attention.
For more information:

See "Influenza" in the Disease and Prevention dropdown on the International SOS Country Guides
Contact any International SOS Alarm Center




Authors:
Dr. Doug Quarry
Dr. Irene Lai
Viki Hansen-Landis, MPH
David DoQuang, MPH

Feedback: Non-urgent questions and comments






This is a follow-up alert based upon the pre-travel advisory email you received for your destination. Please note that the follow-up alerts are sent to you just for the duration of your trip in order to notify you about the health and safety risks in your destination. If you have any questions, please contact [e-mail] .

[seemslikeadream]

5. Thanks and could you tell me your former name please? I recogniize the baby

but have forgotten who you are :hi:

[Submariner]

8. Submariner

I always have been the Submariner. I switched to a fish for a couple of months, but decided my smoking baby better reflects my feelings about todays politics.

[Baby Snooks]

11. Not seen before...

"All seven U.S. victims recovered from a strain of the flu that combines pig, bird and human viruses in a way that researchers have not seen before."

The flu virus is a mutating virus and is also a recombinant virus - this was also the first year that the flu vaccine did not protect against the strain that emerged and also the first year that "traditional" treatment also did not protect against the strain that emerged.

The real alarm in this is the combinant avian virus. This may indicate that the avian virus we saw emerge in Southeast Asia several years ago may be combining with other strains. The number of deaths within the number of cases, although since this in Mexico there are probably far more cases than are being reported, would indicate this at least has the potential of becoming a deadly pandemic.

More than likely this is the result of "global warming" with the still- slight rise in mean temperature producing some very not-so-slight changes in viruses and bacteria.

The CDC of course will issue a warning about the time the deaths start to rise here. The way our CDC works. Or doesn't work.

[mzmolly]

34. Remember this?

http://boards.msn.com/MSNBCboards/thread.aspx?ThreadID=989992

The fact that Baxter mixed the deadly H5N1 virus with a mix of H3N2 seasonal flu viruses is the smoking gun. The H5N1 virus on its own has killed hundreds of people, but it is less airborne and more restricted in the ease with which it can spread. However, when combined with seasonal flu viruses, which as everyone knows are super-airborne and easily spread, the effect is a potent, super-airbone, super deadly biological weapon.

As the Canadian Press article explains, “While H5N1 doesn’t easily infect people, H3N2 viruses do. If someone exposed to a mixture of the two had been simultaneously infected with both strains, he or she could have served as an incubator for a hybrid virus able to transmit easily to and among people.”

There can be little doubt therefore that this was a deliberate attempt to weaponize the H5N1 virus to its most potent extreme and distribute it via conventional flu vaccines to the population who would then infect others to a devastating degree as the disease went airborne.

The Canadian Press article states, “That mixing process, called reassortment, is one of two ways pandemic viruses are created,” but then claims that there is no evidence that this is what Baxter were doing, despite there being no clear explanation as to why Baxter has samples of the live avian flu virus on its premises in the first place.

[northernlights]

74. how would this be a result of global warming?

Viruses and bacteria have high mutancy rates due to their very short generational times (as little as 30 minutes in some bacteria) and their methods of reproduction.

Pathogenic viruses and bacteria reproduce *inside* bodies, not outside them, and so are dependent on their victim's metabolism. That would be independent of climate change, other than possibly an added stress to the victims, leaving them more vulnerable to infections.

The CDC and WHO have been watching closely for years for the next pandemic because, quite simply, statistically we are due (or slightly overdue) for one, since they happen periodically. They've been concerned about an avian pandemic because the new strain of avian flu is virulent in humans (as well as some species of birds) so would potentially cause a high death rate. That's why they have gone around killing millions of chickens with every outbreak for the last few years.

[Mojorabbit]

7. I have been watching this for the past week

it is worrisome. I have a friend in El Paso who's husband is Mexican and says the tv there says it has spread to seven states in Mexico. A few days ago there were reports of doctors and nurses falling ill.

[Mojorabbit]

9. update

WHO calls emergency meeting on swine flu
Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:20pm IST



GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization said on Friday it was calling an emergency committee to advise whether outbreaks of swine flu in humans in the United States and Mexico constituted an international public health threat.

A deadly strain of swine flu never seen before has broken out in Mexico, killing as many as 60 people and raising fears of a possible spread across North America.

"WHO will convene, sometime in the very near future, an emergency committee under the International Health Regulations, which will consider whether or not this event constitutes a public health event of international concern," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl told Reuters in Geneva.

Hartl also said that 12 of 18 samples taken from victims in Mexico showed the virus had a genetic structure identical to that of a swine flu virus found in California.
http://in.reuters.com/article/healthNewsMolt/idINTRE53N4RI20090424

[Avalux]

29. More stuff.

Dallas:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6390468.html

Laboratory confirmed cases in the US:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/investigation.htm

The two Texas cases were in Guadalupe County TX (San Antonio) where I live. And not to get too paranoid, but I currently have some sort of respiratory infection that has kicked my ass since Monday, low grade temp. Went to the doc today for a strep test because my throat hurts so bad and I am coughing up green phlegm. No strep; sent home and told to rest that it's viral and should go away.

[TZ]

10. Umm totally different viri

Try to get at least your BASIC biology correct. Swine flu does crop up NATURALLY now and then from YA KNOW>>>SWINE/PIGS.
Christ on a crutch. If you had to pass a basic bio test to post on DU, there'd be just a few hundred..:banghead:

[seemslikeadream]

13. EXCUSE ME where the fuck do you see my words ANYWHERE? Christ on a crutch.

[Mojorabbit]

14. It is apparantly novel

because it has both US swine and Eurasian swine, two avian flu genes, and a human gene.
There was a good write up on effect measure.
"It turns out this virus is highly unusual, a quadruple reassortant. The genes of a flu virus are packaged in eight discrete segments. When two flu viruses infect the same host cell, the segments of each are copied and repackaged, 8 at a time, in new viral particles which then bud off from the infected cell."
http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/2009/04/the_evolving_swine_flu_story.php

What concerns me is that this years seasonal flu was almost all resistant to tamiflu. This one is resistant to the older antivirals. It this one becomes resistant to tamiflu too it will be harder to control.

Here is the cdc summary from today's conference call.
Infections for H1N1 swine influenza have been confirmed in 8 individuals

6 in CA

2 in San Antonio

Illness onset going back to end of March to middle of April. Age range 7 - 54, number in children but not all. 7 were seen as outpatients, 1 hospitalized an adult woman with autoimmune disease (hepatitis). All have recovered completely. All were infected with an identical swine H1N1 virus. Unrelated to any swine flu virus previously identified in North America.

No pig exposure. None of the individuals are related except for a father and daughter. There is human to human transmission of this virus ongoing.

This virus is resistant to amantadine/R but is sensitive to Tamiflu/Z. We do recommend treatment as soon as possible with T or Z. Same treatment protocol as for seasonal influenza - 2X day for 5 days.

We do not know the incubation period for this virus infection. Probably 2-6 days.

Reports of illness including fatal cases in Mexico. CDC has received clinical specimens from Mexico as has the Canadian national lab. Both have confirmed H1N1 swine influenza infection. It appears to be identical to the virus in Mexico as to that in CA, TX.

U.S. cases were uncomplicated, but Mexican some cases involved severe lower respiratory involvement.

Symptoms: fever cough sore throat runny nose myalgia. In addition, several have reported vomiting and diarrhea.

Questions:

Question: Why the difference in the virulence between U.S. and Mexico?

Answer: We can't speculate - we need more epidemiological information - but that may be something we confront in the U.S.

Current diagnostics available for seasonal flu will not distinguish between seasonal and swine influenza. Problem because almost all the seasonal H1N1 is resistant to Tami, but this swine flu is resistant to amantadine. Clincial dilemma for management of the patient. We'll be trying to work to help clinicians with some guidance. There is still seasonal flu activity in the U.S.

Question: Alert levels and business continuity plans that are tied into them.

Answer: Situation is ongoing. Evolving. Pandemic phase level will be evaluated probably on a daily basis. I would say stay tuned.

Question: Is this occurring in vaccinated people?

Answer: Of the 8 cases in the U.S. one was vaccinated for seasonal flu last Fall. The others either we don't have the info or they were not vaccinated. Cross-reactivity with seasonal H1N1 - those investigations are underway, preliminary investigations indicate there is not a good match. Vaccine development is underway in a number of approaches, both classical reassortment and reverse genetics approach. There is discussion about a live vaccine approach.

Someone who has received seasonal flu vaccination should not be considered protected.

On the animal side we've not heard reports about swine flu in animals at least in terms of this virus. The caution would be that surveillance for swine flu is not where detection for poultry is in this country. The current tests may not be able to pick up this strain. These 8 cases had no link to pigs or poultry or other animals. It is H2H transmission.

Question: Should all specimens be submitted that test positive for flu A?

Answer: All states can do the testing, we would like to see specimens routed through the state labs. These cases were in some sense picked up accidentally. Novel influenza infections are a nationally notifiable disease. We'd like to see more specimens tested.

Contacts of the confirmed cases have been followed and tested. Because of the situation in Mexico and because of concern over travel to Mexico there will be a broadening of the definition to include recent travel to Mexico or a contact of someone who was ill who had recent travel to Mexico.

Patients who are hospitalized with febrile lower respiratory tract disease, including those with diagnosed secondary bacterial pneumonia ( ) should be tested. Collect both a nasal and a pharyngeal specimen.

Question: Any cases anywhere outside the U.S. and Mexico?

Answer: Not to date but surveillance needs to be ramped up. We have confirmation about cases in the U.S. and Mexico but I can't comment on Canada because I don't have information on that.

Question: 27 deaths in Mexico. Do you know if the onset was the same as the cases here? Mexico experienced onset March 27, caller said.

Answer: Onset was end of March going through Mid April here in the U.S.

Question: States are waiting on CDC to go out to public with one voice. Any plans for a CDC health advisory to be released in next couple of hours, days.

Answer: We will be releasing an MMWR dispatch today, but the situation is evolving and could be very different in a few days. We are posting interim guidance at CDC web pages. As we get more info, we will be revising these documents. I do agree with a coordinated message as much as possible. We are trying to keep our public health partners and our clinical partners as up to date as possible. We will probably have new information on Monday.

Question: Would rapid test for influenza A pick up this virus?

Answer: We don't know. We would not recommend rapid testing for this virus for diagnostic purposes. A positive could indicate H1N2 or H3N2 seasonal, or give a false positive, or indicate a swine H1N1 infection. For specific diagnosis we really want PCR to be done preferably at state labs.

Question: Had the cases traveled to Mexico or had contact with travelers from Mexico?

Answer: Most of them did not have a travel history to Mexico, a few of them had some travel....it is impossible for us to trace back this. From what we know that's going on in Mexico one can only conclude that given the lack of epidemiological links among these cases in the U.S. that there is ongoing human to human transmission.

Question: Our hospitals serve many Mexican national here in Odessa, TX. Do you have guidance for us?

Answer: Border states have increased surveillance at hospitals and clinics. This appears to be linked to the situation in Mexico. You should expect that you will see (Mexican) ill patients infected with this swine influenza virus. We are issuing infection control guidance which will hopefully be helpful for your facility. We are revising the interim guidance posted early this week.

Question: Where on the epidemic curve are we? How far do you think it has spread?

Answer: There should be active surveillance. Raises the question about travelers and non-border states. Quite likely that other states will see H1N1 swine influenza cases and all states need to be prepared. In terms of where we are, it's hard to say, we're early....this is somewhat recent. A detection of 8 cases in two different states is probably an underestimate. Can't comment on where Mexico is in the epidemic.

Question: Duration?

Answer: 4-5 days. One child who resolved their fever but had a runny nose at day 8 was PCR positive.

Question: Statins?

Answer: No information on statins.

Question: Bacterial pneumonia?

Answer: We're not calling this a pandemic yet, but we do see secondary bacterial pneumonia so that should be expected.

[arikara]

41. Statins?

I must have missed something. What's that question towards the bottom about statins have to do with anything?

[Mojorabbit]

44. Some studies

have shown statins to have a protective effect against flu.

[Javaman]

12. Very similar profile to the 1918 flu out break...

Todays report:

"Cordova described a chilling new strain that had killed only people among the normally less-vulnerable young and mid-adult age range. One possibility is that the most vulnerable segments of the population _ infants and the aged _ had been vaccinated against other strains, and that those vaccines may be providing some protection."

And now from wikipedia on the 1918 flu:

The influenza strain was unusual in that this pandemic killed many young adults and otherwise healthy victims – typical influenzas kill mostly infants (aged 0-2 years), the elderly, and the immunocompromised. Another oddity was that this influenza outbreak was widespread in summer and fall (in the Northern Hemisphere). Typically, influenza is worse in the winter months.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic#Patterns_of_fatality

on edit: some scientists later theorized that this had something to do with the victims immunity. Babies and the aged have typically lower slower immunity so the flu doesn't spread as fast where as in a young healthy adult, the flu would spread like wild fire.

[Mojorabbit]

15. The first wave of the 1918 flu

was mild. It was the second wave that was so virulent. I am watching the developments closely.

[Javaman]

16. Me too.

My gramps would tell me stories about it. it's really something I don't want to experience at all.

[glitch]

30. The old and very young caught it, built up immunity. The middle people didn't catch it, didn't build

up an immunity to that strain and were hit very hard by the second wave. That's the speculation I heard which seems reasonable to me.

[Mojorabbit]

43. From what I have read

it was the people with the most robust immune systems which are not children and the elderly that were affected because of cytokine storm where the immune system went into overdrive.

[glitch]

61. Interesting, I had not heard that.

Hopefully we aren't about to get a closer IRL look at the process.

[CAcyclist]

62. yes, I think that is more accurate. nt

[Sheltiemama]

75. That stood out to me, too.

[nichomachus]

76. I was once working for a few weeks in northern NH

and across the street from where I was, there was a small cemetery, where I used to walk on my lunch break.

I was intrigued by one family that had died in 1918. There were two large headstones and five or six small ones. A mother, a father, and five or six kids, who all died several weeks apart. I found that so sad. I always wondered whether there were any kids who survived.

[seemslikeadream]

17. now it is 8 cases in U.S.

http://in.reuters.com/article/health/idINTRE53N5W920090424

[SidDithers]

18. Are you trying to link a horse virus...

with a swine flu outbreak in Mexico?

Sid

[seemslikeadream]

19. no

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

21. Just remarking on the "coincidence."

Riiiight.

[SidDithers]

22. Then why put the two articles into the same post?...

:shrug:

Sid

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

24. He didn't want to get charged to make two posts on two unrelated stories.

:crazy:

[seemslikeadream]

25. Just get the gender correct that's all I care to hear from you

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

47. No, I fucking felt like it.

:rofl:

[seemslikeadream]

48. I would expect no less from you

you'll have to point me to something of substance you post sometime. I've never seen a word of any merit from you only crap

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

52. Yes, yes.

And I would expect nothing less from you than to try and connect these two viruses, and then try to pretend you didn't when challenged.

[seemslikeadream]

55. Challenged? What bullshit that's all you bring to the table that's all I have ever seen from you

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

57. You're in no position to be accusing others of bullshit.

[seemslikeadream]

58. Oh yes I am

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

59. Not after your OP you're not.

Not to mention all your other pseudoscience threads.

[NeedleCast]

63. Seems Ironic, considering OPs signature line

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

64. That uncredited quote belongs to Stephen Hawking.

A woo woo if there ever was one.

:sarcasm:

[seemslikeadream]

66. Well thanks for looking that up

[seemslikeadream]

65. stay in your illusions who cares

[seemslikeadream]

26. Because I fucking felt like it, problem with that alert

[SidDithers]

51. Alert? What for?...

Being wrong isn't against the rules.

Sid

[seemslikeadream]

53. There was nothing wrong with my post

[SidDithers]

78. Then what does swine flu in Mexico...

have to do with 3 missing vials of a horse virus?

Nothing, right?

Sid

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

20. 36,000 Americans die from the flu every year.

That's about 100 every day.

[seemslikeadream]

23. but this is not the "flu"

[dbt]

79. You'd stick your dick in a blender for the attention, wouldn't you?

:evilgrin:

[seemslikeadream]

85. !!!!! LOL

:hi: :hug:


the swine flu is widespread and no means to contain it.

[seemslikeadream]

27. CDC says too late to contain U.S. flu outbreak

http://in.reuters.com/article/health/idINTRE53N64X20090424

[seemslikeadream]

28. 1004 cases in Mexico now

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday it was too late to contain the swine flu outbreak in the United States.

CDC acting director Dr. Richard Besser told reporters in a telephone briefing it was likely too late to try to contain the outbreak, by vaccinating, treating or isolating people.

"There are things that we see that suggest that containment is not very likely," he said.

He said the U.S. cases and Mexican cases are likely the same virus. "So far the genetic elements that we have looked at are the same." But Besser said it was unclear why the virus was causing so many deaths in deaths in Mexico and such mild disease in the United States.

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. We were there last week

not that we did, but easily given the traffic from there to here, we could have been patient zero

Oh before you ask, I am healthy as a horse, beyond the bump in head and bursitis

[seemslikeadream]

33. I am healthy as a horse LOL

yes sorry bout the fall, but did you see the coincidence I posted in the OP and the grief I got for doing so? :rofl:

[nadinbrzezinski]

37. Mostly because they have been missing for quite a bit longer

This is nature at its best...

And we were overdue

[NeedleCast]

32. SARS...I mean West Nile...I mean Bird Flu...

I mean Swine Flu...yes, for sure Swine Flu...will devestate populations.

"But Besser said it was unclear why the virus was causing so many deaths in deaths in Mexico and such mild disease in the United States."

I think I can guess...

[seemslikeadream]

35. I know it is difficult to get the facts

:hi:

[NeedleCast]

40. You Should Read This Story Called "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"

*spoiler alert: In the end, he gets eaten by a wolf...

if I'm wrong, assuming I survive the global pandemic and the internet still exists, I'll come apologize for not taking this latest world population decimating virus seriously.

[seemslikeadream]

46. please I'm sure the people in Mexico and California are not so blase about it as you are

I guess Wales is crying wolf also

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5526907&mesg_id=5526907

[NeedleCast]

49. I bet the vast majority of them are

But you go on cowering. Surgical masks look very stylish.

Its amazing that will all these huge pandemic outbreaks on incredibly viral flu that world population continues to grow steadily. It's almost like they're not pandemic viruses with high morbidity ratios at all...

[seemslikeadream]

50. I'm sure these women in Mexico find your humor stylish

[NeedleCast]

54. I prefer the white surgical masks...they go with everything

Not after labor day though.

[seemslikeadream]

56. whatever

[nadinbrzezinski]

60. Check the data on pandemics, especially pay attention to 1918

question, what caused more casualties? WW I or the Pandemic?

The answer, pandemic

I hope this is not the case, but we are overdue

And no, as populations develop resistance to the new killer, the death rate crashes

Care to take a course in epidemiology?

Jeesus age I made a joke about patient zero, but at least it is a ghoulish joke based on real world info!

As to the boy who cried wold yep and your point? We are overdue and in a world with as dense populations as we have right now, the pandemic, assuming it goes there, as the Mexican Government is taking STANDARD actions, which tend to reduce both morbidity and mortality (There I go using technical terms), it could possibly lead to a couple million dead in Mexico City...

But I am sure in your blasé attitude, after all in your world this never happens... this is just wolf, and boy, and crying... and I do hope you are right.

[NeedleCast]

68. I hope I'm right too

The point is that the media loves itself a good virus scare. Seems to put butts in seats like few other things. Little bit of panic to keep people inside and glued to their TeeVee. My blase attitude is based on the fact that exactly zero of the "big scare" viruses over the past decade have turned out to be anything other than complete bullshit. Sucks for the handful of people who have died from them, but the fact is that it's not more than a handful of people and I'm sorry if not going into hand wringing mode over the death of ever individual on the planet seems harsh.

Care to take a course in showing a little bit of doubt over the latest media-induced "SUPER VIRUS(tm)?"

Fair is fair though. I've bookmarked this thread. If 2009's version of West Nile Virus turns out to be the global pendemic OP is fretting about, I'll come back and eat my crow. If this latest world-killer ends up increasing the number of flu deaths in the world by 1% or more, I'll come apologize.

If 9/11 taught us anything, its that people can be frightened into just about anything. Polls taken shortly after 9/11 showed that one-third of Americans feared being killed in a terrorist attack despite the fact that your chance of dying in a terror related attack world wide is 1 in 11.3 million.

I'm going to be in Texas this weekend. Looks like nice weather. I'll be outside in the crowd on sixth street. Without a surgical mask, huge risk-taker that I am.

[nadinbrzezinski]

70. Here is a free clue

the supervirus (tm) warnings started in 1996

The ones issuing the warnings were folks like the WHO

I had a front row seat to that

[seemslikeadream]

71. Go here without a fucking mask oh brave one

[seemslikeadream]

67. THESE ARE REAL PEOPLE WITH REAL LIVES FACING A REAL VIRUS

THESE ARE REAL PEOPLE WITH REAL LIVES FACING A REAL VIRUS



Getty Images 3 hours ago
People cover his face with scarfs to protect themselves from the virus of swine flu at the Mixcoac health center In Mexico city, on April 24, 2009. An outbreak of deadly swine flu in Mexico and the United States has raised the specter of a new virus against which much of humanity would have little or no immunity. About 950 cases and 60 suspect deaths have been reported in Mexico, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said that the infection of humans with an influenza 'A' virus of animal origins is a concern "because of the risk, albeit small, that this could represent the appearance of viruses with pandemic potential."



Reuters Pictures 1 hour ago
A man wears a mask as he waits inside the Mixcoac health center in Mexico City April 24, 2009. A deadly strain of swine flu never seen before has broken out in Mexico, killing at least 16 people and raising fears it is spreading across North America. The World Health Organization said it was concerned about what it called 800 "influenza-like" cases in Mexico, and also about a confirmed outbreak of a new strain of swine flu in the United States.



Getty Images 4 hours ago
People leave the Mixcoac health center using scarfs to protect themselves from the virus of swine flu in Mexico city, on April 24, 2009. An outbreak of deadly swine flu in Mexico and the United States has raised the specter of a new virus against which much of humanity would have little or no immunity. About 950 cases and 60 suspect deaths have been reported in Mexico, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said that the infection of humans with an influenza 'A' virus of animal origins is a concern "because of the risk, albeit small, that this could represent the appearance of viruses with pandemic potential."

[seemslikeadream]

80. Are you wearing your white one now?

[NeedleCast]

83. No, because I'm not going to be a frightened littl e knee jerk reactionary

No matter how stylish it is.

[seemslikeadream]

87. can't contain it

[seemslikeadream]

36. Swine flu could infect U.S. trade and travel

http://in.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idINN2443181920090424

CHICAGO, April 24 (Reuters) - Mexico's deadly swine flu could disrupt trade and travel between the United States and Mexico if it prompts restrictions on the movement of goods across the border or sparks fear in consumers, analysts say.

The potential impact is far from clear as experts race to learn more about the disease, which has claimed the lives of as many as 61 people. But shipping and travel industries are especially vigilant.

"If you end up with a significant demand shift, you could end up with a very substantial effect on our products, whether it be government-imposed restrictions or alternatively if the consumers just decide to say 'no'," said Bob Young, chief economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Since Mexico and Canada are the two largest buyers of U.S. agricultural goods, such restrictions could be a drag on U.S. agriculture, Young said.

The World Health Organization has said it is concerned about 800 "influenza-like" cases in Mexico. The group confirmed the outbreak of a new strain of swine flu in the United States and said about 60 people had died in Mexico.

[mzmolly]

38. There was an interesting discussion at the MSNBC boards recently.

http://boards.msn.com/MSNBCboards/thread.aspx?ThreadID=989992

The fact that Baxter mixed the deadly H5N1 virus with a mix of H3N2 seasonal flu viruses is the smoking gun. The H5N1 virus on its own has killed hundreds of people, but it is less airborne and more restricted in the ease with which it can spread. However, when combined with seasonal flu viruses, which as everyone knows are super-airborne and easily spread, the effect is a potent, super-airbone, super deadly biological weapon.

As the Canadian Press article explains, “While H5N1 doesn’t easily infect people, H3N2 viruses do. If someone exposed to a mixture of the two had been simultaneously infected with both strains, he or she could have served as an incubator for a hybrid virus able to transmit easily to and among people.”

There can be little doubt therefore that this was a deliberate attempt to weaponize the H5N1 virus to its most potent extreme and distribute it via conventional flu vaccines to the population who would then infect others to a devastating degree as the disease went airborne.

The Canadian Press article states, “That mixing process, called reassortment, is one of two ways pandemic viruses are created,” but then claims that there is no evidence that this is what Baxter were doing, despite there being no clear explanation as to why Baxter has samples of the live avian flu virus on its premises in the first place.

[seemslikeadream]

42. Thanks for posting this I remember this story now

:hi:

[mzmolly]

82. .

:hi:

[Mojorabbit]

45. As far as we know though

this flu has no H5N1 component which is good or we would be in for a world of hurt.

[mzmolly]

81. Good to know.

:scared:

[BreweryYardRat]

77. See, as far as I'm concerned, a little stunt like that is a perfect argument for the death penalty.

Willful gross negligence with the potential to endanger human life on a large scale is just as bad as murder, and conspiracy to endanger human life on a large scale IS attempted murder. Whether the virus gets loose or not doesn't matter -- it should never have made it out of the lab.

The difficulty is in making it stick to top management, assuming the proof points to conspiracy -- which it probably will. No point in killing a scapegoat and letting the real dangers to society walk.

[seemslikeadream]

39. Concern Grows Over Possible Swine Flu Pandemic

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517820,00.html


MEXICO CITY — A strain of flu never seen before has killed as many as 61 people in Mexico and has spread into the United States, where eight people have been infected but recovered, health officials said Friday.

Mexico's government said at least 16 people have died of the disease in central Mexico and that it may also have been responsible for 45 other deaths.

Click here for more about the swine flu.

The World Health Organization said tests showed the virus in 12 of the Mexican patients had the same genetic structure as a new strain of swine flu, designated H1N1, seen in eight people in California and Texas.

Because there is clearly human-to-human spread of the new virus, raising fears of a major outbreak, Mexico's government canceled classes for millions of children in its sprawling capital city and surrounding areas.


http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/04/24/deadly-swine-flu-outbreak-in-mexico-city-prompts-fears-of-a-pandemic/
Deadly Swine Flu Outbreak in Mexico City Prompts Fears of a Pandemic

[Mojorabbit]

69. 3rd possible swine flu outbreak in Mexico

3rd possible swine flu outbreak in Mexico -- WHO
Fri Apr 24, 2009 4:05pm EDT


GENEVA, April 24 (Reuters) - Mexico has reported a third possible outbreak of swine flu in Mexicali, near the U.S. border, with four suspect cases and no deaths to date, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSLO61281820090424

[seemslikeadream]

72. Mexicali, near the U.S. border,

thanks

[Avalux]

84. BULLETIN: NY City Health Department Calls Unscheduled News Conference

Posted 8 minutes ago, no further information yet:

http://twitter.com/BreakingNews/statuses/1613765978

[seemslikeadream]

86. Thanks