HEADS UP: Swine Flu Epidemic in Mexico

[Comet]

It appears as though a virulent virus has struck in Mexico. From what I know from studying the history of influenza pandemics the comments in this article are sounding very familar. Public Health in Canada was put on alert six days ago. http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/623074

If any of you read the flu blogs, go check them out now! Too much information for me to post.

[KuernoDeChivo]

Ok I don't want to sounds too tin-foil or anything since there could be natural causes for what I am about to say. I mean it could be something like this has already hit us in the past but I have noticed something weird.

The symptoms described here have been hitting mainly "Hispanics" in my area for a while. I help the Clergy in a Spanish speaking church. I have noticed so many off the congregation are very sick with respiratory conditions all the coughing and what not..

While the article mentions that visitors are becoming ill it doesn't say much about race.

Many of you know that my DW is from Mexico. Just like many of the Hispanics at church She has had something crazy that she just couldn't kick. Earlier in teh winter she had full-blown strep and now this. While the doctors do not know for sure what it is they do know it was causing severe respiratory problems. They finally but her on massive doses of Amoxicillin and she seems to be doing better.

Mean while my children only got a tinge of whatever it was and I never got sick. I just thought it was the extra Vitamin 'D' I have been taking but now I am wondering.

[Is45]

Ok I don't want to sounds too tin-foil or anything since there could be natural causes for what I am about to say. I mean it could be something like this has already hit us in the past but I have noticed something weird.

The symptoms described here have been hitting mainly "Hispanics" in my area for a while. I help the Clergy in a Spanish speaking church. I have noticed so many off the congregation are very sick with respiratory conditions all the coughing and what not..

While the article mentions that visitors are becoming ill it doesn't say much about race.

Many of you know that my DW is from Mexico. Just like many of the Hispanics at church She has had something crazy that she just couldn't kick. Earlier in teh winter she had full-blown strep and now this. While the doctors do not know for sure what it is they do know it was causing severe respiratory problems. They finally but her on massive doses of Amoxicillin and she seems to be doing better.

Mean while my children only got a tinge of whatever it was and I never got sick. I just thought it was the extra Vitamin 'D' I have been taking but now I am wondering.



Are you suggesting it might be a man-made race-linked virus ?


~

[twobarkingdogs]

Here is the article from the above posted link


David Bruser
Staff Reporter

A mysterious and "severe" respiratory illness that has surfaced in parts of Mexico is killing some and leaving others on ventilators.

The flu-like condition – health officials say some specimens have tested positive for influenzas A and B – has so far affected healthy young adults between the ages 25 and 44.

The victims were sickened in central and south Mexico and showed influenza-like symptoms that quickly progressed to "severe respiratory distress" in five days. Some health care workers have been affected.

A bulletin from Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care does not say how many have been killed or sickened, and it is not clear if any Canadians are among the victims.

Officials are saying little else, though a ministry press release adds it is not yet clear if the several cases are linked, and there is no evidence that a new strain of influenza is at work.

[Is45]

A mysterious and "severe" respiratory illness that has surfaced in parts of Mexico is killing some and leaving others on ventilators.

The flu-like condition – health officials say some specimens have tested positive for influenzas A and B – has so far affected healthy young adults between the ages 25 and 44.




This is interesting.

The deadly Spanish flu also affected mainly healthy young adults.


~

[Exodia]

If any of you read the flu blogs, go check them out now! Too much information for me to post.Yes, they are buzzing. All the things you don't want to see: healthcare workers infected, major population center, healthy young adults infected, high CFR (so far). Something to watch very closely.

[Exodia]

Google Tanslation:

500 cases reported in Mexico City

The contagion has affected workers and employees of major public hospitals in the Capital, such as the Juarez Hospital, General Hospital, National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, and hospitals in the area of Tlalpan



MEXICO CITY .- At least 500 employees of the Health sector in Mexico City are infected with influenza virus, reported Antonio Sanchez Arriaga, general secretary of the National Independent Union of Health Workers.

The contagion has affected workers and employees of major public hospitals in the Capital, such as the Juarez Hospital, General Hospital, National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, and hospitals in the area of Tlalpan, where the National Institute Cardiology, the National Nutrition Institute and the Hospital Manuel Gea González, in addition to the Red Cross Polanco.

The union leader warned that the number of infections could triple this week not to take necessary health measures

"Last Friday we learned of the infection and ask our representatives in the various hospitals who send us reports of patients, and found that the focus of infection and reached 500 partners," said Sanchez Arriaga.

The leader of the guild said that the authorities are overcome by the presence of influenza in hospitals and only palliative measures have been implemented to try to prevent further infections.

"Right now we are being vaccinated and are taking a week leave to employees who are sick, but this is already an epidemic, and again we believe that if this continues this week we could have more than 500 thousand infected (may translate to 1500, not 500K) ," he said.

Sanchez Arriaga explained that it is essential to vaccinate personnel working in the areas of neonatology, pediatrics, gynecology and pulmonology, and who have the most potential for spreading infection in high risk populations.

(Imelda Garcia / Agency Reform)

Reportan 500 casos en la Ciudad de México

El contagio de trabajadores ha afectado ya a empleados de los principales hospitales públicos de la Capital , tales como el Hospital Juárez, el Hospital General, el Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, y los hospitales de la zona de Tlalpan



CIUDAD DE MÉXICO .- Al menos 500 empleados del sector Salud en el DF se encuentran contagiados con el virus de la influenza, informó Antonio Sánchez Arriaga, secretario general del Sindicato Independiente Nacional de Trabajadores de Salud.

El contagio de trabajadores ha afectado ya a empleados de los principales hospitales públicos de la Capital , tales como el Hospital Juárez, el Hospital General, el Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, y los hospitales de la zona de Tlalpan, donde se encuentran el Instituto Nacional de Cardiología, el Instituto Nacional de Nutrición y el Hospital Manuel Gea González, además de la Cruz Roja de Polanco.

El dirigente sindical advirtió que el número de contagios podría triplicarse esta semana de no tomar las medidas sanitarias necesarias,

"El viernes pasado nosotros nos percatamos del contagio y pedimos a nuestros representantes en los diversos hospitales que nos enviaran reportes de los enfermos, y encontramos que el foco de infección ya alcanzó a 500 compañeros", indicó Sánchez Arriaga.

El líder del gremio aseguró que las autoridades se encuentran rebasadas por la presencia de la influenza en los hospitales y sólo han aplicado medidas paliativas para tratar de evitar más contagios.

"Ahorita nos están vacunando y están dando permisos de una semana a los empleados que están enfermos; pero esto ya se volvió una epidemia y creemos que si esto sigue esta semana podríamos tener a más de mil 500 contagiados", manifestó.

Sánchez Arriaga expuso que es urgente que se vacune al personal que labora en las áreas de neonatología, pediatría, ginecología y neumología, ya que son quienes tienen más posibilidades de propagar el contagio en la población de alto riesgo.

(Imelda García /Agencia Reforma)


http://www.elmanana.com.mx/notas.asp?id=117125 (http://www.elmanana.com.mx/notas.asp?id=117125)

[Is45]

"Right now we are being vaccinated and are taking a week leave to employees who are sick, but this is already an epidemic...




If it's man-made bioterrorism, you also need to beware of the cure [vaccination.]


~

[AskYourselfWhy]

Whew...I'm kind of relieved.

With all the bad economic news, I was worried that this thread was going to report something about Corona being in trouble.

Thank goodness it's just the flu.

[Comet]

More information from Alberta Health Services. Overview of current situation and SRI case definition.

http://www.calgaryhealthregion.ca/moh/pdf/sri_management_update_apr212009.pdf

[Sassafras]

Not saying...just FYI

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bird-flu/ds00566/dsection=symptoms


Bird flu (avian influenza)


(in part)

Symptoms

Although the exact incubation period for bird flu in humans isn't clear, illness seems to develop within one to five days of exposure to the virus.



Common signs and symptoms


Most often, signs and symptoms of bird flu resemble those of conventional influenza, including:

Cough
Fever
Sore throat
Muscle aches
A relatively mild eye infection (conjunctivitis) is sometimes the only indication of the disease.



Severe signs and symptoms



People with bird flu also may develop life-threatening complications, particularly:

Viral pneumonia
Acute respiratory distress — the most common cause of bird flu-related deaths



Complictions

Most people with bird flu have signs and symptoms of conventional influenza. Some also develop life-threatening complications such as viral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome, which causes the air sacs in your lungs to fill with fluid, leading to severe breathing difficulties. More than half the people who have contracted bird flu have died.

[john green]

Are you suggesting it might be a man-made race-linked virus ?


~

Interesting! That reminds me of a book called "Blowback" by Brad Thor. In his story the virus would not harm Muslims.

[rondaben]

engineering a virus to be specific to a targeted race would not be that complicated. Many diseases are already that way.

One example is the duffy antigen on your red blood cells. You can have expression of a type A, Type B antigen (just like you have type A or B blood), duffy AB (just like type AB blood) or no duffy antigen (Just like type O blood).

If you have no duffy antigen you are very resistant to malaria. The black population--in africa--has a high percentage of duffy negative people and thus a high resistance to malaria. Most other races are succeptable to a much larger degree.

/science lesson

[Almost Ready]

with flu blogs since SARS days.

Any links?

Thanks in advance!

[KuernoDeChivo]

Are you suggesting it might be a man-made race-linked virus ?


~

No, not necessarily I mean WE could have had it or a similar virus here in the states at a different time in our past. Although I know there are those that believe the markers in AIDS target black people and therefore must be man made. It's all really interesting.

I just think it is interesting these guys are so sick. My wife usually has a superior immune system than mine own.

[Comet]

Try these

http://www.singtomeohmuse.com/

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/

http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/

[Comet]

You know, I have been following http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f?p=2400:1000: for years and it is a little odd they have nothing on this. When SARS hit in China, before they knew what it was, they still put the information out there.

[BeWell]

The general concensus about ProMed on at least one of the flu sites is that they are politically tainted and not a great source of up to the minute accurate info.

[Comet]

Boy, this sure sounds like a novel influenza virus(just speculating, however) The symptoms are identical to normal influenza but the virulence in that particular age group is suggestive, in my opinion, of a new flu virus, or a major change in an existiing one.

Alert Issued After Serious Mystery Ailment Affects Canadians Returning From Mexico
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_33963.aspx

[night driver]

The MOST interesting thing to ME isn't the virulence or age group issue, it IS that some of the specimens test + for Type A and Type B.

[Comet]

That is right night driver. This is early in the epidemiological investigation and it is going to take a little time to sort it all out and until then we get these little clues that help us form some sort of opinion about the illness.

[wschaub]

Whew...I'm kind of relieved.

With all the bad economic news, I was worried that this thread was going to report something about Corona being in trouble.

Thank goodness it's just the flu.

There's no such thing as "just" the flu. many people don't take the flu seriously because most of the strains that pop up are farily mild, but if you get teh rigth strain it can be deadly. look up the 1918 influenza pandemic.

[janetn]

Not time to push the panic button, but this certainly bares watching.

Some problems with this being seasonal flu are 1- Not typical flu season 2 Seasonal flu does not have that high of a mortality rate for that age group. 3 - The tests are contradictory - only some are positive for influensa???????
4- virilance - you dont end up on a vent with seasonal flu if you are a young adult, the elderly yes that can happen.

Add to that Mexico's governemnt is incompident and corrurpt. Dont trust what they are saying. Tourism is a big business and Mexico has reason to lie - money!

I will definatly be keeping an eye on this.

[Comet]

I am wondering if we would have even heard about this had it not affected some of the Canadians who traveled there? The U.S borders Mexico and I have yet to see anything official from our gov. I think this is something our Medical community needs a heads up on in case they see a patient with similar symptoms and due to them having this information will ask about their travel history??

[Is45]

I always found George Bush's summer of 2005 reading list of interest.


He read three books on his 2005 summer vacation.

A book about Tsar Alexander II, a liberal reformer, who ruled at the
same time as Lincoln, and like Lincoln was assassinated.

A book about the history of salt. Salt was once so extremely valuable,
the Roman empire controlled its price.

And, last but not least, a book about the deadly Spanish flu pandemic.


Here are related articles:

http://articles.latimes.com/2005/aug/16/nation/na-bushread16

http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/articles/2005/great_influenza.html

http://www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress/books/4686.htm


~

[Is45]

Here is a review of the Spanish flu book
Dubya read summer of 2005 which I linked
in my previous post





http://www.jhsph.edu/bin/b/t/_r20_c9.jpg (http://www.jhu.edu/)



March 4, 2005


Author Brings "The Great Influenza" to the School




http://www.jhsph.edu/bin/f/l/bluedeath1.jpg


An emergency hospital at Camp Funston, Kansas, is packed with patients felled by the 1918 influenza epidemic.



Even though it killed at least 40 million people in less than a year, the 1918 influenza pandemic's most alarming feature may have been that it nearly extinguished the basic humanitarian impulses that bind civil society together.

So says John Barry, author of The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History (Viking 2004). Barry was at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health March 2 to talk about history's most calamitous infectious disease pandemic, which killed more people in 24 weeks during 1918—1919 than AIDS has in 24 years.

According to Barry, those still healthy were too panicked by the disease's violent symptoms (rib-cracking coughing spells, intense pain, a cyanosis of the skin so deep blue its like has never been seen since) to even look in on their ill neighbors. Some of the sick, and their children with them, simply starved to death for lack of attention.

Barry quoted one health official after he had failed to recruit a single volunteer: "Nothing seems to rouse them. Children are starving and still they hold back." Even in tight-knit rural communities, says Barry, neighbors didn't rally 'round.

He also quoted Victor Vaughan, Surgeon General of the Army at the time—not, according to Barry, some flibbertigibbet given to impulsive pronouncements. In October 1918, Vaughan said, "If the epidemic continues its mathematical rate of acceleration, civilization could easily disappear from the face of the earth within a few weeks." Photographs taken of big cities at the time reveal virtual ghost towns: empty sidewalks and streets, with only a few mask-wearing city workers or an ambulance in sight. Some municipalities made it a crime to shake hands.


Read "The Blue Death (http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/magazine/archive/Mag_Fall04/prologues/index.html)," about the 1918 influenza pandemic, in the fall 2004 issue of the School's Magazine.

The 1918 pandemic began as a mild spring "wave," explained Barry, currently a distinguished visiting scholar at Tulane University's Center for Bioenvironmental Research. In fact, this initial stage was so mild that many did not think it was influenza at all. A July 13 article in The Lancet that year states, for instance, that the disease certainly wasn't influenza because its symptoms were too mild, "of very short duration and so far absent of relapses or complications."


A Gentle Beginning—but a Lethal Follow-Through

Eight weeks later, however, a second, extremely lethal wave began to roll. William Welch, founder of the Bloomberg School and its first dean, performed a few autopsies on victims and was stunned to discover what he believed was an entirely new disease.


What was it? the authorities asked. Unlike most varieties of the flu, this one spared the young and the elderly while scything through the 20- to 40-year-olds: People under 65 accounted for 99 percent of the excess mortality of the time. The victims' intense pain, their hemorrhaging from the skin, eyes and ears, suggested dengue fever. Or was the dark-blue of victims' skin actually closer to black, as in Black Death?



http://www.jhsph.edu/bin/n/b/bluedeath2.jpg


With a nation fighting a world war, the influenza virus raced through U.S. military camps like Fort Porter, New York. (Courtesy of the American Red Cross Museum)


The Authorities Downplay the Epidemic"

Further exacerbating people's fear and sense of isolation, says Barry, was the fact that government and health authorities were not leveling with their constituents about what was happening. World War I was just winding down but it had conditioned governments everywhere to keep up morale by issuing a constant stream of soothing half-truths and lies. Health officials, believing their task was above all to keep people calm, downplayed the tragedy. "Fear Kills More Than the Disease," they scolded.

Even the pandemic's nickname was spurious. Although the evidence strongly suggests that this pandemic was spawned in the U.S., in the state of Kansas, it was quickly dubbed the "Spanish Influenza" because Spain, neutral throughout the war, wasn't bothering to hide its awful travails with the epidemic.

Right beside the blithe pronouncements, of course, was the appalling reality: About 40 percent of the victims were dying. Barry recounted how, in Philadelphia, horse-drawn carts made the rounds while their drivers cried out, "Bring out your dead!" And after the coffin supply quickly dried up, bodies had to be rolled unceremoniously into mass graves dug by steam shovels. Barry quoted from a letter written by one U.S. physician to another: " beats any sights they had in France after a battle." Meanwhile, the official line continued to be, "Don't Catch the Spanish Hysteria!"

Then, by November 1918, the Great Influenza began to burn out, perhaps because it had killed so many of its principal hosts, young adults, so fast. Some speculate that their vigorous immune systems may have mounted such a violent response that it damaged their bodies irreversibly.


[I]Should We Be Worried?

Donald Burke (http://faculty.jhsph.edu/?F=Donald&L=Burke%20), MD, in his introduction of Barry, explained why infectious disease experts today are so concerned about the possibility of a new influenza pandemic. Burke, a professor of International Health (http://www.jhsph.edu/_archive/2008.11.13_IH/index.html) and director of the School's Center for Immunization Research (http://www.jhsph.edu/cir/), said that all avian viruses are adept at swapping genes with one another. If a human is infected simultaneously by an avian and a human flu virus, those two microbes can combine their genetic material inside a cell. This union could create a new strain of influenza—possibly one that not only could jump back and forth between species but also would be impregnable to the human immune response.

"We're seeing lots of these cross-species interactions now in Southeast Asia," Burke said. "I call it 'viral chatter' because it's like the terrorist 'chatter' that goes on over the airwaves and suggests something serious is just around the corner." So far, he said, only 110 people have come down with what's currently the scariest brand of avian flu, H5, but 84 of those patients have died.

Barry noted another cause for concern: The people who die during a bout of today's flu are overwhelmingly the victims of a secondary bacterial pneumonia, which only gains a foothold in the lungs after the flu virus has softened things up. In 1918–1919, however, an estimated half of all deaths were caused by a killer viral pneumonia known as acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, a massive primary infection usually fatal within 3–4 days. Barry said that even the best-equipped ICUs of today still routinely lose 60 percent of ARDS patients.

So, could it happen again? Barry thinks so, and he quotes the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences: "… another influenza pandemic is possibly inevitable and even overdue." The solution, he says, is for governments to immediately start making a major investment in the world's vaccine-producing infrastructure. "It will be a race," he says, "a race to the death." —Rod Graham


http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/articles/2005/great_influenza.html


~

[Comet]

More information. This from an interview by the Secretary of Health in Mexico, maybe?? Here is the link and below is the google translation. http://portal.salud.gob.mx/redirector?tipo=0&n_seccion=Boletines&seccion=2009-04-23_3868.html

April 23, 2009



INTERVIEW WITH SECRETARY OF HEALTH, Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos, following the National Forum: CURRENT SITUATION AND THE CHALLENGES TO FIGHT ADDICTION in the workplace, organized by the Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare in the facilities of the National Foreign Trade Bank ( BANCOMEXT)





p. - How is the diagnosis of influenza Secretary?

A. - Well, well, yesterday and got half a million vaccines, apart from the 50 thousand who had already been distributed. It is a strategy predominantly in the Federal District, which is where the problem is more sensitive to vaccinate all personnel who have not been vaccinated, all health personnel.

I think it's important that people do not distress, and least those who were vaccinated were not revaccinated in need are people who are most at risk we have to protect.

This morning we received confirmation of the international support we are receiving in verifying the type of germ is influenza virus type A and are doing the studies, the study is serotype H1, as we have mentioned and continue doing research to see why these viruses are proving more damaging to a higher power and that are affecting vulnerable populations.

Either way are also distributed medicines in hospitals and most importantly is the support you are giving us in terms of preventive measures, that those who are sick are not going to work, will not places of study, not go to crowded because people are coming very easily, going to the doctor to be treated and thus able to detect cases that are sensitive for them to be hospitalized or tratadios properly as we are doing in INER.

Q. - We creased yesterday that it would make a consolidated national, in this sense is precisely my question, not just in how many people died, but what is the balance at the national level?

A. - We are checking the cases because the deaths from respiratory problems are not necessarily the flu, then in all these cases if you do not have a virological study can not attribute it or given as a case of influenza.

Confirmed cases in the hospitals of the Federal District until yesterday were 120 deaths that are presented in the national territory confirmed influenza complicated, have been 20 cases, 13 in the Federal District, three in Baja California, four in San Luis Potosí and Oaxaca.

P. - Secretary, but the IMSS.

A. - Yes, but it is precisely this confusion that's because the IMSS reported cases of death due to respiratory problems overall, there is no evidence that influenza are all even.

Q. - How many deaths go?

R. - 20, until now, there are even patients, for example, with HIV who have respiratory problems that kill them, for example by neumocistis pneumonia, but pneumonia is not caused by the influenza virus, then we can not Mix all the details until we have confirmed for complications of influenza in the last month, in the age group five to 65 years.

Q. - Is not there has been increased demand for care, panic?

A. - There has been some reaction, so it is important that people remain calm, not an uncontrolled epidemic, we are the cases outside the usual time when the wait, but it is the usual number of cases by So we talked, there is a pandemic, there is an outbreak, but not a pandemic, we must keep quiet, they should, especially families, to cooperate as to whether they have symptoms to the doctor, as to whether they are sneezing, do not made directly to the dem's, if the problem does not say hello or kiss or hand, not sharing utensils not washed, of course, for food, or pallet, in short, all that can somehow convey the virus is transmitted very easily because, even a sneeze.

Q. - How would mitigate the problem?

A. - We have a monitoring, the alert is initiated, as you know, from last week and will remain as long as necessary, until qe really see a reduction in cases, some cases are still entering the hospital not out of the ordinary, say, outside the usual time, and all are being treated properly.

About vaccines, I insist, is no longer a problem, we had a donation of 200 thousand doses of a laboratory, SANOFI, and we will buy another 300 thousand doses of two other laboratories, Smith Kline and Novartis.

Q. - Is there enough vaccine?

R. - The vaccines are for health workers, then we are already going brigades or by sending the vaccines to be used and the drugs have already been distributed lozentamivir particularly in hospitals and antibiotics, mainly cephalosporins Third generation so that medical care will not represent an expense for those who require it.

Q. - How many workers are infected, the union said that more than 500 van?

R. - probably could be, but of mild influenza, we have not had so far, fortunately, no employee who has had severe influenza or who has taken or has died casing.

Now, we must recognize that all workers had the recommendation of vaccination when the campaign began, we apply almost 19 million vaccines, and therefore good, some times we think we are immune to everything and the truth is that not true.

So this is partly good for ourselves a reminder, there are places where some institutions do 80% were vaccinated, but there are others who do not reach 15%.

So this is not to say I do not beef, not after me, or as happens in some cases, some vaccines have responded and are very fast these few cases, no, this happened to me because I shot, the truth is that it is the least of the 19 million or 1% to have significant reaction. So it is important that vaccinated.

Q. - But how many workers are?

A. - Right now we can not know exactly because influenza is not as severe, if the grave were not always reported in the National Health and precisely why we insist on the alert because they are not serious and many are in doctor, do not even know.

Q. - Is the influenza affecting the population of 25 to 40 years old?

A. - That is precisely what worries is that group of young people are being affected in a more virulent, or because they certainly were not vaccinated and never lost or antibodies, and also because we are studying the virus, even we are having support the diagnoses were made initially in INDRE here, in Mexico, but we have confirmed in Canada and United States to see if this is not some other viral threat. So far we do not believe it is a responsibility of an international health regulations which was signed by the Mexicans in 2005 so that in these cases of international information and provides a support to hold these cases.

Q. - How many hospitalizadoshay nationwide?

A. - I do not know, 120 was here in Mexico?

R,. I do not know exactly how much, 1230 was here in Mexico, particularly in the INER I have 24 hospitalized, but the overall total of the country I can not say what I can say with certainty is that they are happily only seven states in the Republic who have been affected, why is not a pandemic across the country.

Q. - a doctor is deceased?

A. - No, there has been no physician who has died, or nurses.

Thank you.

[Guardian]

I seem to remember some intel about something 'coming from the south'. Does anyone else recall this?

[Comet]

Can't recall Guardian.

More information. again google translation.
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/593119.html

12:52 The Health Secretary of the Federal District, reported that it had identified 70 cases with symptoms of influenza, of which 30% are in intensive care in hospitals in Mexico City.
Armando Ahued noted that surveys are conducted to determine the exact number of people sick with the virus.

However, denied that an influenza epidemic in the country and stressed that this is a stretch "atypical" of the disease.

Recommended to people in cases of intense cold go to a doctor to rule out or confirm the clinical influenza.

He reiterated that vaccines will apply only to medical personnel and requested the public to exercise extreme precaution copper in children and the elderly groups most vulnerable to this disease.

Spanish—Detect language—AlbanianArabicBulgarianCatalanChineseCroa tianCzechDanishDutchEnglishEstonianFilipinoFinnish FrenchGalicianGermanGreekHebrewHindiHungarianIndon esianItalianJapaneseKoreanLatvianLithuanianMaltese NorwegianPolishPortugueseRomanianRussianSerbianSlo vakSlovenianSpanishSwedishThaiTurkishUkrainianViet namese > English—AlbanianArabicBulgarianCatalanChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishEstoni anFilipinoFinnishFrenchGalicianGermanGreekHebrewHi ndiHungarianIndonesianItalianJapaneseKoreanLatvian LithuanianMalteseNorwegianPolishPortugueseRomanian RussianSerbianSlovakSlovenianSpanishSwedishThaiTur kishUkrainianVietnamese swap

http://www.google.com/images/zippy_plus_sm.gifContribute a better translation

[Is45]

Read the Spanish flu article I posted above.

If a deadly flu pandemic spreads among Mexicans in America...
and if Americans become afraid of the health danger of having
massive number of Mexican nationals in their midst, then that
could be the catalyst that forces the exportation of all illegals
back to Mexico and closing down the border... finally !


~

[janetn]

More information. This from an interview by the Secretary of Health in Mexico, maybe?? Here is the link and below is the google translation. http://portal.salud.gob.mx/redirector?tipo=0&n_seccion=Boletines&seccion=2009-04-23_3868.html

April 23, 2009



INTERVIEW WITH SECRETARY OF HEALTH, Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos, following the National Forum: CURRENT SITUATION AND THE CHALLENGES TO FIGHT ADDICTION in the workplace, organized by the Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare in the facilities of the National Foreign Trade Bank ( BANCOMEXT)





p. - How is the diagnosis of influenza Secretary?

A. - Well, well, yesterday and got half a million vaccines, apart from the 50 thousand who had already been distributed. It is a strategy predominantly in the Federal District, which is where the problem is more sensitive to vaccinate all personnel who have not been vaccinated, all health personnel.

I think it's important that people do not distress, and least those who were vaccinated were not revaccinated in need are people who are most at risk we have to protect.

This morning we received confirmation of the international support we are receiving in verifying the type of germ is influenza virus type A and are doing the studies, the study is serotype H1, as we have mentioned and continue doing research to see why these viruses are proving more damaging to a higher power and that are affecting vulnerable populations.

Either way are also distributed medicines in hospitals and most importantly is the support you are giving us in terms of preventive measures, that those who are sick are not going to work, will not places of study, not go to crowded because people are coming very easily, going to the doctor to be treated and thus able to detect cases that are sensitive for them to be hospitalized or tratadios properly as we are doing in INER.

Q. - We creased yesterday that it would make a consolidated national, in this sense is precisely my question, not just in how many people died, but what is the balance at the national level?

A. - We are checking the cases because the deaths from respiratory problems are not necessarily the flu, then in all these cases if you do not have a virological study can not attribute it or given as a case of influenza.

Confirmed cases in the hospitals of the Federal District until yesterday were 120 deaths that are presented in the national territory confirmed influenza complicated, have been 20 cases, 13 in the Federal District, three in Baja California, four in San Luis Potosí and Oaxaca.

P. - Secretary, but the IMSS.

A. - Yes, but it is precisely this confusion that's because the IMSS reported cases of death due to respiratory problems overall, there is no evidence that influenza are all even.

Q. - How many deaths go?

R. - 20, until now, there are even patients, for example, with HIV who have respiratory problems that kill them, for example by neumocistis pneumonia, but pneumonia is not caused by the influenza virus, then we can not Mix all the details until we have confirmed for complications of influenza in the last month, in the age group five to 65 years.

Q. - Is not there has been increased demand for care, panic?

A. - There has been some reaction, so it is important that people remain calm, not an uncontrolled epidemic, we are the cases outside the usual time when the wait, but it is the usual number of cases by So we talked, there is a pandemic, there is an outbreak, but not a pandemic, we must keep quiet, they should, especially families, to cooperate as to whether they have symptoms to the doctor, as to whether they are sneezing, do not made directly to the dem's, if the problem does not say hello or kiss or hand, not sharing utensils not washed, of course, for food, or pallet, in short, all that can somehow convey the virus is transmitted very easily because, even a sneeze.

Q. - How would mitigate the problem?

A. - We have a monitoring, the alert is initiated, as you know, from last week and will remain as long as necessary, until qe really see a reduction in cases, some cases are still entering the hospital not out of the ordinary, say, outside the usual time, and all are being treated properly.

About vaccines, I insist, is no longer a problem, we had a donation of 200 thousand doses of a laboratory, SANOFI, and we will buy another 300 thousand doses of two other laboratories, Smith Kline and Novartis.

Q. - Is there enough vaccine?

R. - The vaccines are for health workers, then we are already going brigades or by sending the vaccines to be used and the drugs have already been distributed lozentamivir particularly in hospitals and antibiotics, mainly cephalosporins Third generation so that medical care will not represent an expense for those who require it.

Q. - How many workers are infected, the union said that more than 500 van?

R. - probably could be, but of mild influenza, we have not had so far, fortunately, no employee who has had severe influenza or who has taken or has died casing.

Now, we must recognize that all workers had the recommendation of vaccination when the campaign began, we apply almost 19 million vaccines, and therefore good, some times we think we are immune to everything and the truth is that not true.

So this is partly good for ourselves a reminder, there are places where some institutions do 80% were vaccinated, but there are others who do not reach 15%.

So this is not to say I do not beef, not after me, or as happens in some cases, some vaccines have responded and are very fast these few cases, no, this happened to me because I shot, the truth is that it is the least of the 19 million or 1% to have significant reaction. So it is important that vaccinated.

Q. - But how many workers are?

A. - Right now we can not know exactly because influenza is not as severe, if the grave were not always reported in the National Health and precisely why we insist on the alert because they are not serious and many are in doctor, do not even know.

Q. - Is the influenza affecting the population of 25 to 40 years old?

A. - That is precisely what worries is that group of young people are being affected in a more virulent, or because they certainly were not vaccinated and never lost or antibodies, and also because we are studying the virus, even we are having support the diagnoses were made initially in INDRE here, in Mexico, but we have confirmed in Canada and United States to see if this is not some other viral threat. So far we do not believe it is a responsibility of an international health regulations which was signed by the Mexicans in 2005 so that in these cases of international information and provides a support to hold these cases.

Q. - How many hospitalizadoshay nationwide?

A. - I do not know, 120 was here in Mexico?

R,. I do not know exactly how much, 1230 was here in Mexico, particularly in the INER I have 24 hospitalized, but the overall total of the country I can not say what I can say with certainty is that they are happily only seven states in the Republic who have been affected, why is not a pandemic across the country.

Q. - a doctor is deceased?

A. - No, there has been no physician who has died, or nurses.

Thank you.

Very helpful article. Point out that its Influenza A H1. The number of cases looks to be less than what has reported in some articles and certainly the Mortality rate is lower than some reports. 120 hospitalisation is not at all alarming. If this man is telling the truth, we can all relax a little :-D

[Comet]

I am not sure I follow you, Is45. I am pretty sure that should a flu pandemic occur sometime in the future in will not be race specific, unless of course, it is somehow bioengineered, which is over my head. If not, it will jump from person to person so quickly there won't be time to export anyone anywhere. All will be at risk.

[Is45]

The number of cases looks to be less than what has reported in some articles and certainly the Mortality rate is lower than some reports. 120 hospitalisation is not at all alarming. If this man is telling the truth, we can all relax a little :-D





The deadly Spanish flu that killed millions of people begin as a mild disease...
and in the beginning it was discounted as nothing important.

Here is a quote from the previous article I posted:

" The 1918 pandemic began as a mild spring "wave," explained Barry, currently a distinguished visiting scholar at Tulane University's Center for Bioenvironmental Research. In fact, this initial stage was so mild that many did not think it was influenza at all. A July 13 article in The Lancet that year states, for instance, that the disease certainly wasn't influenza because its symptoms were too mild, "of very short duration and so far absent of relapses or complications."


~

[Sassafras]

I seem to remember some intel about something 'coming from the south'. Does anyone else recall this?


That would be Caplock. He's has said for quite sometime now that he's been warned about something 'coming from the south'. This certainly fits his warning.

[AskYourselfWhy]

There's no such thing as "just" the flu. many people don't take the flu seriously because most of the strains that pop up are farily mild, but if you get teh rigth strain it can be deadly. look up the 1918 influenza pandemic.
I know. "Just the flu" was just part of the joke. As someone else posted, it bears watching but not panic over an influenza epidemic. The story says that people have "flu-like" symptoms, it doesn't say they have influenza. (Although, yes, a few have the A and B strains which may, or may not, be related to the general outbreak of this bug.)

This virus may not be a flu at all. A year ago at this time I came down with a nasty respiratory bug that put me down for over a week. (And I'm not near the Mexican border.) I was talking with someone who works in ER at a local hospital and she was telling me the ER's were full of people coming in with it. It was a "flu-like" virus, but not a flu. She said the darned thing was so contagious that everyone was wearing masks and they were even avoiding brushing against one another's clothing, the darned thing was that contagious.

As far as it being man-made, probably not, but it's certainly not beyond the possibility. A doctor I know was telling me once that when the bio-sciences want to do some work that would be illegal to do in the U.S., no problemo, they just have it done in Mexico. So, it would not surprise me. Frankly, I would be more surprised if it were the case and we actually found out about it.

[packyderms_wife]

They are saying on NBC's world news that it's a type of swine flu. Wasn't the epidemic of 1917/1918 also swine flu?

K-

[kepperea]

http://blogs.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2009/04/swine-flu-infec.html

They are calling it "deadly Mexican influenza"--seems to combine swine flu with A and B strains, looks genetically modified. Cases increasing every report.

[Comet]

They are saying on NBC's world news that it's a type of swine flu. Wasn't the epidemic of 1917/1918 also swine flu?

K-

Are they saying the swine flu cases in Texas and California is being caused by the same virus in Mexico? Haven't checked the news in several hours but the last I saw they had not made that connection.

[Comet]

A recent article from Canada http://www.calgaryherald.com/Health/Health+officials+watch+after+mystery+Mexican+outbr eak/1527347/story.html

A paragraph in the story reads:

As a precaution, public health authorities, family physicians and hospitals across the country have been placed on high alert to look for any unusual flu-like symptoms in patients. The government's pandemic surveillance alert has also been increased to a state of high vigilance, but Ottawa has not as yet issued a travel ban to Mexico.

[Is45]

The government's pandemic surveillance alert has also been increased to a state of high vigilance,
but Ottawa has not as yet issued a travel ban to Mexico.




So it begins...


What begins ?

Read my previous posts here for the context.


~

[packyderms_wife]

Are they saying the swine flu cases in Texas and California is being caused by the same virus in Mexico? Haven't checked the news in several hours but the last I saw they had not made that connection.

They didn't say.

[pvtRandy]

Percentage of deaths/vs infections? If deaths, were they directly related to flu, or was it something more like post flu pneumonia? Keep watch folks.....

[BoatGuy]

I agree with the watchkeeping. I heard of the Mexican outbreak just this morning. Now, this evening, I'm hearing of a "similar" (not sure if they're connected, yet) outbreak, 40 miles south of me, in San Antonio and also in California.

This could possibly get out of hand in a hurry, or could just be a precursor of things to come.

[Comet]

So it begins...


What begins ?

Read my previous posts here for the context.


~

There were some mini outbreaks of the Spanish flu in the Spring of 1918 before the full onslaught began in the fall. Is that what you are referring to?

[packyderms_wife]

My dad tells me, I just called him to get stocked up and prepare to stay home for several weeks, that he's had he swine flu before. Seems that back in the early to mid 70's Peabody, of the infamous Peabody Coal Company, in their infinite wisdom forced all of their employees world wide to take the flu vaccine. Dad ended up in the hospital for 7 days and nearly died, someone had forgotten to process the vaccine and it was still alive. He said several of his friends died from the swine flu vaccine and that several hundred people died world wide from it - he got paid a bonus that year for having contracted the illness.

So my question is how does one know, short of a blood test, if it's Type A or Type B??? And while he's confident he won't get it again and for some reason he seems to think my brother and I are also immune from this and why I do NOT know, I'm not so sure it's not a newer strain.

Thoughts???

Kimberly

[Comet]

Commentary by Dr. Niman on the current swine flu cases in California and Texas plus discusses the possibility of these cases being linked to what is going on in Mexico.
http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04240901/H1N1_Swine_Mexico.html

[Trinity]

Sometimes I wonder, since my husband is a truck driver, what kind of germs he is being exposed to and possibly bringing home with him. He goes to west Texas at least once a week. And a lot of the truck stops are less than clean.

[Is45]

There were some mini outbreaks of the Spanish flu in the Spring of 1918 before the full onslaught began in the fall.
Is that what you are referring to?



I was referring to my posts here collectively.


But this one sums it up:

http://www.thetreeofliberty.com/vb/showpost.php?p=534599&postcount=30



During the Spanish flu pandemic people became very anti-social,
kept to themselves and stayed indoors, fearful of being exposed.

How might that attitude translate in a pandemic among Mexicans...
considering how many millions of illegal Mexicans live in the USA.
How might it affect an economy already in crisis.


~

[Comet]

Thanks for the clarification.

[SheWoff]

Seven people in U.S. hit by strange new swine flu
Thu Apr 23, 2009 9:54pm BST
*Five new cases found in addition to two people on Tuesday

*CDC says no reason for concern yet

*Flu is unusual mixture but no deaths seen

(Updates throughout with quotes, details)

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON, April 23 (Reuters) - Seven people have been diagnosed with a strange and unusual new kind of swine flu in California and Texas, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Thursday.

All seven people have recovered but the virus itself is a never-before-seen mixture of viruses typical among pigs, birds and humans, the CDC said.

"We are likely to find more cases," the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat told a telephone briefing. "We don't think this is time for major concern around the country."

The CDC reported the new strain of swine flu on Tuesday in two boys from California's two southernmost counties.

Now, five more cases have been seen -- all found via normal surveillance for seasonal influenza. None of the patients, whose symptoms closely resembled seasonal flu, had any direct contact with pigs.

"We believe at this point that human-to-human spread is occurring," Schuchat said. "That's unusual. We don't know yet how widely it is spreading ... We are also working with international partners to understand what is occurring in other parts of the world."

Two of the new cases were among 16-year-olds at the same school in San Antonio "and there's a father-daughter pair in California," Schuchat said. One of the boys whose cases was reported on Tuesday had flown to Dallas but the CDC has found no links to the other Texas cases.

STRANGE MIXTURE

Unusually, said the CDC's Nancy Cox, the viruses all appear to carry genes from swine flu, avian flu and human flu viruses from North America, Europe and Asia.

"We haven't seen this strain before, but we hadn't been looking as intensively as we have," Schuchat said. "It's very possible that this is something new that hasn't been happening before."

Surveillance for and scrutiny of influenza has been stepped up since 2003, when highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza reappeared in Asia. Experts fear this strain, or another strain, could spark a pandemic that could kill millions.

H5N1 currently only rarely infects people but has killed 257 out of 421 infected in 15 countries since 2003, according to the World Health Organization.

The influenza strain is an H1N1, the same family as one of the seasonal flu viruses now circulating. Now that the normal influenza season is waning, it may be easier to spot cases of the new swine flu, Schuchat said.

Only one of the seven cases was sick enough to be hospitalized and all have recovered, Schuchat said.

"This isn't something that a person could detect at home," she said. The new cases appear to have somewhat more vomiting and diarrhea than is usually seen in flu, which mostly causes coughing, fever, sore throat and muscle aches.

The CDC is asking doctors to think about the possibility of swine flu when patients appear with these symptoms, to take a sample and send it to state health officials or the CDC for testing.

Cox said the CDC is already preparing a vaccine against the new strain, just in case. "This is standard operating procedure," Cox said. The agency will issue daily updates here

Seasonal flu kills between 250,000 and 500,000 people globally in an average year. And every few decades, a completely new strain pops up and it can cause a pandemic, a global epidemic that kills many more than usual. (Editing by Eric Walsh)


http://uk.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=UKN23355101

[nharrold]

My dad tells me, I just called him to get stocked up and prepare to stay home for several weeks, that he's had he swine flu before. Seems that back in the early to mid 70's Peabody, of the infamous Peabody Coal Company, in their infinite wisdom forced all of their employees world wide to take the flu vaccine. Dad ended up in the hospital for 7 days and nearly died, someone had forgotten to process the vaccine and it was still alive. He said several of his friends died from the swine flu vaccine and that several hundred people died world wide from it - he got paid a bonus that year for having contracted the illness.

So my question is how does one know, short of a blood test, if it's Type A or Type B??? And while he's confident he won't get it again and for some reason he seems to think my brother and I are also immune from this and why I do NOT know, I'm not so sure it's not a newer strain.

Thoughts???

Kimberly

I had a friend that was paralyzed during that swine flu epidemic, apparently by the vaccine that the Navy forced on their personnel. You gave good advice about getting in some preps in case your dad has to sit this one out at home.

[packyderms_wife]

I had a friend that was paralyzed during that swine flu epidemic, apparently by the vaccine that the Navy forced on their personnel. You gave good advice about getting in some preps in case your dad has to sit this one out at home.

He was contentious about it, he went to WM super center today, but I'm betting he'll pray about it be bugged and go back to get what he needs tomorrow or the next day! He's stocked up pretty much already but he does need a few extras like milk etc. I've been riding him to get some instant milk, etc., to keep on hand for times like this.

K-

[Snowsquaw]

I seem to remember some intel about something 'coming from the south'. Does anyone else recall this?


you are talking about Caplock50's prediction that something would be coming from the south, faster than ground transport will allow. He can post to claify but IIRC it was about military movement, not the flu, but I could be wrong!

Also-
does anyone have a list of these symptoms of the current flu?

I have had a headache and felt sick for 2 days. just freakin myself out I am sure. I was in San Francisco all last week (saw the play WICKED- WOW was that great!!) but around all those germy people! aaackkk......

[SheWoff]

CDC confirms 7 cases of swine flu in humans

(CNN) -- A total of seven cases of a previously undetected strain of swine flu have been confirmed in humans in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. None of the patients has had direct contact with pigs.


Swine flu is usually diagnosed only in pigs or people in regular contact with them.

Five of the cases have been found in California, and two have been found in Texas, near San Antonio, said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC's Interim Deputy Director for Science and Public Health Program.

The CDC reported Tuesday that two children in the San Diego, California, area, infected with a virus called swine influenza A H1N1, whose combination of genes has not been seen in flu viruses in either human or pigs before.

The patients range from age 9 to 54, Schuchat said. They include two 16-year-old boys who attend the same Texas school, and a father and daughter in California.

"The good news is that all seven of these patients have recovered," Schuchat said.

The first two cases were picked up through a special influenza monitoring program, with stations in San Diego and El Paso, Texas. The program aims to get a better sense of what strains exist and to detect new strains before they become widespread, the CDC said. Other cases emerged through routine and expanded surveillance.

At this point, the ability for the human influenza vaccine to protect against this new swine flu strain is unknown, and studies are ongoing, she said.

There is no danger from contracting the virus from eating pork products, Schuchat said.

The new virus has genes from North American swine and avian influenza, human influenza and swine influenza normally found in Asia and Europe, said Nancy Cox, chief of the CDC's Influenza Division.


Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza, according to the CDC. It does not normally inflect humans, but cases have occurred among people, especially those who have had direct exposure to pigs. There have also been cases in the past of one person spreading swine flu to other people, the CDC said.

In 1988, in an apparent swine flu infection in pigs in Wisconsin, there was antibody evidence of virus transmission from the patient to health care workers who had contact with the patient, the CDC said.

Person-to-person transmission is believed to occur in a manner similar to the spread of the influenza virus: through infected people coughing and sneezing, the CDC said. People may contract swine flu by touching something with viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

From December 2005 to February 2009, 12 cases of human infection with swine flu were documented.

Symptoms of swine flu in humans are expected to resemble regular human seasonal influenza symptoms, including fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, and coughing, the CDC said. Other reported symptoms include runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

The new strain of swine flu has been resistant to the antiviral drugs amantadine and rimantadine, but has responded to the other licensed options: oseltamivir and zanamivir.

The CDC is working closely with health officials in California and Texas to learn more about the virus. The agency expects to find more cases, Schuchat said.

If swine flu can mutate to spread between humans, what does this mean for avian flu? Because of the virus subtype, it is less likely that avian flu would become transmissible from person to person, but still possible, said Dr. William Short at the division of infectious diseases at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The news is not cause for widespread panic, but people at risk -- those who live in or have traveled to the areas where patients live, or have been in contact with pigs -- should watch out for symptoms and get tested if they occur, Short said.

The three criteria for a pandemic are a new virus to which everybody is susceptible, the ability to spread from person to person readily, and wide geographic spread, said Dr. Jay Steinberg, infectious disease specialist at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta, Georgia. The new strain of swine flu only meets one of these criteria: its novelty.

On the other hand, bird flu meets two of the criteria: novelty and geographic spread.

If history is any indication, flu pandemics tend to occur once every 20 years or so, meaning we're actually due for one, he said. However, it is not likely to be the swine flu, he said.

"I can say with 100 percent confidence that a pandemic of a new flu strain will spread in humans," Steinberg said. "What I can't say is when it will occur."
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/23/swine.flu/?iref=mpstoryview

[Snowsquaw]

Thanks Shewolf! I have lots of those symptoms. no cough though so hope all is well.

[SheWoff]

Interim Guidance on Infection Control and Antiviral Recommendations for Patients with Confirmed or Suspected Swine Influenza A Virus Infection
April 20, 2009

BACKGROUND
Sporadic swine influenza A virus (SIV) infection of humans may produce a wide range of clinical signs and symptoms. Many human cases of SIV infection have had a history of recent direct physical contact with pigs prior to illness onset. However, close (within 6 feet), but not direct contact with pigs, also has been reported among human SIV cases. Limited, non sustained human-to-human SIV transmission has been documented in the published literature. In addition, some confirmed SIV cases have not had a history of exposure to pigs.

Although uncomplicated influenza-like illness (fever, cough or sore throat) has been reported in many cases, mild respiratory illness (nasal congestion, rhinorrhea) without fever and occasional severe disease also has been reported. Other symptoms reported with SIV infection include vomiting, diarrhea, myalgia, headache, chills, fatigue, and dyspnea. Conjunctivitis is rare, but has been reported. Severe disease (pneumonia, respiratory failure) and fatal outcomes have been reported with SIV infection. The potential for exacerbation of underlying chronic medical conditions or invasive bacterial infection with SIV infection should be considered.

This document provides interim guidance on infection control, antiviral treatment and chemoprophylaxis, and monitoring of close contacts of cases of swine influenza virus infection, including guidance for health care workers and public health personnel. The guidance will be updated as needed.

INTERIM RECOMMENDATIONS
For clinical care or collection of respiratory specimens from a symptomatic individual (acute respiratory symptoms with or without fever) who is a confirmed case, or a suspected case (ill close contact of a confirmed case) of swine influenza A virus infection:

Infectious Period
Persons with swine influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious for up to 7 days following illness onset. Persons who continue to be ill longer than 7 days after illness onset should be considered potentially contagious until symptoms have resolved. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods. The duration of infectiousness might vary by SIV strain.

Case definitions
A confirmed case of swine influenza virus infection (SIV) is defined as a person with an acute respiratory illness with laboratory confirmed SIV at CDC by one or more of the following tests:

real-time RT-PCR
viral culture
four-fold rise in SIV specific neutralizing antibodies
A suspected case of SIV is defined as a person with an acute respiratory illness who was a close contact to a confirmed case of SIV infection while the case was ill, or is an acutely ill person (acute respiratory illness) with a recent history of contact with an animal with confirmed or suspected SIV infection.


Close contact is defined as: within about 6 feet of an ill person who is a confirmed case of swine influenza A virus infection

Acute respiratory illness is defined as recent onset of at least two of the following: rhinorrhea or nasal congestion, sore throat, cough (with or without fever or feverishness)

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PERSONNEL
For interviews of healthy individuals (i.e. without a current respiratory illness), including close contacts of cases of confirmed swine influenza virus infection, no personal protective equipment or antiviral chemoprophylaxis is needed. See section on antiviral chemoprophylaxis for further guidance.

For interviews of an ill, suspected or confirmed SIV case, the following is recommended:

Keep a distance of at least 6 feet from the ill person; or
Personal protective equipment: fit-tested N95 respirator [if unavailable, wear a medical (surgical mask)].
For collecting respiratory specimens from an ill confirmed or suspected SIV case, the following is recommended:

Personal protective equipment: fit-tested disposable N95 respirator [if unavailable, wear a medical (surgical mask)], disposable gloves, gown, and goggles.
When completed, place all PPE in a biohazard bag for appropriate disposal.
Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water or alcohol-based hand gel.
Infection Control
Recommended Infection Control for a non-hospitalized patient (ER, clinic or home visit):

Separation from others in single room if available until asymptomatic. If the ill person needs to move to another part of the house, they should wear a mask. The ill person should be encouraged to wash hands frequently and follow respiratory hygiene practices. Cups and other utensils used by the ill person should be thoroughly washed with soap and water before use by other persons.

Recommended Infection Control for a hospitalized patient:

Standard, Droplet and Contact precautions for 7 days after illness onset or until symptoms have resolved.
In addition, personnel should wear N95 respirators when entering the patient room.
Use an airborne infection isolation room (AIIR) with negative pressure air handling, if available; otherwise use a single patient room with the door kept closed.
For suctioning, bronchoscopy, or intubation, use a procedure room with negative pressure air handling.
Recommended PPE for personnel providing clinical care to ill individuals:

Disposable gown, gloves, goggles, N95 respirator.
Antiviral Treatment
Antiviral treatment for confirmed or suspected ill case of swine influenza virus infection may include either oseltamivir or zanamavir, with no preference given at this time. Recommendations for use of antivirals may change as data on antiviral susceptibilities become available.

Initiate treatment as soon as possible after the onset of symptoms.

Oseltamivir:

The treatment dosing recommendation for children who weigh 15 kg or less is 30 mg twice a day. For children who weigh more than 15 kg and up to 23 kg, the dose is 45 mg twice a day. For children who weigh more than 23 kg and up to 40 kg, the dose is 60 mg twice a day. For children who weigh more than 40 kg, the dose is 75 mg twice a day.
For ages 13 years and older: 75mg twice a day for five days
Zanamivir is an alternative for treatment of influenza in patients aged 7 years and older; dosage varies by age. This drug is not approved for treatment of influenza in children aged <7 years. It is an orally inhaled drug that is administered using a disk inhaler device twice a day for five days.

The treatment dosing recommendation for persons aged 7 years and older is 2 inhalations twice a day for five days (2 inhalations of 5mg each twice a day for five days)
Antiviral Chemoprophylaxis
Antiviral chemoprophylaxis (pre-exposure or post-exposure) can be considered for close contacts of a confirmed or highly suspected case of swine influenza virus infection.

Close contact is defined as: within about 6 feet of an ill person who is a confirmed case of swine influenza A virus infection (e.g. post-exposure chemoprophylaxis following unprotected close exposure).

Duration of antiviral chemoprophylaxis is 7 days after the last known exposure

Oseltamivir: Administered by mouth once a day for seven days following the last known exposure; dosage varies by age and weight for children aged 1 year to 12 years (available in suspension, 30mg, 45mg, 75mg capsules)

The chemoprophylaxis dosing recommendation for children who weigh less than 15 kg is 30 mg once a day. For those who weigh more than 15 kg and up to 23 kg, the dose is 45 mg once a day. For children who weigh more than 23 kg and up to 40 kg, the dose is 60 mg once a day. For children who weigh more than 40 kg, the dose is 75 mg once a day.
For ages 13 years and older: 75 mg once a day for seven days
Zanamivir is an alternative for chemoprophylaxis for patients aged 5 years and older; dosage varies by age. It is an orally inhaled drug that is administered using a disk inhaler device.

Dosing is 2 oral inhalations once a day for seven days (2 inhalations of 5mg each once a day for seven days)
Follow-up Monitoring of Exposed Close Contacts
Close contacts are defined as persons who were within about 6 feet of the confirmed swine influenza case while the case was ill up to 7 days after the case’s illness onset. Examples include household members, social contacts, public health care workers, medical health care workers, and others.

Close contacts should be monitored daily for fever (temp ≥38.0 ºC) and/or any respiratory symptoms up to 7 days following the last known exposure to an ill person who is a confirmed case of swine influenza virus infection.
Close contacts of an ill person who is a confirmed case of swine influenza virus infection should be educated about the signs and symptoms of swine influenza virus infection and advised to contact public health staff if fever or feverishness or any respiratory tract symptoms occur up to 7 days following the last known exposure to the ill case.

* * *

State and local health departments should contact CDC Influenza Division Epidemiology and Prevention Branch at (404) 639-3747 (Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM or the on-call epidemiologist at (770) 488-7100 (all other times).

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

[Is45]

A poster on another forum [who apparently lives in Mexico]
said Mexico news is saying no school in Mexico City tomorrow
and for the rest of Mexico, if you are ill stay home or go to
hospital.

Can anyone confirm this ?

~

[Is45]

Obamanation was in Mexico City a week ago

Mexico, awaiting Obama, hopes for change



President Barack Obama is to arrive today for a quick visit to Mexico, where officials look for signs of a commitment to partnership in addressing issues such as drug violence and immigration reform.

April 16, 2009


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-obama16-2009apr16,0,6875682.story


~

[Is45]

este viernes en el DF y Edomex por brote de influenza

CIUDAD DE MÉXICO, México, abr. 23, 2009.- El secretario de Salud, José Angel Córdova, anunció que ante los casos de influenza y como medida preventiva se suspenden las clases mañana viernes en planteles públicos y privados de todos los niveles educativos en el Distrito Federal y el Estado de México.

La cancelación de clases abarca todos los niveles educativos, desde preescolar hasta universidad y en todos los turnos.


http://www2.esmas.com/noticierostelevisa/mexico/nacional/058238/cancelan-clases-brotes-influenza




Here is a translation:


This friday, classes in Mexico city and State of Mexico, were cancelled due to influenza cases.

The chief of Health, Jose Angel Cordova, said that this was a preventive meassure in public and private schools at all academic levels (from kindergarten to University) in D.F. and Estado de Mexico (part of Mexico city).



~

[winddancer144]

Could this be the dark clouds rolling in. I hope not.

[Annie Maude]

So hilarious that the CDC recommends reverse air-flow hospital rooms for SIV flu patients. Guess how many rooms in a hospital are reverse airflow? About 1or 2 per 20. That's gonna really work if we have an epidemic.

[Is45]

Sanofi blueprints big vaccine plant for Mexico

March 11, 2009 — 3:19pm ET | By John Carroll (http://www.fiercevaccines.com/author/john)



Sanofi-Aventis CEO Chris Viehbacher journeyed to Mexico to announce a new $126 million facility to produce seasonal influenza vaccine-with a built-in option to switch to pandemic vaccines--for the Latin American market. The president of Mexico, Felipe Claderon, joined French President Nicolas Sarkozy for the announcement.

"This investment illustrates Sanofi-Aventis' local approach to global health," said Viehbacher. "This facility will benefit public health in Mexico and the Latin American region, in the context of influenza pandemic preparedness."

Once complete, Sanofi will work with Birmex--Laboratorio de Biológicos y Reactivos de México--on the manufacturing and distribution of vaccines. To be completed in four years, the plant will have the capacity to produce up to 25 million doses of new flu vaccine each year. And it will be built so that it can switch to manufacturing a pandemic vaccine in the event of an outbreak.

- read the report (http://www.finchannel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31519&Itemid=) for more information


ALSO: Vaccine maker Sanofi Pasteur has abandoned its plans to set up operations in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, which is northwest of Philadelphia. The French company had been looking to the area to relieve overcrowding at its Swiftwater, PA vaccine plant. Report (http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/sanofi-wont-expand-pas-lehigh-valley/2009-03-11)

(http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/sanofi-wont-expand-pas-lehigh-valley/2009-03-11)
Related Articles:
Sanofi won't expand in PA's Lehigh Valley (http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/sanofi-wont-expand-pas-lehigh-valley/2009-03-11)
Sanofi Pasteur plans C$100M R&D facility in Canada (http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/sanofi-pasteur-plans-c100m-rd-facility-in-canada/2008-04-16)




http://www.fiercevaccines.com/story/sanofi-blueprints-big-vaccine-plant-mexico/2009-03-11



~


FDA Warns Sanofi Pasteur's Vaccine Manufacturing Plant

Article Date: 04 Jul 2006 - 10:00 PDT


The FDA has sent a warning letter to Sanofi's manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania, USA. The letter tells the company to make sure future batches of flu vaccine are not contaminated. The plant produces half of all flu shots in the USA.

This is after the FDA had brought up concerns regarding problems with sterility testing and aseptic conditions during an inspection last April. This warning letter has come because the company has not addressed the concerns, according to the FDA.

The warning letter states that Sanofi Pasteur must respond in writing within 15 working days. If things are not sorted out the company could face further action.

Eleven batches of monovalent concentrate were found to have bacterial contamination earlier on this year. Monovalent concentrate is an intermediate derived from one of the three influenza virus strains. It is used to produce Fluzone (http://www.medilexicon.com/drugs/fluzone_preservative-free.php) (a flu vaccine).

No recall is required as the contamination did not reach the finished vaccine. However, the FDA says the company did not investigate the incident effectively. It says Sanofi did not correct 'objectionable conditions' after two months of talks.

A spokesman for Sanofi Pastaur said the company does not expect this incident to affect production. The FDA added that this incident is not expected to significantly affect the flu shot stocks for the coming flu season.

50 million shots of Fluzone are planned by the company for US supplies this year - about 50% of the country's needs. Sanofi Pasteur is producing fewer this year than last because other manufacturers are also producing it.

This plant in Pennsylvania is the same one that is expected to produce avian influenza (bird flu) shots in the event of a human outbreak.


http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/46559.php


~

[Is45]

Cytokine storm


Here is a detailed medical explanation why healthy adults
were the unlikely victims to die from the Spanish flu.


http://www.fluwikie.com/index.php?n=Science.PrimerCytokineStorm


~

[Is45]

From the Washington Post:

Mexico shuts schools around capital in flu scare



Reuters

Friday, April 24, 2009; 12:56 AM


MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/countries/mexico.html?nav=el) is canceling classes for millions of children in the heart of the country on Friday after influenza killed around 20 people in recent weeks.

Canada's government advised doctors to be on the alert for reports of illness from people who recently traveled to Mexico, although it did not advise against visiting the popular beach vacation destination.

Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordoba said on Thursday schools and universities in Mexico City and the surrounding area would be closed on Friday and advised people with flu symptoms to stay home from work.

"We recommend avoiding places or events with a lot of people unless strictly necessary," Cordoba said.

Mexico's flu season normally ends in February or March, but it has extended longer this year, the government said.

Canadian officials have been particularly sensitive to the international spread of respiratory illnesses since Toronto was hit by the SARS epidemic in 2003, which was blamed partly on a slow response to early disease reports.

About 79 people in Mexico are being treated for flu and that number has not increased in recent days, the Health Ministry said.

In the United States, seven people have been diagnosed with a new kind of swine flu in California and Texas, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

All seven people there have recovered but the virus itself is a never-before-seen mixture of viruses typical among pigs, birds and humans, the CDC said.


(Reporting by Noel Randewich and Armando Tovar; editing by Mohammad Zargham)




http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/24/AR2009042400236.html


~

[Cascade Failure]

So hilarious that the CDC recommends reverse air-flow hospital rooms for SIV flu patients. Guess how many rooms in a hospital are reverse airflow? About 1or 2 per 20. That's gonna really work if we have an epidemic.

Our 200 bed hospital has 14 of these rooms. About two years ago we wrote up a panflu plan that includes converting a an entire floor in order to triple capacity. The plan takes about 24 hrs to implement.

I'm more worried about morgue capacity and staffing.

[Ferris]

Captain Tripps anyone???!?

[Is45]

I posted previously that Bush had read a book about the Spanish flu pandemic the summer of 2005...
and I posted an article about the book.


Here are some interesting excerpts from that article:


************************************************** *

" Even though it killed at least 40 million people in less than a year, the 1918 influenza pandemic's most alarming feature may have been that it nearly extinguished the basic humanitarian impulses that bind civil society together.

So says John Barry, author of The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History (Viking 2004). Barry was at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health March 2 to talk about history's most calamitous infectious disease pandemic, which killed more people in 24 weeks during 1918—1919 than AIDS has in 24 years.

According to Barry, those still healthy were too panicked by the disease's violent symptoms (rib-cracking coughing spells, intense pain, a cyanosis of the skin so deep blue its like has never been seen since) to even look in on their ill neighbors. Some of the sick, and their children with them, simply starved to death for lack of attention.

Barry quoted one health official after he had failed to recruit a single volunteer: "Nothing seems to rouse them. Children are starving and still they hold back." Even in tight-knit rural communities, says Barry, neighbors didn't rally 'round.

He also quoted Victor Vaughan, Surgeon General of the Army at the time—not, according to Barry, some flibbertigibbet given to impulsive pronouncements. In October 1918, Vaughan said, "If the epidemic continues its mathematical rate of acceleration, civilization could easily disappear from the face of the earth within a few weeks." Photographs taken of big cities at the time reveal virtual ghost towns: empty sidewalks and streets, with only a few mask-wearing city workers or an ambulance in sight. Some municipalities made it a crime to shake hands. "

***********************************************



Can you imagine something like this coming on the heels of the economic crisis...
the global economy would absolutely collapse.



Even if the flu pandemic was faked... fear of being in public places [no shopping,
no eating out, no going to work] would absolutely collapse the the world economy.


Maybe this is the plan.




~

[doctor_fungcool]

Human Swine Flu Spread to Texas and Likely Import from Mexico
Recombinomics Commentary 00:55
April 24, 2009

(MODS...please merge this thread with the Ominous signs coming from Mexico thead) Thanks in advance.



http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04240901/H1N1_Swine_Mexico.html
Now, five more cases have been seen -- all found via normal surveillance for seasonal influenza. None of the patients, whose symptoms closely resembled seasonal flu, had any direct contact with pigs.

"We believe at this point that human-to-human spread is occurring," Schuchat said. "That's unusual. We don't know yet how widely it is spreading ... We are also working with international partners to understand what is occurring in other parts of the world."

Two of the new cases were among 16-year-olds at the same school in San Antonio "and there's a father-daughter pair in California," Schuchat said. One of the boys whose cases was reported on Tuesday had flown to Dallas but the CDC has found no links to the other Texas cases.

Only one of the seven cases was sick enough to be hospitalized and all have recovered, Schuchat said.

The above comments in Reuters describe several points made in today’s CDC conference call. The additional confirmed cases leave little doubt that the swine flu is transmitting human-to-human and has now been confirmed in three distinct locations in two states (see updated map), confirming sustained transmission.

The infection of classmates in San Antonio, as well as the father and daughter in California further highlight efficient transmission. The hospitalization of one patient, who had been on a ventilator, raises concerns that infections will produce a wide range of presentations.

The location of the confirmed cases in states that border Mexico, as well as media reports of pneumonia in Canadian travelers returning from Mexico, strongly suggests that the outbreak of influenza in Mexico is also swine flu.

The confirmed cases in the United States likely represent a pandemic of H1N1 swine flu. At this point, most confirmed cases in the United States have been mild and there have been no confirmed fatalities. However, in Mexico there has been a high case fatality rate among young adults, 25-44, with atypical pneumonia, which has similarities with the 1918 pandemic.

Moreover, the 1918 pandemic was composed of eight gene segments representing recombination between H1N1 seasonal flu and H1N1 swine flu.

An efficiently transmitted swine flu can lead to co-infection with H1N1 seasonal flu. Oseltamivir resistance (H274Y) has become fixed in H1N1 seasonal flu, raising concerns that recombination or reassortment will lead to Tamiflu resistance in the swine flu, which is already resistant to amantadine and rimantadine. Moreover, the existing trivalent seasonal flu vaccine will likely offer little protection.

The spread of swine flu in the United States, and likely import from Mexico, creates a major cause for concern.

[doctor_fungcool]

This is my speculation, and it is speculation only. IMHO, this looks like it could have been bioengineered........

I've talked to friends in the past about this kind of thing happening.

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04240901/H1N1_Swine_Mexico.html

[doctor_fungcool]

Canada Issues Alert on Severe Respiratory Disease in Mexico
Recombinomics Commentary 02:22
April 23, 2009

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04230901/SRI_Mexico_Alert.html

The Public Health Agency of Canada has told quarantine services to be on alert for travellers returning from Mexico after a number of severe respiratory illnesses (SRI) were reported in some regions of the country.

PHAC, in an April 20 report, said Mexican officials informed the Canadian health agency that the "case-fatality rate was relatively high" and that most cases involved healthy adults between the ages of 25 and 44. A number of health-care workers were also affected.

Although no cause has been confirmed, some samples were positive for influenza A and B.

The above comments on an alert issued by Canada offer some insight into the situation in Mexico. The reports out of Mexico are decidedly mixed. Some reports describe an increase in influenza cases which is attributed to a late spike in influenza B, which when combined with influenza A, gives an abnormally high number of cases this late in the season. Other reports discuss revaccinating at risk groups with the current trivalent vaccine.

Samples have been sent to Canada for a comprehensive analysis.

The increased influenza-like illness and fatalities was announced as the CDC issued an MMWR dispatch on H1N1 swine flu. Two cases have been confirmed in children (9F and 10M) and family members had mild symptoms but were not tested. The precise location of the clusters in southern California has not been released, but one cluster is in San Diego Country, while the other is 100 miles away in Imperial County (see updated map). Additional suspect cases in Imperial County have been noted and it is likely that these cases are near the border with Mexico. Some media reports also note that some contacts have not been interviewed because they were in Mexico.

It remains unclear if these two outbreaks are related. All reported cases in California have been mild, and the two confirmed cases were influenza A positive, but failed to sub-type for seasonal flu. It is unclear if sub-typing failures have led to the confusing reports out of Mexico.

More information on these cases, and results of analysis in Canada, would be useful.

Similarly, a more precise location and number of confirmed and suspect cases in the United States would be useful.

[doctor_fungcool]

http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2005-10/2005-10-06-voa55.cfm

n 1918 a flu virus killed between 20 and 50 million people worldwide.


Andrew Jakomas, a survivor, describes it, "We had little caskets for the little babies that stretched for four and five blocks. Eight high. Ten high."

Why was this flu so deadly, and where did it originate? That's what Dr. Jeffery Taubenberger with the U.S. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology wants to find out. "We want to derive lessons from what we study about the 1918 virus to help us understand how influenza pandemics might form for the future and what we might be able to do to prevent them."

Scientists set out to reconstruct the 1918 virus in the lab. They found tissue samples from World War I soldiers killed by the flu. No one had isolated or saved the 1918 virus. But the U.S. Army saved autopsy tissue from the soldiers, and Dr. Taubenberger said scientists pieced together fragments of the virus and now have sequenced all of its genes. "It's like doing a jigsaw puzzle or putting together a mosaic."

Last year, British scientists discovered how the 1918 virus, also bird flu, was able to spread to humans and explode into an epidemic.



Sir John Skehel heads Britain's National Institute for Medical Research. He said British researchers were able to determine the structure of one of the virus' proteins. "This protein is important because it is involved in sticking the virus to cells. So, for example, when viruses come from birds into humans, this protein has to change a little, so that now, instead of just binding to bird cells, it can also bind to human cells and infect them."

This has not yet happened with the current strains of bird flu, but health officials are concerned that it could.

And chickens and ducks are not the only potential carriers according to Dr. Taubenberger. "There is an enormous reservoir of viruses out there in the world and we are really only at the tip of the iceberg as to how many viruses there are."

For the past several years, doctors have warned that another flu epidemic is bound to happen. If they can find out how the 1918 virus mutated, they might learn how to disable the current viruses and prevent a new pandemic.

[seagull]

Our preparations need to include getting closer to the Almighty. Trust in Jesus.

[Sassafras]

I posted previously that Bush had read a book about the Spanish flu pandemic the summer of 2005...
and I posted an article about the book.


Here are some interesting excerpts from that article:


************************************************** *

" Even though it killed at least 40 million people in less than a year, the 1918 influenza pandemic's most alarming feature may have been that it nearly extinguished the basic humanitarian impulses that bind civil society together.

So says John Barry, author of The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History (Viking 2004). Barry was at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health March 2 to talk about history's most calamitous infectious disease pandemic, which killed more people in 24 weeks during 1918—1919 than AIDS has in 24 years.

According to Barry, those still healthy were too panicked by the disease's violent symptoms (rib-cracking coughing spells, intense pain, a cyanosis of the skin so deep blue its like has never been seen since) to even look in on their ill neighbors. Some of the sick, and their children with them, simply starved to death for lack of attention.

Barry quoted one health official after he had failed to recruit a single volunteer: "Nothing seems to rouse them. Children are starving and still they hold back." Even in tight-knit rural communities, says Barry, neighbors didn't rally 'round.

He also quoted Victor Vaughan, Surgeon General of the Army at the time—not, according to Barry, some flibbertigibbet given to impulsive pronouncements. In October 1918, Vaughan said, "If the epidemic continues its mathematical rate of acceleration, civilization could easily disappear from the face of the earth within a few weeks." Photographs taken of big cities at the time reveal virtual ghost towns: empty sidewalks and streets, with only a few mask-wearing city workers or an ambulance in sight. Some municipalities made it a crime to shake hands. "

***********************************************



Can you imagine something like this coming on the heels of the economic crisis...
the global economy would absolutely collapse.



Even if the flu pandemic was faked... fear of being in public places [no shopping,
no eating out, no going to work] would absolutely collapse the the world economy.


Maybe this is the plan.




~

I thought of Bush's choice of reading material when before you made that previous post. I was thinking I was being too woo-woo to mention it. I'm glad you did.

I haven't read the book, but I've read several other accounts about the 1918 pandemic. One common factor seems to be the self-imposed isolation. There were rare pockets of folks who went out of their way to help others, but for the most part it simply didn't happen.

When I was doing that reading a few years ago, I had to stop and ask myself what I would have done back then. Here you have communities that prohibited gatherings for worship (or any reason for that matter), immediate family only funerals, and crumbling community infrastructure for the lack of healthy workers. The times didn't encourage much beyond the stay-at-home attitude, which most communities avocated. I would have to say if my family was strickened back then, it would be doubtful that I would have the capability to help others. Maybe in the beginning, yes, because it may not impact my house at that time, but as time went on and the pandemic lasted for several months just plain survival would be an issue. Most likely our income would have dried up if dh couldn't work, meaning we probably wouldn't have had much to share, not to mention the immense amount of work caring for the ill in your own house. When things like this happen, folks tend to focus on their own problems and don't see the world beyond their own doorstep. Besides, if you look at the symptoms mentioned above, "rib-cracking coughing spells, intense pain, a cyanosis of the skin so deep blue its like has never been seen since", it's understandable that healthy folks wouldn't want to risk bringing that home to their own family. I'm not saying it's right, but easier to understand the decisions made then.

You also have to consider the times back then. This was 90 years ago. Folks didn't have the modern conveniences we have today and day-to-day living required much more effort. The electric washing machine was a relative new invention. There was no such thing as a television, penicillin, band aids, or even sliced bread. The only thing they had going for them is that large families were the norm so the additional workload could be distributed.

Today we, as a society, have increased our knowledge of such illnesses and the spread of disease. We have easier, more convenient methods to care for the infirmed. And some of us have prepped for situations exactly like this. Today, I would like to think I would rise to the occassion to help others if it were in my power to do so. However, I don't know that society as a whole would be any different.

It is said that history repeats itself. Hopefully, the end result won't be as devastating.

[doctor_fungcool]

Comet....my thread concerning the swine flu should soon be merged with your original thread.

[kepperea]

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04240902/H1N1_Swine_CA_TX_Clusters.


The number of flu cases in Mexico, coupled with the high frequency of clusters in California and Texas, raises concerns that the swine flu will spread worldwide and expand into a major pandemic.

[doctor_fungcool]

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04240902/H1N1_Swine_CA_TX_Clusters.


The number of flu cases in Mexico, coupled with the high frequency of clusters in California and Texas, raises concerns that the swine flu will spread worldwide and expand into a major pandemic.

Mods....please merge with Comet's thread. Thank you.

[CEJ10]

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04240902/H1N1_Swine_CA_TX_Clusters.


The number of flu cases in Mexico, coupled with the high frequency of clusters in California and Texas, raises concerns that the swine flu will spread worldwide and expand into a major pandemic.


The link is not working.

[TorahTips]

The link is not working.

I went to the main site. I believe the article in question WAS found here. Interesting statement on the page...

http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=4849822

Bob

[doctor_fungcool]

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04240901/H1N1_Swine_Mexico.html


http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04230901/SRI_Mexico_Alert.html


http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=p&msa=0&msid=106484775090296685271.0004681a37b713f6b5950&ll=32.639375,-110.390625&spn=15.738151,25.488281&z=5

[packyderms_wife]

This is NOT good!!!

Actually I think you need two threads on this one now to ensure that folks actually see this bit of news!

Kimberly

[TorahTips]

Sorry Doc, I thought the story that wasn't available was related to the genetics project. That one in fact been removed from the web. I wonder why?

See my link above. Isn't the recombo site a great place?

Bob

[doctor_fungcool]

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca

Mexican outbreak prompts travel advisory
HEALTH CARE
Posted By CHRISTINA SPENCER AND ANTONELLA ARTUSO, SUN MEDIA

Federal health officials warned Canadians in Mexico Thursday to take commonsense health precautions against the flu, after 20 Mexicans were confirmed dead from an unknown respiratory illness.

However, the Public Health Agency of Canada stopped short of suggesting travellers shun the popular tourist destination altogether.

"It would be excessive in our view to close borders," said Dr. Danielle Grondin, assistant deputy minister of health, even as she confirmed the health agency has issued a travel advisory and raised its surveillance-alert level because of the Mexican reports.

Earlier this week, the agency also warned provincial health authorities and quarantine officers to watch for signs of the influenza-like malady among returning travellers.

Since March 18, Mexico has reported 137 cases of the respiratory illness in previously healthy adults aged 25 to 44. Some cases are thought to be influenza A and B. But at Mexico's request, the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg is testing more than 50 samples from infected Mexican residents to try to identify the virus.

"The situation in Mexico at present poses no health concerns for the general Canadian public," Grondin said. One Canadian -- from Ontario -- returned from Mexico with a severe respiratory infection March 22, but the person "has since fully recovered," she said.

Ontario public health officials are reviewing about 10 cases of individuals who returned from Mexico with respiratory illnesses, but say they have found nothing to link them to the outbreak in that country.

The deaths have raised fears of a SARS-type illness that might be transmitted across borders. In 2003, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, originating in China, killed 44 Canadians. Grondin said there is no evidence so far that the disease is like SARS.

Dr. David Williams, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, said health officials want doctors to notify them of anyone who has been to Mexico and sought treatment for flu-like symptoms.

"One of the things we've done since SARS, instead of being complacent, we're much more aggressive at going after all these (cases)," he said.

Williams said he always advises people to get the flu vaccine, and anyone travelling to Mexico should be aware it has a late influenza season this year.

"Influenza A, as we've always said, is not to be taken casually."

Dr. Arlene King, who will become Ontario's new chief medical officer of health on June 15, said the outbreak is being closely monitored by national and international public health officials.

King, the current director general of the Centre for Immunization and Respiratory Infectious Diseases at the Public Health Agency of Canada, said, "I would go to Mexico," when asked by reporters if people should fear travel to the country.

Added Grondin: "We cannot say to Canadians to not go there. We informed them there is an increased trend of severe respiratory illness of unknown cause.

"It is for Canadians, knowing the risk, to make their decision."

[Sassafras]

Can you imagine something like this coming on the heels of the economic crisis...
the global economy would absolutely collapse.



Even if the flu pandemic was faked... fear of being in public places [no shopping,
no eating out, no going to work] would absolutely collapse the the world economy.


Maybe this is the plan.




~

Seems like Doc might agree with you. Check out the second post of this thread.

http://www.thetreeofliberty.com/vb/showthread.php?t=58063#post535271

[TorahTips]

This is NOT good!!!

Actually I think you need two threads on this one now to ensure that folks actually see this bit of news!

Kimberly

I have been reading the recombonomics site for years. I have never found them to be tin foilers or out of line with their news. In fact, the vast majority of their news is MSM -- just not reported openly to the public. The buried stuff.....


Bob

[doctor_fungcool]

I have been reading the recombonomics site for years. I have never found them to be tin foilers or out of line with their news. In fact, the vast majority of their news is MSM -- just not reported openly to the public. The buried stuff.....


Bob

Connect the dots, Bob......the swine flu has been merged with regular flu......and the combo is similar to 1918 flu...............unbelievable.

[CEJ10]

I went to the main site. I believe the article in question WAS found here. Interesting statement on the page...

http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=4849822

Bob

They took the article down!:shock:

What does that tell us?????

[TorahTips]

They took the article down!:shock:

What does that tell us?????

Nothing to see here, move along, everything is fine....

Bob

[doctor_fungcool]

They took the article down!:shock:

What does that tell us?????


Don't know what kind of face mask to buy....any suggestions?

[louise]

I work as a research interviewer,(650 work there), and many went to Mexico last month, and last week. Am I glad I work from home? You betcha!

[CEJ10]

Wally world sells the 95 mask thing. I bought them months ago. In the paint isle.

[AnnieOakley]

Don't know what kind of face mask to buy....any suggestions?

I bought a few boxes of Maxi-Mask Ultra N95. If someone has a better idea I'm open to suggestions. A friend of mine who is a doctor recommended them.

[CEJ10]

I bought a few boxes of Maxi-Mask Ultra N95. If someone has a better idea I'm open to suggestions. A friend of mine who is a doctor recommended them.


Yes that is the one sounds better than my example of the 95 thing.

[Lucky Guy]

Be careful trusting information from Dr. Niman, he has been discredited a time or two.

[Limner]

I went to the main site. I believe the article in question WAS found here. Interesting statement on the page...

http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=4849822

Bob


"Apr 24 2009, 8:19 AM EST
Sorry, this press release is no longer available." :shock:

[bestandless]

Hi Doc' and friends. Thanks for the info' I have been following this story all day. It even found it's was on to an Australian financial forum this afternoon.

You know, talking of financial markets, I just a couple of minutes ago checked out the Wall Street Globex futures and sure enough - they are up 4.9 on the S&P after being down at least the equivalent in Asian trading.

A Reasonable person might think this news would give traders 'cause for pause'.......silly me I should know better :-) I tell you that as long as threatening outside influences are not breaking down the doors, the rest of the world can go to hell in a handbasket as long as they're alright Jack. They are as ruthless as all as; just like trading on the 23rd and the story by the NYT about the portential Chrysler bankruptcy next week was all 'they' needed to buy stocks into the close. Complete and utter baloney - all of it.

Rant over.

[mediatruth]

Anyone remember the Swine Flu scare in the 70's?

I'm so used to the .gov scaring me all the time, I don't know when to take this stuff seriously. Kinda like, well, bird flu went no where, so let go back to the swine flu?

[night driver]

One needs to read Recombinomics and Dr. Niman VERY carefully with a whole HEAP of discernment.

He is HIGHLY opinionated, and, while his work at genotyping has damn few equals and no betters IMO, his THEORIES about HOW those genomes GET that way are, let's call it LESS than universally -- no, less than WIDELY -- supported by other research/researchers.


N 95 is the type of mask you want, in order to have SOME help. If you are buying for YOURSELF to PROTECT YOURSELF the vented ones aer going to be MUCH more wearable, more comfortable, and more effective for longer wear as YOUR exhalations don't have to pass through the mask and thus you don't over load/wet the mask causing it to become LESS efficient and damn hard to breathe through.

If you are trying to buy a mask for someone ELSE WHO HAS THE FLU, you want the UNVENTED ones so the mask THEY wear can help protect YOU fro THEIR flu.

I would STRONGLY recommend that folks peruse currevents.com (yes it IS closed but the articles and threads from 3-4 years ago are still there, IIRC) as well as checking out ThisBlueMarble because some of the most level-headed Flubies are (I'm PRETTY SURE) still there.

As I understand it, CanadaSue is back posting there. I HOPE my understanding is correct because if we DO have either H1N1 or H5N1 going EASILY H2H transmissible, we're going to need her writings (and her level head) to help us ALL get through this.

[packyderms_wife]

Anyone remember the Swine Flu scare in the 70's?

I'm so used to the .gov scaring me all the time, I don't know when to take this stuff seriously. Kinda like, well, bird flu went no where, so let go back to the swine flu?

My dad HAD the swine flu in the 70's he was in the hospital for 7-8 days and he told me last night it nearly killed him. See other thread on this to see my entire post.

Kimberly

[SheWoff]

More US swine flu cases, Mexico illnesses raise pandemic questions
Lisa Schnirring Staff Writer


Apr 23, 2009 (CIDRAP News) – Five more cases of an unusual swine influenza virus infection have surfaced, officials from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today, bringing the total to seven and raising more concerns about human-to-human transmission.

The new cases include two clusters, two 16-year-old boys in San Antonio, Tex., who attended the same school and a father and daughter from San Diego County. Anne Schuchat, MD, interim deputy director for the CDC's science and public health program, told reporters today at a teleconference that the clusters are consistent with human-to-human spread.

She also said that the World Health Organization has not raised its six-phase pandemic alert level above phase 3 (no or very limited human-to-human transmission).

The fifth new case occurred in a patient from Imperial County, which borders San Diego County. Both counties are home to the first two swine flu patients that the CDC announced on Apr 21.

News of the five new swine flu cases came on the same day Canadian officials warned its public health, medical, and quarantine workers to look for illnesses among Canadians returning from Mexico. Mexico has reported several cases of severe respiratory illness and has asked Canada to assist in finding the source of the illnesses, some of which have been fatal, according to a report today from the Canadian Press (CP).

Schuchat said no swine flu cases have been confirmed in Mexico or Canada, but that CDC officials are discussing the situation with Mexican health officials and representatives from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

Novel strain, relatively mild symptoms
Concerning the seven American cases, Schuchat said, "The good news is that all of the patients have recovered, and one was hospitalized. This is not looking like a very severe influenza."

Patients experience fever, cough, and sore throat symptoms similar to typical influenza, but some of the patients who had swine influenza also experienced more diarrhea and vomiting than is typical of seasonal flu.

The CDC said genetic sequencing of samples from the first two patients, California children who lived in adjacent counties, show that the swine flu virus contains segments from four different viruses: some North American swine, some North American avian, one human influenza, and two Eurasian swine.

"This virus hasn't been recognized in the USA or elsewhere," Schuchat said.

CDC scientists have determined that the novel swine flu virus is resistant to the older antivirals rimantadine and amantadine but is susceptible to oseltamivir and zanamivir.

Schuchat said the CDC expects to see more swine flu cases and that it would provide regular updates on its Web site.

"This is not time for major concern around the country, but we want you to know what's going on," she said. Most of the public health response will focus on the California and Texas areas where cases have been identified, but the CDC is urging health departments in other states to heighten their awareness of respiratory illnesses, particularly in those who have had contact with pigs or traveled to the San Diego or San Antonio areas.

Schuchat said the CDC doesn't know yet if the H1N1 component of this season's influenza vaccine provides any protection against the swine flu virus, but she said studies are under way to determine if there is any cross-protection.

Expert reaction
Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director of the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, publisher of CIDRAP News, said the findings, though concerning, don't mean that a pandemic is imminent.

However, he said health officials shouldn't take comfort in the fact that the illnesses so far have been mild. "The first wave of the 1918 pandemic was mild, too," Osterholm pointed out.

Walter Dowdle, PhD, who worked in the CDC's virology unit during the 1976 swine flu outbreak, told CIDRAP News that it's interesting but not greatly alarming that the 2009 swine flu strain contains such an unusual mix of gene segments.

"It's a real mutt," said Dowdle, who now works with the Task Force for Child Survival and Development, based in Atlanta "When you have an evolving RNA mechanism, it's hard to be surprised by anything."

The H1N1 component of the seasonal flu vaccine might provide some degree of protection, he said. And if the swine flu virus persists, federal officials could consider adding an additional H1N1 strain to next year's vaccine.

Marie Gramer, DVM, PhD, a University of Minnesota veterinarian who has studied swine flu, said her preliminary examination shows that the outbreak strain doesn't appear to closely match anything currently circulating in pigs. However, Gramer added that she has only looked at a small number of viruses and only at the hemagglutinin gene.

Risk message implications
Peter Sandman, PhD, a risk communication consultant based in Princeton, N.J., also listened in on today's CDC teleconference. While he credited the CDC with getting a clear, calm, and concise scientific message out about the swine flu cases, he said they missed a teachable moment to promote pandemic preparedness.

"Everyone needs to learn how to say 'This could be bad, and it's a good reason to take precautions and prepare' and 'This could fizzle out,'" Sandman said. "They need to simultaneously say both statements."

He added that "good risk communicators need to know how to be both scary and tentative."

Federal health officials are probably treading cautiously around the word "pandemic," because some accused them of fear mongering when they raised concerns about the H5N1 virus 2 years ago and also because of overreaction during the 1976 swine flu epidemic that led to vaccination missteps.

When talking to the public about pandemic risks, federal officials could take some cues from hurricane forecasters, Sandman said, "and speculate responsibly." (more to story at link)
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/panflu/news/apr2309swineflu.html

---------------------------------------------
Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH is really up on this stuff, better than others I have read. He has been working on the avian flu now for years. A good one to follow.

She

[251bravo]

Thanks for posting she:-d

[SheWoff]

Just as a side note...this is a good place to follow for news of anything medically considered an infectious disease that could impact us all. They follow pandemic flus, avian flu, bioterrorism, biosecurity, food safety and outbreaks of e.coli and such. Not a bad place to bookmark.

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/index.html

She

[SheWoff]

Check out the part in bold...isn't that interesting????

She
-------------------------------------------------------

Joint exercise brings U.S. forces to Costa Rica
By Patrick Fitzgerald
Tico Times Staff | editorial@ticotimes.net
Costa Rica, a country without an army, received a firsthand view of how a modern military functions this week during the Fuerzas Aliadas Humanitarias 2009 (FAHUM 2009), a joint exercise testing natural disaster response efforts in Central America and the Caribbean.

On Tuesday, two C-17 Globemaster airplanes touched down in Juan Santamaría International Airport in Alajuela, northwest of San José, delivering medical supplies and three Blackhawk helicopters for use during the exercises. On Wednesday, the National Guard from the U.S. state of New Mexico flew the helicopters to the remote southern region of San Isidro de Dota to deliver medical supplies and treat villagers without regular access to health care.

Thursday, U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica Peter Cianchette and senior members of the Costa Rican Cabinet flew to Quepos, on the central Pacific coast, to observe a simulated flood and mudslide exercise, said Col. Tim Paul, director of army aviation for the New Mexico National Guard. Along with a simulated influenza outbreak earlier this week, the trainings tested the preparedness and coordination of the National Emergency Commission (CNE).

The exercises began April 16, Paul said, and will last until early next week, “depending on weather and how many patients still need treatment.” U.S. forces will leave Costa Rica April 30 or May 1, Paul said, after conducting a final exercise course for a “catastrophic weather” event.

The two sides have also discussed earthquake response tactics, which have been a source of controversy for CNE since the Jan. 8 earthquake that killed 30 people in the Poás region, northwest of the capital.

According to Paul, FAHUM “is an exercise that (U.S.) Southern Command does every year, but not in every country every year.” New Mexico is a partner state of Costa Rica, he said, making the exercises “part of that bigger picture.”

http://www.ticotimes.net/dailyarchive/2009_04/0424091.htm

[SheWoff]

Mexico shuts schools over deadly influenza epidemic
Posted: 24 April 2009 1919 hrs



MEXICO CITY: Mexican authorities on Friday closed all schools in the capital and central Mexico as the WHO announced hundreds of human cases of swine flu in the country, including 57 suspected deaths.

The outbreak has killed at least 20 people in the past month, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said in announcing the school closures.

"This afternoon, the epidemic was confirmed by Canadian and US labs to be a new influenza virus," Cordova said in a televised statement late Thursday in which he urged people to avoid large crowds, shaking hands, kissing people as a greeting, or using the subway.

The government has gathered 600,000 vaccines to help protect healthcare workers dealing with the outbreaks, the health minister said.

The World Health Organization said on Friday there are 800 suspected swine flu cases in Mexico and seven cases reported in the southwestern United States.

It was not immediately clear whether Mexican authorities had identified the outbreak as that of swine flu, as labelled by the WHO.

Since March 18, 13 people have died in Mexico City, four in the central state of San Luis Potosi, two in Baja California in the northwest and one in the southern state of Oaxaca, Cordova said.


http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/424664/1/.html

[Croatoan]

I expected to see something like this before now... remember the news stories of "researchers" digging up victims of the 1918 flu that had been buried in tundra that was alwas frozen, so they could recover viable virus samples?

C
============================

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/panflu/news/nov2404spanishflu.html

Recreated gene sheds light on lethality of 1918 flu virus
Robert Roos News Editor

Nov 24, 2004 (CIDRAP News) – By recreating a key surface protein from the 1918 pandemic flu virus and testing its effects in mice, researchers have shown that the protein might have been an important reason for the virus's extraordinary ability to kill.

An international team of researchers recreated hemagglutinin (HA) from the 1918 "Spanish flu" virus and spliced it into recent flu viruses adapted to humans and mice, according to a recent report in Nature. Mice that were exposed to the engineered viruses suffered severe lung infections that resembled those seen in people who died in the 1918 pandemic, according to the report.

"Replacing only one gene is sufficient to make the virus more pathogenic," said senior author Yoshihiro Kawaoka, a virologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UWM) and the University of Tokyo, in a news release from UWM.

The 1918 flu pandemic killed tens of millions of people around the world. In recent years, researchers have extracted several of the virus's genes from preserved tissue samples from pandemic victims and have sequenced them. HA and neuraminidase (NA), surface proteins that equip flu viruses to enter and leave human cells, are important targets of the body's immune response; changes in their structure can make the virus more dangerous and enable it to infect new species.

What made the 1918 virus so lethal has been a mystery. The report by Kawaoka and colleagues says speculation has focused on living conditions at the end of World War I as well as on properties of the virus itself. The HA and NA of the virus contain no amino acid sequences known to be linked with high virulence, the report says. The researchers therefore sought to test the effects of the 1918 virus HA and NA on the pathogenicity of flu viruses in mice.

To do this, they took three recent influenza A strains (one of which is pathogenic in mice and two of which are not) and replaced their HA and NA genes either with the 1918 versions of both genes or with the 1918 HA gene and an NA gene from a recent strain. They then exposed groups of mice to the engineered viruses or the three natural viruses by intranasal inoculation.

All the viruses containing the 1918 HA gene, including those that in their natural form are harmless to mice, grew quickly in the mice's lungs and eventually killed them, according to the report. Viruses containing both HA and NA from the 1918 virus were no more harmful than those containing the 1918 HA along with NA from a recent strain, which indicated that the 1918 version of NA didn't contribute to viral pathogenicity.

In postmortem examinations, the researchers found signs that infection had spread much deeper into the lungs in mice exposed to viruses containing the 1918 HA gene than in the other mice.

"These highly virulent recombinant viruses expressing the 1918 viral HA could infect the entire lung and induce high levels of macrophage-derived chemokines and cytokines, which resulted in infiltration of inflammatory cells and severe haemorrhage, hallmarks of the illness produced during the original pandemic," the abstract of the report states. Further, the addition of the 1918 HA gene to a virus that is normally pathogenic in mice made the lung lesions "clearly more severe" than those in mice infected with the normal version of the virus.

"Severe lung infection was a hallmark of the illness produced by the original pandemic virus in humans

[AnnieOakley]

One needs to read Recombinomics and Dr. Niman VERY carefully with a whole HEAP of discernment.

He is HIGHLY opinionated, and, while his work at genotyping has damn few equals and no betters IMO, his THEORIES about HOW those genomes GET that way are, let's call it LESS than universally -- no, less than WIDELY -- supported by other research/researchers.


N 95 is the type of mask you want, in order to have SOME help. If you are buying for YOURSELF to PROTECT YOURSELF the vented ones aer going to be MUCH more wearable, more comfortable, and more effective for longer wear as YOUR exhalations don't have to pass through the mask and thus you don't over load/wet the mask causing it to become LESS efficient and damn hard to breathe through.

If you are trying to buy a mask for someone ELSE WHO HAS THE FLU, you want the UNVENTED ones so the mask THEY wear can help protect YOU fro THEIR flu.

I would STRONGLY recommend that folks peruse currevents.com (yes it IS closed but the articles and threads from 3-4 years ago are still there, IIRC) as well as checking out ThisBlueMarble because some of the most level-headed Flubies are (I'm PRETTY SURE) still there.

As I understand it, CanadaSue is back posting there. I HOPE my understanding is correct because if we DO have either H1N1 or H5N1 going EASILY H2H transmissible, we're going to need her writings (and her level head) to help us ALL get through this.

Thanks night driver. Will definitely be checking this out.

[SheWoff]

Health experts hunt new swine flu after 7 sickened

04/24/2009

Federal health experts expect to find more cases of a unique new form of swine flu as they check people who had contact with seven California and Texas residents diagnosed with the illness.

All of the seven victims recovered from the flu that combines pig, bird and human viruses in a way that researchers have not seen before, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

The cases are a growing medical mystery because it's unclear how they caught the virus. The CDC said none of the seven people were in contact with pigs, which is how people usually catch swine flu. And only a few were in contact with each other.

Still, health officials said it's not a cause for public alarm: The five in California and two in Texas all recovered, only one person was hospitalized and testing indicates some mainstream antiviral medications seem to work against the virus.

Dr. Anne Schuchat of the CDC said officials believe it can spread human-to-human, which is unusual for a swine flu virus.

The CDC is checking people who have been in contact with the seven confirmed cases, who all became ill between late March and mid-April.

Because of intensive searching, it's likely health officials will find additional cases, said Schuchat, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

CDC officials detected a virus with a unique combination of gene segments that have not been seen in people or pigs before. The bug contains human virus, avian virus from North America and pig viruses from North America, Europe and Asia.

Health officials have seen mixes of bird, pig and human virus before, but never such an intercontinental combination with more than one pig virus in the mix.

Scientists keep a close eye on flu viruses that emerge from pigs. The animals are considered particularly susceptible to both avian and human viruses and a likely place where the kind of genetic reassortment can take place that might lead to a new form of pandemic flu, said Dr. John Treanor, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

The virus may be something completely new, or it may have been around for a while but was only detected now because of improved lab testing and disease surveillance, CDC officials said.

The virus was first detected in two children in southern California — a 10-year-old boy in San Diego County and a 9-year-old girl in neighboring Imperial County.

The cases were detected under unusual circumstances. One was seen at a Navy clinic that participates in a specialized disease detection network, and the other was caught through a specialized surveillance system set up in border communities, CDC officials said.

On Thursday, investigators said they had discovered five more cases. That includes a father and his teenage daughter in San Diego County, a 41-year-old woman in Imperial County who was the only person hospitalized, and two 16-year-old boys who are friends and live in Guadalupe County, Texas, near San Antonio.

The Texas cases are especially puzzling. One of the California cases — the 10-year-old boy — traveled to Texas early this month, but that was to Dallas, about 270 miles northeast of San Antonio. He did not travel to the San Antonio area, Schuchat said.

The two 16-year-olds had not traveled recently, Texas health officials said.

The swine flu's symptoms are like those of the regular flu, mostly involving fever, cough and sore throat, though some of the seven also experienced vomiting and diarrhea.

CDC are not calling it an outbreak, a term that suggests ongoing illnesses. It's not known if anyone is getting sick from the virus right now, CDC officials said.

It's also not known if the seasonal flu vaccine that Americans got last fall and early this year protects against this type of virus. People should wash their hands and take other customary precautions, CDC officials said.

U.S. health officials are consulting with Mexican and Canadian health officials, and the CDC is beginning to receive samples from Mexico for testing, a CDC spokesman said. The ethnicity of the seven confirmed cases was not disclosed.


http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D97OQDU82.html

[rondaben]

Just a heads up...

Influenza--both human and swine--is spread primarilly by droplets (coughing, etc.) These can infect you even with a mask if they enter into the mucosa around your eyes. Wear eye protection as well.

If this were to become airborne the N-95 would be worthless. The virus particles are smaller than the filtration pores. It is like throwing a ping pong ball at a volleyball net.

For that matter, it is the same with HIV and latex condoms--the virus particle is smaller than the pores in the latex (sorry for the divergence, but thought it was useful as well).

As always, handwashing is the most effective means of control. Doesn't matter how good the mask is if you rub your nose with contaminated hands when you take it off.

[Croatoan]

Anyone want to tell me there is no connection here??

C
=================

http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/120805/sta_20051208003.shtml

Scientists thank villagers for role in flu study
Researchers were allowed to exhume victims of pandemic
By RACHEL D'ORO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BREVIG MISSION

- Two white wooden crosses stand unwavering in this wind-scrubbed village at the edge of the Bering Sea, marking a mass grave that holds the remains of dozens of people who died in the pandemic nearly 90 years ago, all but wiping out the community.

A group of scientists visited the grave this week, huddling against biting winds that plunged temperatures to 20 below zero, to commemorate the key role the tiny Inupiat Eskimo village of Brevig Mission played in a groundbreaking study of the 1918 Spanish flu that killed millions around the world.

Before visiting the grave, researchers told villagers gathered at the local school that science could someday gain a better understanding of modern strains of bird flu and the threat it poses to people - and it would be the result of tissue samples preserved in the permafrost here.

This crucial progress was possible only because of the villagers, said retired pathologist Johan Hultin, who exhumed flu victims in 1951 and 1997.
"Without your permission to let me find the right specimen, nothing would have happened," Hultin told the crowd lining the bleachers in the school gymnasium Tuesday. "Thank you so much."
Joining him was Jeffery Taubenberger, a pathologist at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and one of the researchers who helped reconstruct the 1918 flu virus earlier this year.

Taubenberger was studying the remains of World War I soldiers who died in the epidemic. Lung tissue samples from the Inupiat villagers later submitted by Hultin gave scientists missing gene segments.

"What happened in 1918 was one of the worst things that has happened on earth," Taubenberger said. "Nothing can erase the great tragedy of all the people who died. But if we can learn something about the virus, it's a hope that it won't happen again."

The pandemic killed more than 50 million people worldwide, by some estimates. Here, the flu claimed 72 of the 80 villagers in a span of five days. Today about 300 people live in the village, located about 65 miles northwest of Nome.
Hultin was a young microbiology graduate student when he first collected tissue samples in 1951 after approval by tribal leaders. Assisted by colleagues, he hoped to find the deadly strain in the specimens recovered from four bodies, but they failed to find any signs of a live virus.

The turning point came more than four decades later, in 1997, when Hultin learned about Taubenberger's soldier research. Hultin contacted Taubenberger and offered his help to supplement samples of the flu virus found in two of the soldiers.
His source again was the mass grave at Brevig Mission. And once again, village leaders lent their support.

Rita Olanna's grandmother was among the handful of villagers to survive the 1918 flu. She died just two years ago at age 97. Olanna, who was 10 years old when Hultin first launched his study there, said elders then feared that reopening the grave would expose them to the deadly virus.
But as they did decades later, villagers realized the work offered hope for a cure in future epidemics, said Olanna, 64.

"The people were convinced the community would benefit, even if they didn't want their ancestors to be dug up," she said. "This was something that needed to be done."

After four young men in the village helped Hultin reopen the mass grave, he found the condition of his original study subjects had deteriorated. But the remains of a fifth flu victim, an overweight woman, was remarkably intact, probably because she was insulated by a thick layer of fat, Hultin said.
"When I saw her lungs, then I knew there was a virus," he said. "It came to me that here is the answer that will shed some light on the 1918 virus."

The samples completed the scientific puzzle, leading to the first reconstruction of an infectious agent behind a historic pandemic. The work offers proof that the 1918 flu originated in birds, according to researchers, who released their findings in October.

The virus - known by scientists worldwide as the Brevig virus - has been restructured in living form, locked away at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers said.

The study could be crucial in dealing with the current avian flu that's killed dozens of people in Southeast Asia but has yet to mutate like the earlier bug and spread between humans instead of being transmitted to people coming in contact with birds, said George Happ, a University of Alaska Fairbanks research biologist who was among the scientists visiting Brevig Mission on Tuesday.
Happ is working with Taubenberger to monitor migrating birds passing through Alaska, considered by many researchers as a possible entry point for the Asian bird flu.

"It can scare us in the sense that the 1918 flu began spreading between people and that could happen again," Happ said. "There's still a lot more research to be done."

[SheWoff]

Alright....this CDC officials detected a virus with a unique combination of gene segments that have not been seen in people or pigs before. The bug contains human virus, avian virus from North America and pig viruses from North America, Europe and Asia.

Health officials have seen mixes of bird, pig and human virus before, but never such an intercontinental combination with more than one pig virus in the mix.

along with this Dr. Anne Schuchat of the CDC said officials believe it can spread human-to-human, which is unusual for a swine flu virus.

Has really got my internal red alert system into overdrive.

This is what they were afraid was going to happen back in the '70's if you remember the "Swine flu" scare. It never panned out then, but it looks like it has made that jump to h2h that they were afraid of back then. I realize we have come a long way in epidemiology since the 70's, but our meds have not that would be effective against this. Could this be the "outbreak"? I sure hope not, but it's not looking good right now.

She

[SheWoff]

http://www.thetreeofliberty.com/vb/showthread.php?t=57964

Link to comet's thread for yall. Posted some other eye opening articles there before I realized doc had this thread going too.

She

[Comet]

If you studied or read much on the Spanish flu this might sound familiar, other than it is a headline for today, not 1918..

SSA investigated 943 possible cases of influenza
This Friday all schools, from kindergarten to higher level, suspending work in the City and State of Mexico. They recommend not to go to restaurants, bars, cinemas and other places

The Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova, who are 16 confirmed deaths from the new influenza virus, but said there are 45 deaths "suspicious" and 943 cases are under investigation.

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/593326.html (http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/593326.html)

[Tink]

I was in San Antonio over the Easter weekend. We stayed with a rich Uncle who lives in a gated community. Many of the houses there are owned by wealthy mexicans. My Aunt told me most only come a couple of times a year to shop. Easter week and around Thanksgiving. We ended up going shopping at a mall. It was jam packed with mexicans shopping. I imagine many were from Mexico city and wonder if any of them brought it over the border with them?

[GoldGoldGold]

Sixty Swine Flu Fatalities In Mexico Confirm Pandemic Start
Recombinomics Commentary 13:30
April 24, 2009

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04240903/H1N1_Swine_Mexico_Pandemic.html

A rare outbreak of human swine flu has killed at least 60 people in Mexico and spread to the United States where authorities are on alert, the World Health Organisation said on Friday.

"To date there have been some 800 suspected cases with flu-like illness, with 57 deaths in the Mexico City area," Chaib added.

Twenty four suspected cases and three deaths were also recorded in San Luis Potosi in central Mexico.

The above comment confirm that the swine H1N1 in southwestern United States (see updated map) is the leading edge of a H1N1 pandemic that appears to be centered in Mexico.

These deaths should increase the pandemic phase to 6.

Release of sequences from fatal cases in Mexico would be useful.

[GoldGoldGold]

US 'very concerned' about swine flu outbreak

Apr 24 09:32 AM US/Eastern

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.424c5b4c93103272a5d7bbabb402fde a.c1&show_article=1

US medical authorities expressed strong concern Friday about an unprecedented multi-strain swine flu outbreak that has killed at least 60 people in Mexico and infected seven people in the United States.

"It's very obvious that we are very concerned. We've stood up emergency operation centers," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) spokesman Dave Daigle told AFP.

One major source of concern was that the virus included strains from different types of flu.

"This is the first time that we've seen an avian strain, two swine strains and a human strain," said Daigle, adding that the virus had influenza strains from European and Asian swine, but not from North American swine.

In 11 of 12 reported human cases of swine influenza (H1N1) virus infection in the United States from December 2005 to February 2009, the CDC has documented direct or indirect contact with swine.

But the seven known cases of the previously undetected strain in the United States -- five from California and two from Texas -- did not have contact with pigs. The seven people infected have all recovered from the flu.

"We have determined that this virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human," the CDC said on its website. "However, at this time, we have not determined how easily the virus spreads between people."

Local and state health officials were interviewing not just the people who were infected but the people with whom they had contact, Daigle noted.

Officials were looking for the source of the infection, Daigle said, adding that US health officials were due to receive samples from Mexico that would be tested at a lab at the centers based in Atlanta, Georgia.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified swine influenza as a potential source of a human flu pandemic. Pandemics usually occur every 20 years.

"Our experts and others are saying are not saying it's not a matter of whether but when. And we are past due," said Daigle.

Swine flu is caused by type A influenza and does not normally infect humans but cases have been reported among people, especially those exposed to pigs, the CDC said. Most outbreaks take place during the late fall and winter months.

Swine flu symptoms include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people who have contracted the virus have also reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC.

Human outbreaks of H1N1 swine influenza virus were recorded in the United States in 1976 and 1988, when two deaths were reported, and in 1986. In 1988, a pregnant woman died after contact with sick pigs, the WHO said.

In recent years, the global focus for a pandemic has shifted to the H5N1 bird flu virus, which has spread from poultry to humans, especially in Asia.



Copyright AFP 2008, AFP stories and photos shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium

[TXBSAFH]

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico is canceling classes for millions of children in the heart of the country on Friday after influenza killed around 20 people in recent weeks.
Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said schools and universities in Mexico City and the surrounding area would be temporarily closed and advised people with flu symptoms to stay home from work.
"We're dealing with a new flu virus that constitutes a respiratory epidemic that so far is controllable," Cordova said Thursday.
Canada's government advised doctors to be on the alert for reports of illness from people who recently traveled to Mexico, although it did not advise against visiting the popular beach vacation destination.
Mexico's flu season normally ends in February or March, but it has extended longer this year, the government said.
"We recommend avoiding places or events with a lot of people unless strictly necessary," Cordova said in an unusual late-night live statement to media.
About 79 people, possibly ill with the flu, are being treated in Mexico and that number has not increased in recent days, the Health Ministry said.
Worldwide, seasonal flu kills between 250,000 and 500,000 people in an average year.
In the United States, seven people have been diagnosed with a new kind of swine flu in California and Texas, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
All seven people there have recovered but the virus itself is a never-before-seen mixture of viruses typical among pigs, birds and humans, the CDC said.
Canadian officials have been particularly sensitive to the international spread of respiratory illnesses since Toronto was hit by the SARS epidemic in 2003, which was blamed partly on a slow response to early disease reports.



http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE53N3CQ20090424

[HeIsTruth]

Sorry if this has already been posted.

Sixty Swine Flu Fatalities In Mexico Confirm Pandemic Start (http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04240903/H1N1_Swine_Mexico_Pandemic.html)

Recombinomics Commentary 13:30
April 24, 2009
A rare outbreak of human swine flu has killed at least 60 people in Mexico and spread to the United States where authorities are on alert, the World Health Organisation said on Friday.

"To date there have been some 800 suspected cases with flu-like illness, with 57 deaths in the Mexico City area," Chaib added.

Twenty four suspected cases and three deaths were also recorded in San Luis Potosi in central Mexico.

The above comment confirm that the swine H1N1 (http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04240902/H1N1_Swine_CA_TX_Clusters.html) in southwestern United States (see updated map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=p&msa=0&msid=106484775090296685271.0004681a37b713f6b5950&ll=32.639375,-110.390625&spn=15.738151,25.488281&z=5)) is the leading edge of a H1N1 pandemic that appears to be centered in Mexico.

[SheWoff]

http://www.thetreeofliberty.com/vb/showthread.php?p=535525#post535525

See comet's thread on this...more interesting articles.

She

[Comet]

Check out Drudge Headline

http://www.drudgereport.com/

[SheWoff]

http://www.thetreeofliberty.com/vb/showthread.php?t=57964 :-D

She

[rondaben]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N23355101.htm

Interesting...

"All seven people have recovered but the virus itself is a never-before-seen mixture of viruses typical among pigs, birds and humans, the CDC said."

A little background...

I am a medical technologist with 15 years of experience. I’ve worked in Virology labs as well as with pretty nasty pathogens like multi drug resistant TB, crypto and was working with specimens from the hantavirus outbreak in NM in the 90’s.

Let me explain a little about how influenza works for those who may not know. Most types of influenza originates in poor agricultural areas where humans and pigs cohabitate in small areas. This is typically in China though other nations like Mexico it would not be unreasonable. Influenza is what is known as an encapsulated virus. That means that the genetic part of the virus responsible for the disease is surrounded by what is known as an envelope—kind of like the hard rubber core of a golfball is surrounded by the white coating on the exterior.

As a virus particle merges with blood cells the envelope merges with the cell membrane that is infected—kind of like two bubbles merging together. The genetic material hijacks the cell’s factories and produces copy after copy of itself. These then bud off the cell to form new viruses---making a new envelope out of the cell membrane and perhaps parts of its old membrane.

Human and pig anatomy is very, very similar. Both humans and pigs are susceptible to influenza. You can imagine that a influenza virus coated in a pig cell envelope would be unusual to your body. You would have no defense against this because you had never been exposed to those particular antigens before. Each year a prevalent type of influenza is formed that is new. That is why vaccines must change yearly to deal with new strains formed when the virus originates.

How quickly the virus can change the envelope it is wrapped in is a big determinant on how quickly it spreads. If new strains are formed frequently vaccines are ineffective. Normally you would expect one or two strains to occur in a particular season—at least one or two strains that represent a majority of influenza cases. What I found interesting was the makeup included human, bird and swine aspects. This would be difficult—especially as it is starting in Mexico—to achieve without some degree of engineering. If you were to culture the virus into avian and swine blood you cold obtain that mix, but the likely hood of it occurring naturally seems implausible.

[Exodia]

If you studied or read much on the Spanish flu this might sound familiar, other than it is a headline for today, not 1918..

SSA investigated 943 possible cases of influenza
This Friday all schools, from kindergarten to higher level, suspending work in the City and State of Mexico. They recommend not to go to restaurants, bars, cinemas and other places

The Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova, who are 16 confirmed deaths from the new influenza virus, but said there are 45 deaths "suspicious" and 943 cases are under investigation.

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/593326.html (http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/593326.html)

Thank goodness we don't have any bond rallys going on.

[farm boy]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N23355101.htm

Interesting...

"All seven people have recovered but the virus itself is a never-before-seen mixture of viruses typical among pigs, birds and humans, the CDC said."

A little background...

I am a medical technologist with 15 years of experience. I’ve worked in Virology labs as well as with pretty nasty pathogens like multi drug resistant TB, crypto and was working with specimens from the hantavirus outbreak in NM in the 90’s.

Let me explain a little about how influenza works for those who may not know. Most types of influenza originates in poor agricultural areas where humans and pigs cohabitate in small areas. This is typically in China though other nations like Mexico it would not be unreasonable. Influenza is what is known as an encapsulated virus. That means that the genetic part of the virus responsible for the disease is surrounded by what is known as an envelope—kind of like the hard rubber core of a golfball is surrounded by the white coating on the exterior.

As a virus particle merges with blood cells the envelope merges with the cell membrane that is infected—kind of like two bubbles merging together. The genetic material hijacks the cell’s factories and produces copy after copy of itself. These then bud off the cell to form new viruses---making a new envelope out of the cell membrane and perhaps parts of its old membrane.

Human and pig anatomy is very, very similar. Both humans and pigs are susceptible to influenza. You can imagine that a influenza virus coated in a pig cell envelope would be unusual to your body. You would have no defense against this because you had never been exposed to those particular antigens before. Each year a prevalent type of influenza is formed that is new. That is why vaccines must change yearly to deal with new strains formed when the virus originates.

How quickly the virus can change the envelope it is wrapped in is a big determinant on how quickly it spreads. If new strains are formed frequently vaccines are ineffective. Normally you would expect one or two strains to occur in a particular season—at least one or two strains that represent a majority of influenza cases. What I found interesting was the makeup included human, bird and swine aspects. This would be difficult—especially as it is starting in Mexico—to achieve without some degree of engineering. If you were to culture the virus into avian and swine blood you cold obtain that mix, but the likely hood of it occurring naturally seems implausible.

That's a good synopsis rondaben!

[firebird]

With our porous borders, this should spread quickly.

[Comet]

Thanks rondeben! Very insightful!!

[tdawg]

http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=325253

T.

[SheWoff]

It already is.

[Tippy]

Thanks rondaben! So now we have to wonder, who would do this, and why?

[Samson]

Just a heads up...

Influenza--both human and swine--is spread primarilly by droplets (coughing, etc.) These can infect you even with a mask if they enter into the mucosa around your eyes. Wear eye protection as well.

If this were to become airborne the N-95 would be worthless. The virus particles are smaller than the filtration pores. It is like throwing a ping pong ball at a volleyball net.

For that matter, it is the same with HIV and latex condoms--the virus particle is smaller than the pores in the latex (sorry for the divergence, but thought it was useful as well).

As always, handwashing is the most effective means of control. Doesn't matter how good the mask is if you rub your nose with contaminated hands when you take it off.

I remember reading somewhere that putting masks on the infected/sick will prevent droplets from being spread to the healthy.

[Is45]

I was in San Antonio over the Easter weekend. We stayed with a rich Uncle who lives in a gated community. Many of the houses there are owned by wealthy mexicans. My Aunt told me most only come a couple of times a year to shop. Easter week and around Thanksgiving. We ended up going shopping at a mall. It was jam packed with mexicans shopping. I imagine many were from Mexico city and wonder if any of them brought it over the border with them?



San Antonio has had a couple of outbreaks of the new "swine flu."

Obamanation was in Mexico City a week ago.


~

[Is45]

Check out Drudge Headline

http://www.drudgereport.com/



:shock:



Travelers warned of mysterious respiratory illness... (http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/04/23/respiratory-illness-flu-mexico.html)
Mexico City launches huge vaccination campaign... (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=090424142248.88ahg8e6&show_article=1)
7 hit by strange new swine flu in USA... (http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N23355101.htm)
Heighten Risk of Pandemic... (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aWVM4e9IDstg&refer=worldwide)
Concern in Texas... (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090424/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu)
Mutated from pigs, transmitted to humans... (http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N24524032.htm)



http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090424/capt.photo_1240579564488-1-0.jpg?x=400&y=249&q=85&sig=CqZNZchzdSLqQYIS_Lwa2w--

OUTBREAK (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.424c5b4c93103272a5d7bbabb402fde a.c1&show_article=1)

http://www.drudgereport.com/i/logo9.gif (http://www.drudgereport.com/)


~

[Is45]

Obamanation [and who knows who else was with him]
was in Mexico City a week ago.

~

[Is45]

dup

[Is45]

In 1918 a flu virus killed between 20 and 50 million people worldwide.




Here is an ominous quote from Wikipedia:


" The 1918 flu pandemic (commonly referred to as the Spanish flu) was an influenza pandemic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_pandemic) that spread to nearly every part of the world. It was caused by an unusually severe and deadly Influenza A virus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus) strain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strain_%28biology%29) of subtype H1N1 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H1N1). Historical and epidemiologic data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin of the virus. Most of its victims were healthy young adults, in contrast to most influenza outbreaks which predominantly affect juvenile, elderly, or otherwise weakened patients. The pandemic lasted from March 1918 to June 1920, spreading even to the Arctic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic) and remote Pacific islands. It is estimated that anywhere from 20 to 100 million people were killed worldwide, or the approximate equivalent of one third of the population of Europe, more than double the number killed in World War I (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I). This extraordinary toll resulted from the extremely high illness rate of up to 50% and the extreme severity of the symptoms, suspected to be caused by cytokine storms (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine_storm). The pandemic is estimated to have infected up to one billion people - half the world's population (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_population) at the time. "


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


~

[check]

This is my speculation, and it is speculation only. IMHO, this looks like it could have been bioengineered........

I've talked to friends in the past about this kind of thing happening.

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04240901/H1N1_Swine_Mexico.html

If it is "Black Wind" by design (manufactured) wouldn't surprise me
either.

[Comet]

Thanks Is45. I wasn't sure how to capture a screen shot of that.

[Is45]

Summer 2005, George Bush read a book about the Spanish flu pandemic.

http://articles.latimes.com/2005/aug/16/nation/na-bushread16


~

[rondaben]

Thanks rondaben! So now we have to wonder, who would do this, and why?

Look at these other loosely related headlines:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h2adbPm58rqvoQr82LT3BjFYYydAD97O6VNG2

This is the article about three Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis samples "missing" but probably destroyed. I have been inside Ft. Detrick. Watched them with the level 4 pathogens like Ebola. There is ZERO chance that those samples disappeared "accidentally". It is also a lark--this shows that "accidents happen" but that you are still "safe".

The candidates of people capable of creating a strain like this is endless. Look again at this again through critical eyes. The question isn't "What is going on" but as you intelligently asked "Why?"

There is some other "coincidences". I have personally noticed and that I have seen in the news...

1) I am seeing large numbers of semi's carrying military vehicles west towards El-Paso/Juarez. the vast majority are woodlands camo and not desert camo that you would see for deployment to the Middle East. I have even seen a few M113 Armored Personnel Carriers with the red cross logo on them headed that way. That makes more sense now.

2) FEMA is conducting its National Level Exercise in region 6--that includes Texas, NM, OK, LA and Arkansas. The focus is on an external terrorist attack that causes FEMA, the military and police to round up terrorists. This could precipitate into a roundup for vaccinations, however. It could also precipitate a mass refugee exodus from Mexico and the REX84 scenario.

3) "This is the first time that we've seen an avian strain, two swine strains and a human strain," said Daigle, adding that the virus had influenza strains from European and Asian swine. I have my suspicions, but they are still only suspicions. I believe the origin is China. If you remember back a few months there was a speech given by the Chinese Chief of Staff that stated that China would colonize the US west coast as a part of repayment of our national debt to them. They said we could do it by leaving it or they would depopulate it and take over.

That was not an idle threat.

They know that Obama will not fight them over this. They know that we are in imminent default to them. Honestly, I believe the Obama administration is in collusion with them and needs a valid reason for martial law to pull it off. A biological scare would do that. Look at the state of CA, already 5 cases reported.



http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jAk9Cmp6zJLWMJOY6HZaQHXH0VmQ

[check]

and don't forget many mexicans are headed over the border for the agricultural season which is starting in many USA states, always a big influx of illegals this time of year.

[Tippy]

Look at these other loosely related headlines:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h2adbPm58rqvoQr82LT3BjFYYydAD97O6VNG2

This is the article about three Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis samples "missing" but probably destroyed. I have been inside Ft. Detrick. Watched them with the level 4 pathogens like Ebola. There is ZERO chance that those samples disappeared "accidentally". It is also a lark--this shows that "accidents happen" but that you are still "safe".

The candidates of people capable of creating a strain like this is endless. Look again at this again through critical eyes. The question isn't "What is going on" but as you intelligently asked "Why?"

There is some other "coincidences". I have personally noticed and that I have seen in the news...

1) I am seeing large numbers of semi's carrying military vehicles west towards El-Paso/Juarez. the vast majority are woodlands camo and not desert camo that you would see for deployment to the Middle East. I have even seen a few M113 Armored Personnel Carriers with the red cross logo on them headed that way. That makes more sense now.

2) FEMA is conducting its National Level Exercise in region 6--that includes Texas, NM, OK, LA and Arkansas. The focus is on an external terrorist attack that causes FEMA, the military and police to round up terrorists. This could precipitate into a roundup for vaccinations, however. It could also precipitate a mass refugee exodus from Mexico and the REX84 scenario.

3) "This is the first time that we've seen an avian strain, two swine strains and a human strain," said Daigle, adding that the virus had influenza strains from European and Asian swine. I have my suspicions, but they are still only suspicions. I believe the origin is China. If you remember back a few months there was a speech given by the Chinese Chief of Staff that stated that China would colonize the US west coast as a part of repayment of our national debt to them. They said we could do it by leaving it or they would depopulate it and take over.

That was not an idle threat.

They know that Obama will not fight them over this. They know that we are in imminent default to them. Honestly, I believe the Obama administration is in collusion with them and needs a valid reason for martial law to pull it off. A biological scare would do that. Look at the state of CA, already 5 cases reported.



http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jAk9Cmp6zJLWMJOY6HZaQHXH0VmQ


Excellent commentary! Thank you!

[kelee877]

I just got this in my email...I use to moderate a bird flu forum and they still send me updates...:-?...Mods if you wish to remove the Url due to conflict of interest please do so....

------------------------------------------------------------------------


Greetings again all,

It's time for another pseudo warning for you. As most of you are aware by now, over the last few days a handful of swine flu cases have popped up in Southern California and in Texas. There are seven confirmed cases, one of which required hospitalization. The WHO has confirmed that this is a "new" swine flu strain that is spreading by human-to-human transmission.

The WHO has also confirmed that there is a swine flu outbreak underway in Mexico, which has killed 60 people out of 800 cases resulting in a rather high fatality rate.

The WHO is currently matching the swine flu samples in Mexico with the U.S. cases to see if the strains match. If they do match, then it "could" mean the next pandemic is beginning.

For anyone interested in following the latest developments, you can click on the following link to visit the Latest News section.

http://www.avianflutalk.com/forum_topics.asp?FID=3 (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102560938200&s=455&e=0015NlyGth4F8lNwUkSdJnuxX1msuLLmGTcA4xMr05m3n86K QGDdwXtJO3x4BZ0GW7v1uiIsQEHglDHgQClnzEnaBKh_atJVSv 2X3Y_1LLn53PXSk9FG907EGYBL9YteBn3uM-RqJLzpKl0T3Dj5ORmdg==)


Best wishes to all,

[tygerkittn]

Don't know what kind of face mask to buy....any suggestions?


Don't the N100 masks stop 100% of the droplets? I bought some online but I don't remember where.

[travelingirl]

Rondaben: Wow! This coincides with the Chinese "tourist" buying up properties in California. So empty out California of its populace and just bring in the "Chinese colonists" and they will subjugate any remaining "natives" into servants. How ironic the twist of history repeating itself. So instead of the colonists comin in from the east it will be from the west and they will continue to push eastward, all the while promising the "natives" that thye will continue to live peacably and keep the remaining lands. Then they systematically wipe out their food sources, starvation and diesease will depopulate the "native", corralling the remaining ones into "reservations" where they will be dependant on govt. for every need. Hey, sounds like a good conspiracy book:mrgreen:

[kelee877]

N95 masks are the best and you need googles for protecting your eyes...even children swimming googles will do....


also men with beards or mustachs will have to be shaven off so masks will fit tight against the skin...

I have a place were I have gotten the N95 masks...if you are interested you can pm me....

If you thought financial collapse was going to bad...an pandemic will be worse...I have been a follower of Bird Flu for years...

[LoneWolf57]

http://1918.pandemicflu.gov/the_pandemic/index.htm

The PandemicInfluenza Strikes
Throughout history, influenza viruses have mutated and caused pandemics or global epidemics. In 1890, an especially virulent influenza pandemic struck, killing many Americans. Those who survived that pandemic and lived to experience the 1918 pandemic tended to be less susceptible to the disease.
From Kansas to Europe and back again, wave after wave, the unfolding of the pandemic, mobilizing to fight influenza, the pandemic hits, protecting yourself, communication, fading of the pandemic. More>> (http://1918.pandemicflu.gov/the_pandemic/01.htm)
Voices of the Pandemic
March 1918 - January 1919. Communications through Public Health Reports, physicians, newspapers, letters, and telegrams. More>> (http://1918.pandemicflu.gov/the_pandemic/02.htm)
Fighting Influenza
During the mid to late nineteenth-century, physicians and scientists had begun to understand that diseases are caused by microorganisms. This was a radical departure from traditional medical theories which had held that diseases were caused by miasmas or an imbalance in the body’s humors.
How phyisicans understood influenza at the time, what happened to influenza patients in the early 1900s, preventing and treating influenza. More>> (http://1918.pandemicflu.gov/the_pandemic/03.htm)
The Legacy of the Pandemic
No one knows exactly how many people died during the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic. During the 1920s, researchers estimated that 21.5 million people died as a result of the 1918-1919 pandemic. More recent estimates have estimated global mortality from the 1918-1919 pandemic at anywhere between 30 and 50 million. An estimated 675,000 Americans were among the dead.
Research, forgetting the pandemic of 1918-1919, scientific milestones, 20th century influenza or global pandemics. More>> (http://1918.pandemicflu.gov/the_pandemic/04.htm)

http://1918.pandemicflu.gov/images/pandemic_rightcolumn.gifhttp://1918.pandemicflu.gov/images/pandemic_rightcolumn.gifhttp://1918.pandemicflu.gov/images/pandemic_rightcolumn1.gifAlthough people dutifully wore masks, these provided only a very limited protection against the influenza virus. [Credit: Office of the Public Health Service Historian]http://1918.pandemicflu.gov/images/pandemic_rightcolumn2.gifhttp://1918.pandemicflu.gov/images/pandemic_rightcolumn.gifhttp://1918.pandemicflu.gov/images/pandemic_rightcolumn1.gifMore Americans died from influenza than died in World War I. [Credit: National Library of Medicine]http://1918.pandemicflu.gov/images/pandemic_rightcolumn2.gifhttp://1918.pandemicflu.gov/images/pandemic_rightcolumn.gifhttp://1918.pandemicflu.gov/images/pandemic20.gif

[Comet]

Please take a look at this guide. I think everyone needs to have this information handy whether it is a regular influenza outbreak or a Pandemic strain. Dr Gratton Woodson developed this due to the bird flu situation but would be applicable to other influenza stains. For instance, in this guide he gives directions on making homemade electrolyte solution for individuals that become dehydrated.
http://www.birdflumanual.com/resources/Home_Influenza_Treatment/files/Good%20Home%20Treatment%20of%20Influenza%2010pt.pd f

[strudel nut]

I wonder what the incubation period is for this. A lot of the college/school kids have come back from spring break and if any of them travelled to Mexico...

[Is45]

WHO says it is worried about suspicious flu activity, sending help to Mexico


1 hour ago


TORONTO — The World Health Organization says it is very concerned about mounting evidence of suspicious influenza activity in Mexico and the southwestern part of the United States.


Mexico's health minister has confirmed that some of the cases of illness there were caused by a swine flu virus that is responsible for at least seven human cases in the United States.


A WHO spokesperson says the emergency committee of experts that would determine whether to raise the global pandemic alert level has been informed WHO may call them into action


Gregory Hartl says the WHO is sending staff to Mexico to help in the investigations and try to get a better picture of what is going on.
Hartl says the WHO is extremely concerned because there is evidence of what looks like a novel flu virus spreading in five places - the two U.S. states and three parts of Mexico.


He says WHO is in continuous contact with the governments of the United States, Canada and Mexico.



http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5g53QvII5VCOl3YBgS4czWlyxl2Ag


~

[Comet]

I wonder what the incubation period is for this. A lot of the college/school kids have come back from spring break and if any of them travelled to Mexico...

CDC suggest that close contacts of swine flu cases should be monitored up to 7 days after last contact, so I guess they think the incubation period is up to 7 days.

[Buttercup]

Please take a look at this guide. I think everyone needs to have this information handy whether it is a regular influenza outbreak or a Pandemic strain. Dr Gratton Woodson developed this due to the bird flu situation but would be applicable to other influenza stains. For instance, in this guide he gives directions on making homemade electrolyte solution for individuals that become dehydrated.
http://www.birdflumanual.com/resources/Home_Influenza_Treatment/files/Good%20Home%20Treatment%20of%20Influenza%2010pt.pd f
Thank you, Comet. I was looking for something like this.

[Is45]

I wonder what the incubation period is for this. A lot of the college/school kids have come back from spring break and if any of them travelled to Mexico...




Including Obamanation. He was in Mexico City a week ago.


~

[vagar]

My dad tells me, I just called him to get stocked up and prepare to stay home for several weeks, that he's had he swine flu before. Seems that back in the early to mid 70's Peabody, of the infamous Peabody Coal Company, in their infinite wisdom forced all of their employees world wide to take the flu vaccine. Dad ended up in the hospital for 7 days and nearly died, someone had forgotten to process the vaccine and it was still alive. He said several of his friends died from the swine flu vaccine and that several hundred people died world wide from it - he got paid a bonus that year for having contracted the illness.

So my question is how does one know, short of a blood test, if it's Type A or Type B??? And while he's confident he won't get it again and for some reason he seems to think my brother and I are also immune from this and why I do NOT know, I'm not so sure it's not a newer strain.

Thoughts???

Kimberly


I believe you are correct. I clearly recall swine flu being in the news in 1975. The governor here made available free flu shots to all who would take them. They were administered with a pneumatic device (fairly new at the time) military style. No questions asked. You just got in line at any number of large assembly places, pulled up your sleeve and were warned to not lean away from but into the shot.

That was the last flu shot I ever got. I soon came down with the worst case of flu I had ever experienced and was bedridden four days.

Three family members with me were apparently unaffected. YMMV

I wonder if this could be the big test about which the VP warned the public? A pandemic would certainly constitute a test.

[Is45]

On another topic I posted that the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas Romanov,
was the last Roman emperor and how when he was murdered by the evil
satanic bolsheviks, the one [Roman empire] who restrained the spirit of
antichrist was removed and the reign of antichrist began.

http://www.thetreeofliberty.com/vb/showpost.php?p=530893&postcount=12

http://www.thetreeofliberty.com/vb/showpost.php?p=531253&postcount=33


It is interesting that the global Spanish flu pandemic that killed tens of
millions of people [more than were killed in WW 1] came right after the
bolshevik revolution. The Spanish flu pandemic raged during the Russian
civil war and the bolshevik imprisonment and murder of Tsar Nicholas II
and the Russian royal family.


~

[Is45]

" Mexico's Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova urged people to avoid large crowds,
shaking hands, kissing people as a greeting, or using the subway. "

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20090424/thl-deadly-outbreak-of-swine-flu-in-us-m-0b0437e.html


~

[Comet]

WHO convening emergency committee to advise on swine flu
* 12 of 18 virus samples in Mexico same as California cases
* More epidemiological info needed for pandemic alert change


http://in.reuters.com/article/health/idINTRE53N4SZ20090424

[Is45]

Outbreak in Mexico, U.S. tied to new swine flu

Source of unique virus a mystery; CDC expects more cases


msnbc.com news services

updated 22 minutes ago

The unique strain of swine flu found in seven people in California and Texas (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30373191/) has been connected to the deadly flu that has broken out in Mexico, killing as many as 60 people.

The strain has never been seen before and is raising fears of a possible pandemic across North America.

The World Health Organization said it was concerned at what it called hundreds of "influenza-like" cases in Mexico, and also about the confirmed outbreak of the new strain of swine flu in the United States. The agency said Friday that 12 of the samples from Mexico had a genetic structure identical to the virus found in the U.S.

"It is a virus that mutated from pigs and then at some point was transmitted to humans," Mexico's Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova told the Televisa network.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30386163/



~

[Is45]

**** Please updated the topic title to add "US" with Mexico. ****




Dallas County health staff hunt for new swine flu

© 2009 The Associated Press

April 24, 2009, 11:41AM



DALLAS — Health officials in Dallas County say any patient with any upper respiratory ailments should be tested for swine flu.

There have been no confirmed cases of the new strain in the county, but two Texans are among the seven known U.S. cases and a 10-year-old boy from San Diego visited Dallas before his diagnosis.

Doctors said Friday that even people with problems from seasonal allergies should be tested. Health Department spokeswoman Jacqueline Bell says frequent travel between Dallas and San Antonio is the main concern. The two cases in Texas were from Guadalupe County, near San Antonio.

All seven victims recovered from the flu that combines pig, bird and human viruses in a way that researchers have not seen before, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.



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


~

[Milk-maid]

Ok, I'm reading the Texas cases were either in San Antonio or El Paso. Does anyone know for sure what city it was? If it was El Paso that is right across the border from Juarez.

[Comet]

News is coming in too fast to keep up!!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090424.wflumain0424/BNStory/International/home

[Heartofdixie]

I believe you are correct. I clearly recall swine flu being in the news in 1975. The governor here made available free flu shots to all who would take them. They were administered with a pneumatic device (fairly new at the time) military style. No questions asked. You just got in line at any number of large assembly places, pulled up your sleeve and were warned to not lean away from but into the shot.

That was the last flu shot I ever got. I soon came down with the worst case of flu I had ever experienced and was bedridden four days.

Three family members with me were apparently unaffected. YMMV

I wonder if this could be the big test about which the VP warned the public? A pandemic would certainly constitute a test.

Yes, my husband, myself and inlaws were all vaccinated for Swine Flu during that time. None of us became ill from the shot. I did have an extreemly sore arm though. You're right, YMMV

[Amishdude]

So...who's up for the "official vaccine" when it's offered? :twisted:

[Hungarian]

FACTBOX: New flu strain is a genetic mix
Fri Apr 24, 2009 1:25pm EDT
(Reuters) - A deadly swine flu never seen before has broken out in Mexico, killing at least 16 people and raising fears of a possible pandemic. World Health Organization officials said the flu has killed about 60 Mexicans.

Here are some facts about the virus and flu viruses in general:

* The World Health Organization has confirmed at least some of the cases are a never-before-seen strain of influenza A virus, carrying the designation H1N1.

* Although it's called swine flu, this new strain is not infecting pigs and has never been seen in pigs. The threat is person to person transmission.

* It is genetically different from the fully human H1N1 seasonal influenza virus that has been circulating globally for the past few years. The new flu virus contains DNA typical to avian, swine and human viruses, including elements from European and Asian swine viruses.

* The World Health Organization is concerned but says it is too soon to change the threat level warning for a pandemic-- a global epidemic of a new and dangerous flu.

* When a new strain of flu starts infecting people, and when it acquires the ability to pass from person to person, it can spark a pandemic. The last pandemic was in 1968 and killed about a million people.

* Seven people in the United States have been diagnosed with the new strain. All have recovered, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expects more cases.

* Flu viruses mutate constantly, which is why the flu vaccine is changed every year, and they can swap DNA in a process called reassortment. Most animals can get flu, but viruses rarely pass from one species to another.

* From December 2005 through February 2009, 12 cases of human infection with swine influenza were confirmed. All but one person had contact with pigs. There was no evidence of human-to-human transmission in those cases.

* Symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to those of seasonal influenza -- sudden onset of fever, coughing, muscle aches and extreme tiredness. Swine flu appears to cause more diarrhea and vomiting than normal flu.

* Seasonal flu kills between 250,000 and 500,000 people globally in an average year.

* In 1976 a new strain of swine flu started infecting people and worried U.S. health officials started widespread vaccination. More than 40 million people were vaccinated. But several cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a severe and sometime fatal condition that can be linked to some vaccines, caused the U.S. government to stop the program. The incident led to widespread distrust of vaccines in general.

(Reporting by Maggie Fox)

[Is45]

Soon Canada may also need to be added to the topic title



Cornwall man treated for mystery illness in Ottawa

Health officials looking for links to Mexico outbreak

The Ottawa Citizen

April 24, 2009



OTTAWA - A Cornwall Crown attorney who returned from Mexico with a mysterious illness is believed to be one of a handful of people in Ontario who may be linked to an outbreak that is confounding health authorities, provincial officials say.

Guy Simard, 47, was airlifted to The Ottawa Hospital in late March and admitted into the intensive care unit, a hospital official said Thursday. Simard spent 11 nights in hospital before being released April 9.

Ontario officials confirm they have been warned to be on the lookout for unusual illnesses in Canadians returning from Mexico.


http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Health/Cornwall+treated+mystery+illness+Ottawa/1527693/story.html


~

[Is45]

Ok, I'm reading the Texas cases were either in San Antonio or El Paso. Does anyone know for sure what city it was? If it was El Paso that is right across the border from Juarez.



" The two cases in Texas were from Guadalupe County, near San Antonio. "

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


~

[Is45]

So...who's up for the "official vaccine" when it's offered? :twisted:





Not me.

I think this is a manufactured pandemic... in more ways than one !



~

[Jonas Parker]

Ok, I'm reading the Texas cases were either in San Antonio or El Paso. Does anyone know for sure what city it was? If it was El Paso that is right across the border from Juarez.

San Antonio... here's the link:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/
Swine Influenza (Flu)

Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza that regularly cause outbreaks of influenza among pigs. Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans, however, human infections with swine flu do occur, and cases of human-to-human spread of swine flu viruses has been documented. See General Information about Swine Flu.

From December 2005 through February 2009, a total of 12 human infections with swine influenza were reported from 10 states in the United States. Since March 2009, a number of confirmed human cases of a new strain of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in California and Texas have been identified. An investigation into these cases is ongoing. For more information see Human Swine Flu Investigation.

General Information about Swine Flu
Questions and answers and guidance for treatment and infection control

Human Swine Flu Investigation
Information about the investigation of human swine flu in California

Human Swine Influenza Investigation

Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection have been identified in San Diego County and Imperial County, California as well as in San Antonio, Texas.
Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
State # of laboratory
confirmed cases
California 5 cases
Texas 2 cases
Cases will be updated daily at 3 p.m. EST

Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the infection and whether additional people have been infected with similar swine influenza viruses.

CDC is working closely with state and local officials in California and Texas and other health and animal officials on investigations into these cases.

The only sure defense against a flu pandemic is voluntary quarantine for the period where the flu is communicable. In a small town, this might be as little as 3-4 weeks. In a large city, this might be several months.

The quarantine means that all members of the family stay in the house, avoid all contact with others (make sure you get the mail wearing disposable gloves), and have everything you need to survive. A "quick trip" to the grocery is contraindicated.

[bleep2u2]

We hired an "immigrant" (didnt ask for papers) to do some yard work recently. My wife and I have been very sick with respiratory problems for a week since he worked here. We are retired and dont have contact with other people much--mostly "phone friends". We live in mid-cities DFW--from talking to others this illness is way under reported.

[kelee877]

So...who's up for the "official vaccine" when it's offered? :twisted:

No Thank You...it will take them at least 3-6 months to come up with a vaccine, by the time they do...its to late....

Not me.

I think this is a manufactured pandemic... in more ways than one !



~


I agree, they could not get H5N1 to go H2H quick enough, so they have come through the back door with this one...also what better way to cover up a collapse of the stock markets...don,t blame the evil ones, blame a pandemic....


On a side note we have to remember that Bird Flu can mutate with Swine Flu to create a very lethal pandemic....
Avian Flu can vector through pigs also...

Ouch...getting ready to hunker in the house....

Another side not...preparing for a pandemic, is a bit different then preppinf for financial collapse...or hyperinflation...

[HeIsTruth]

Posted before, but . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qJQCJp4ehc

[pssst]

Anyone looked at DRUDGE in the last few minutes????

[leedaisy]

Sixteen people have died from swine flu and authorities are probing 50 more possible deaths from the virus, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said Friday.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=090424171617.hbql8l5y&show_article=1

[Tippy]

Gulp . . . I just realized that my sister was in Mexico a few weeks ago, and then was sick with some respiratory thing with a very sore throat. Not sure how much time lapsed between the vacation and the sickness though.

[leedaisy]

I dont know if this is against the rules or not but Timebomb has a couple of good and scary as hell threads about this. Please read.

[leedaisy]

Media Advisory
CDC Briefing on Public Health Investigation of Human Cases of Swine Influenza
For Immediate Release: April 23, 2009
Contact: CDC Media Relations, (404) 639-3286

WHAT:
CDC will host a press briefing to discuss an update in the investigation of cases of swine influenza in California and Texas. CDC issued an MMWR dispatch on Tuesday April 21. The briefing will update information included in the dispatch.

WHO:
Anne Schuchat, M.D., Interim Deputy Director for Science and Public Health Program

Nancy Cox, Ph.D., Chief, Influenza Division, NCIRD

WHEN:
Thursday April 23, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

WHERE:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
Tom Harkin Global Communications Center (Building 19), Press Room
For directions to CDC, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/resources/visitGuide.htm#direction.

Parking is available in the Building 19 parking deck located on CDC Parkway. Media should arrive at the CDC by 3:00 p.m. Media must present photo ID for access.

Media who cannot attend in person can listen and ask questions by toll-free conference line. The briefing will begin promptly; media should dial in a few minutes before the start of the conference.

DIAL-IN:
Media: 888-795-0855
Listen Only: 800-779-9078
INTERNATIONAL: 1-630-395-0068
PASSCODE: CDC Media

Important Instructions: If you would like to ask a question during the call, press *1 on your touchtone phone. Press *2 to withdraw your question. You may queue up at any time. You will hear a tone to indicate your question is pending.

BROADCAST ACCESS
Call Crawford Communications Bookings at 1-800-243-1995 to make arrangements for broadcast feed.


LISTEN-ONLY AUDIO WEBCAST
This press briefing media will also be available via listen-only audio web cast at http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=58310. We strongly encourage non-media participants to use the webcast.


TRANSCRIPT
A transcript of this media availability will be available following the briefing at the CDC web site at www.cdc.gov/media.


NOTE
An update on the ongoing investigation will be available at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/investigation.htm. This page will be updated daily at 3 p.m. ET until further notice.



Sorry - this is a past news release - my bad - Sorry!!!

###

[kelee877]

I edited this because there was a typo in the translation and it was not as bad as first perceived...i am still on the hunt for more info...

Planforpandemic is a good site for pandemic info...they are all asking why the vaccines..

[leedaisy]

Hey Kelee, I was reading somewhere else that the 500K figure was a misprint and it should read 1500. I'll try to find where I read that.

[Jonas Parker]

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20090424/MED.Swine.Flu/

Mexico flu deaths raise worries of global epidemic

By MARK STEVENSON
1 hour ago

MEXICO CITY — At least 16 people — and possibly dozens more — have died from a swine flu virus in Mexico, and world health officials worry it could unleash a global flu epidemic. Mexico City closed schools across the metropolis Friday in hopes of containing the outbreak, and tougher measures were being considered.
Scientists were trying to determine if the deaths involved the same new strain of swine flu that sickened seven people in Texas and California — a disturbing disease that combines pig, bird and human viruses in a way that researchers have not seen before.
The World Health Organization counted at least 57 deaths in Mexico, but said it wasn't yet clear what flu they died from.
"We are very, very concerned," WHO spokesman Thomas Abraham said. "We have what appears to be a novel virus and it has spread from human to human."
WHO raised its internal alert system Friday, enabling the agency to divert more money and personnel to dealing with the outbreak. "It's all hands on deck at the moment." Abraham said.
President Felipe Calderon cancelled a trip and met with his Cabinet to coordinate Mexico's response. The government has 500,000 flu vaccines and planned to administer them to health workers, the highest risk group.
There are no vaccines available for the general public in Mexico, and authorities urged people to avoid hospitals unless they had a medical emergency, since hospitals are centers of infection. They also said Mexicans should refrain from customary greetings such as shaking hands or kissing cheeks.
But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Americans need not avoid traveling to Mexico, as long as they take the usual precautions, such as frequent handwashing.
Mexico's Health Secretary, Jose Cordova, said only 16 of the deaths have been confirmed as the new swine flu strain, and that government laboratories were testing samples from 44 other people who died. At least 943 nationwide were sick from the suspected flu, the health department said.
Cordova said samples also were sent to the CDC to look for matches with the virus that infected seven people in Texas and California.
Cordova called it a "new, different strain ... that originally came from pigs."
Epidemiologists are particularly concerned because the only people killed so far were normally less-vulnerable young people and adults. It's possible that more vulnerable populations — infants and the aged — had been vaccinated against other strains, and that those vaccines may be providing some protection.
"We certainly have 60 deaths that we can't be sure are from the same virus, but it is probable," Cordova told MVS radio in Mexico City.
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 recovered from symptoms that were like those of the regular flu, mostly involving fever, cough and sore throat, though some of the seven also experienced vomiting and diarrhea.
Scientists have long been concerned that a new flu virus could launch a pandemic, a worldwide spread of a killer disease. A new virus could evolve when different flu viruses infect a pig, a person or a bird, mingling their genetic material. The resulting hybrid could spread quickly because people would have no natural defenses against it.
The most notorious flu pandemic is thought to have killed at least 40 million people worldwide in 1918-19. Two other, less deadly flu pandemics struck in 1957 and 1968.
Nobody can predict when pandemics will happen. Scientists had been concerned about swine flu in 1976, for example, and some 40 million Americans were vaccinated. No flu pandemic ever appeared, but thousands of vaccinated people filed claims saying they'd suffered a paralyzing condition andother side effects from the shots.
In recent years, scientists have been particularly concerned about birds. There have been deaths from bird flu, mostly in Asia, but the virus has so far been unable to spread from person to person easily enough to touch off a pandemic.
Closing the schools across the metropolis of 20 million kept 6.1 million students home from day care centers through high schools, and thousands more were affected as colleges and universities closed down. Parents scrambled to juggle work and family concerns due to what local media said was the first citywide schools closure since Mexico City's devastating 1985 earthquake.
Authorities also advised capital residents not to go to work if they felt ill, and to wear surgical masks if they had to move through crowds. A wider shutdown — perhaps including shutting down government offices — was being considered.
"It is very likely that classes will be suspended for several days," Cordova said. "We will have to evaluate, and let's hope this doesn't happen, the need to restrict activity at workplaces."
Mexico's initial response in its overcrowded capital brought to mind other major outbreaks — such as when SARS hit Asia. At its peak in 2003, Beijing was the hardest-hit city in the world. Schools, cinemas and restaurants were shuttered to prevent the spread the deadly respiratory virus, and thousands of people were quarantined at home.
In March 2008, Hong Kong ordered more than a half million young students to stay home for two weeks because of a flu outbreak. It was the first such closure in Hong Kong since the outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome.
Lillian Molina and other teachers at the Montessori's World preschool scrubbed down their empty classrooms with Clorox, soap and Lysol on Friday between fielding calls from worried parents. While the school has had no known cases among its students, Molina supported the government's decision to shutter classes, especially in preschools.
"It's great they are taking precautions," she said. "I think it's a really good idea."
Still, U.S. health officials said it's not yet a reason for alarm in the United States. The five in California and two in Texas have all recovered, and testing indicates some common antiviral medications seem to work against the virus.
Schuchat of the CDC said officials believe the new strain can spread human-to-human, which is unusual for a swine flu virus. The CDC is checking people who have been in contact with the seven confirmed U.S. cases, who all became ill between late March and mid-April.
The U.S. cases are a growing medical mystery because it's unclear how they caught the virus. The CDC said none of the seven people were in contact with pigs, which is how people usually catch swine flu. And only a few were in contact with each other.
CDC officials described the virus as having a unique combination of gene segments not seen in people or pigs before. The bug contains human virus, avian virus from North America and pig viruses from North America, Europe and Asia.
Health officials have seen mixes of bird, pig and human virus before, but never such an intercontinental combination with more than one pig virus in the mix.
Scientists keep a close eye on flu viruses that emerge from pigs. The animals are considered particularly susceptible to both avian and human viruses and a likely place where the kind of genetic reassortment can take place that might lead to a new form of pandemic flu, said Dr. John Treanor, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
The virus may be something completely new, or it may have been around for a while but was only detected now because of improved lab testing and disease surveillance, CDC officials said.
The virus was first detected in two children in southern California — a 10-year-old boy in San Diego County and a 9-year-old girl in neighboring Imperial County.
It's not known if the seasonal flu vaccine Americans got this winter protects against this type of virus. People should wash their hands and take other customary precautions, CDC officials said.
____

[leedaisy]

"OK- so I live in a small town (20k people but HUGE TOURIST AREA) in the Sierra Nevada Mountains by Lake Tahoe. we have a good amount of Mexican 'day labor' types that hang about a certain area looking for odd jobs.

TODAY one of my mexican employees told us that THREE (3) of them had died of this flu in the past week. I have notified the paper and asked them to check with the hospital.

IF TRUE then our country is in for some big, bad caca..."
SNOWSQUAW
__________________

Cross posted with permission.

[Hungarian]

within 3 days we will see the threat level increase from 3 to 4.

[BB]

Commentary


Sixty Swine Flu Fatalities In Mexico Confirm Pandemic Start
Recombinomics Commentary 13:30
April 24, 2009


A rare outbreak of human swine flu has killed at least 60 people in Mexico and spread to the United States where authorities are on alert, the World Health Organisation said on Friday.

"To date there have been some 800 suspected cases with flu-like illness, with 57 deaths in the Mexico City area," Chaib added.

Twenty four suspected cases and three deaths were also recorded in San Luis Potosi in central Mexico.

The above comment confirm that the swine H1N1 (http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04240902/H1N1_Swine_CA_TX_Clusters.html) in southwestern United States (see updated map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=p&msa=0&msid=106484775090296685271.0004681a37b713f6b5950&ll=32.639375,-110.390625&spn=15.738151,25.488281&z=5)) is the leading edge of a H1N1 pandemic that appears to be centered in Mexico.

These deaths should increase the pandemic phase to 6.

[MarkB]

Hey Kelee, I was reading somewhere else that the 500K figure was a misprint and it should read 1500. I'll try to find where I read that.

Leedaisy, that's somewhere here on TOL, I read it last night also (that the 500K figure should have been 1500). Might even be on this thread, but I don't have time to go back through it right now.

[kelee877]

Hey Kelee, I was reading somewhere else that the 500K figure was a misprint and it should read 1500. I'll try to find where I read that.


I found it....no worries...I corrected my post thank you....

[Spirit Of Truth]

What if this were an act of economic sabotage?

http://www.tickerforum.org/cgi-ticker/akcs-www?post=92556

[leedaisy]

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/phase/en/index.html

Pandemic phases - Im a spaz who couldnt get the chart to post.

[kelee877]

within 3 days we will see the threat level increase from 3 to 4.

I read somewhere that the WHO is going to raise the level up....WHO has not updated their site yet(slow pokes)...so we will have to watch the alert level closely...anyone have a URL directly to it...

I have 6 windows open now and I am reading all over the place...This is stage one of my zen preps...is to be informed of what is coming...

[kelee877]

http://www.who.int/entity/csr/disease/avian_influenza/pandemicphase1.gif

[kelee877]

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/phase/en/index.html

Pandemic phases - Im a spaz who couldnt get the chart to post.

Your in my brain...lol..look at the order of our post...I ask and you have already supplied...:mrgreen:..I like you

[leedaisy]

http://www.who.int/csr/don/en/

Disease Outbreak News
Most recent news items
23 April 2009
Meningococcal disease in Chad


23 April 2009
Avian influenza - situation in Egypt - update 13


21 April 2009
Avian influenza - situation in Egypt - update 12


17 April 2009
Avian influenza - situation in Egypt - update 11

[packyderms_wife]

I expected to see something like this before now... remember the news stories of "researchers" digging up victims of the 1918 flu that had been buried in tundra that was alwas frozen, so they could recover viable virus samples?

C
============================



There was quite a bit of stink in the NA community where they did this as well, the elders pretty much felt as if the scientists were trying to dig up the devil as it were! :shock:

[leedaisy]

Your in my brain...lol..look at the order of our post...I ask and you have already supplied...:mrgreen:..I like you


Right back at ya! We make a good team!

[kelee877]

I am posting this artical alot is repeat but I will high some of the finer points;


April 24, 2009

Unusual Strain of Swine Flu Is Found in People in 2 States

By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/donald_g_jr_mcneil/index.html?inline=nyt-per)
An unusual strain of swine flu (http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/the-flu/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier) is circulating among people in the Southwest but is not known to have caused any deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/c/centers_for_disease_control_and_prevention/index.html?inline=nyt-org) said Thursday.

The agency, which has found only seven cases, expects to find more now that it has begun looking intensively for them.

“We don’t yet know the extent of the problem,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the director of respiratory diseases (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/respiratorydiseases/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier) for the agency, “but we don’t think this is a time for major concern.”

Five of the people infected were in Imperial and San Diego Counties in California and two were in San Antonio. They were 9 to 54 years old.
None had any contact with pigs, and in two sets of cases — involving a father and daughter and two 16-year-old schoolmates — those infected had contact with each other. That convinced the authorities that the virus was being transmitted from person to person.

The seven people were apparently infected from late March to mid-April. Only one was hospitalized, and all recovered.

The A (H1N1) flu strain they had was quite unusual, said Dr. Nancy Cox, the chief of the agency’s flu division. It contained gene segments from North American swine, bird and human flu strains as well as one from Eurasian swine.

Like some human strains, it is resistant to two older flu drugs, amantadine and rimantadine. It is not resistant to Tamiflu or Relenza. However, Tamiflu resistance is common in the H1N1 human flu strain circulating this year, so the swine strain could become resistant to Tamiflu if the viruses mixed in humans or, possibly, in pigs.

Swine flus rarely infect humans. There have been about a dozen cases since 2005, but almost all were in farm workers or others in contact with pigs.

In 1976, there was a cluster of swine flu cases among soldiers at Fort Dix, in New Jersey, one of whom died. That led to a rush to make a new vaccine and administer it to 40 million Americans. No epidemic materialized, but thousands of people claimed that the vaccine had given them Guillain-Barré syndrome, which can cause lethargy (http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/symptoms/fatigue/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier) or paralysis (http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/symptoms/muscle-function-loss/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier). The episode led to the resignation of the director of the disease control center, and the agency has been wary of causing panic over influenza (http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/the-flu/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier) cases ever since.

The unusual strain this year was noticed, Dr. Schuchat said, only because the agency was trying out a new diagnostic test at a Navy laboratory and doing more testing than usual through a new Border Infectious Disease Surveillance Project along the Mexican border.

Officials at the public health agency in Canada said their Mexican counterparts had warned them this week of a “relatively high” fatality rate for people in Mexico who have had respiratory illnesses this season, some of whom had tested positive for flu. Asked about that, American officials said they had no information. A spokesman said the disease control center had asked Mexican officials to send samples for testing.

The United States flu season is tailing off now. It has been relatively mild; the major surprise had been the widespread Tamiflu resistance in the circulating human H1N1 strain.

Dr. Cox of the disease control center said officials did not yet know whether the flu shot this year protected against the new swine strain.

[leedaisy]

Deadly new flu breaks out in Mexico, U.S.
Fri Apr 24, 2009 3:38pm EDT
By Alistair Bell and Noel Randewich

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A deadly strain of flu never seen before has killed as many as 61 people in Mexico and has spread into the United States, where several people were reported ill.

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

The World Health Organization said genetic tests of the virus in 12 of the Mexican victims had the same genetic structure as a new strain of swine flu, designated H1N1, seen in seven 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.

"It is a virus that mutated from pigs and then at some point was transmitted to humans," Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said.

It first looked mostly like a swine virus but closer analysis showed it is a never-before-seen mixture of swine, human and avian viruses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Humans can occasionally catch swine flu from pigs but rarely have they been known to pass it on to other people.

CLOSE TO 1,000 SUSPECTED CASES IN MEXICO

Seven people were infected with the new strain in California and Texas, but all of them have recovered. Mexico said it had close to 1,000 suspected cases there.

Worldwide, seasonal flu kills between 250,000 and 500,000 people in an average year, but the flu season for North America should have been winding down.

The White House was closely following the new cases in the United States and Mexico, and President Barack Obama has been informed, an administration official said.

The Mexican government cautioned people not to shake hands or kiss when greeting or to share food, glasses or cutlery for fear of infection.

The outbreak jolted residents of the Mexican capital, one of the world's biggest cities and home to some 20 million people.

One pharmacy ran out of surgical face masks after selling 300 in a day.

"We're frightened because they say it's not exactly flu, it's another kind of virus and we're not vaccinated," said Angeles Rivera, 34, a federal government worker who fetched her son from a public kindergarten that was closing.

The virus is an influenza A virus, carrying the designation H1N1. It contains DNA from avian, swine and human viruses, including elements from European and Asian swine viruses, the CDC has said.

The Geneva-based U.N. agency WHO said it was in daily contact with U.S., Canadian and Mexican authorities and had activated its Strategic Health Operations Center (SHOC) -- its command and control center for acute public health events.

The CDC said it will issue daily updates here

Surveillance for and scrutiny of influenza has been stepped up since 2003, when H5N1 bird flu reappeared in Asia. Experts fear this strain, or another strain, could spark a pandemic that could kill millions.

In Egypt, a 33-year-old woman died of bird flu, becoming the third person killed there in a week. The H5N1 bird flu, a completely different strain from the swine flu, has infected 421 people in 15 countries and killed 257 since 2003.

(Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Editing by Maggie Fox and Eric Walsh)


© Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content

- Is it me or are the reported cases increasing with each news report?

[leedaisy]

LATEST:One new case of human swine fever confirmed in US, taking total to eight, officials say
_

breaking on BBC.com

[packyderms_wife]

I remember reading somewhere that putting masks on the infected/sick will prevent droplets from being spread to the healthy.

I live in a college town with 27K obstinate young college aged idiots - yeah good luck with that idea! The reality is TPTB would have to close the univ in order to put a stop to the spread.

K-

[Spirit Of Truth]

Note to self: Buy surgical masks.

[leedaisy]

CDC says too late to contain U.S. flu outbreak
24 Apr 2009 19:31:20 GMT
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, April 24 (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.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/24443479.htm

[KuernoDeChivo]

I took a few minutes to scan some Mexico News sites before lunch. Here are some of the headlines that got my attention.

All Classes Halted in Mexico City
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2009/04/24/index.php
Pharmacies reporting "Panic Buying".
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/noticias.html
They are talking about how their health system is ready to combat the outbreak and talking about suspending all classes at all levels of the education system.
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/593362.html
Athletes are talking about avoiding all Soccer Matches due to the outbreak even though they have no officially been canceled.
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/593450.html


http://fotos.eluniversal.com.mx/img/2009/04/Ciu/021virusinfluenza014CA.jpg


http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2009/04/24/fotos/portada.jpg

http://d.yimg.com/fu/p/090424/reuters/bsie53n1c7000bsie53n1c7000i40593600.jpg?x=380&y=228&q=85&sig=36htbksqri_QUBu1D27f2A--

[kelee877]

Reports are going higher, because now they know what they are looking for..expect alot more...


get N95 masks...DO NOT forget GOGGLES....the virus can be transported through your eyes also....

gloves also...get gloves...


I have N95,s and some painters masks..gloves and goggles that I have stocked up...going to get some more ASAP

[h_oder]

CDC says too late to contain U.S. flu outbreak
24 Apr 2009 19:31:20 GMT
Source: Reuters

</SPAN> WASHINGTON, April 24 (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.
(Reporting by Maggie Fox, editing by Patricia Zengerle

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/24443479.htm

[Samson]

I live in a college town with 27K obstinate young college aged idiots - yeah good luck with that idea! The reality is TPTB would have to close the univ in order to put a stop to the spread.

K-

Actually, what was meant was to put masks on people who are sick. As in bed sick. It does not matter who they are. These sick people in bed need care. In 1918 people were afraid to care for the sick because they did not want get sick themselves. If a bedridden person wears a mask then the constant coughing that they do will be much less likely to infect the care givers.

Do not think people who are this sick will all die. If they get liquid, food, clean sheets once in a while some will make it. My own Grand Mother got sick during the 1918 Influenza. She was put in a large room on a cot with many other sick people. She said people were dying all around her and she does not know why she did not.

[kelee877]

I can imagine that every emergency hospital room will be on full alert..as soon as you enter you will be screened and masked and sanitization of hands..

Be prepared to wait if you have to go to emergency room at all..........:-?

[kelee877]

CDC says too late to contain U.S. flu outbreak
24 Apr 2009 19:31:20 GMT
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, April 24 (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.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/24443479.htm


BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES.....Time to bug in....wonder what excuse I can use to keep my kids home from school....:-D...

[Samson]

I can imagine that every emergency hospital room will be on full alert..as soon as you enter you will be screened and masked and sanitization of hands..

Be prepared to wait if you have to go to emergency room at all..........:-?

If this is anywhere near as big as 1918, Emergency rooms will not be an option for most. Many people died at home. Body wagons made the rounds an took the dead bodies away.

[JDSeese]

If this is anywhere near as big as 1918, Emergency rooms will not be an option for most. Many people died at home. Body wagons made the rounds an took the dead bodies away.


It was a VERY different world 90 years ago. How many Emergency Rooms did they even HAVE - ? Majority of the population was in rural areas where the doctor came to your house

Anyway - I used to say that there would be a global pandemic when pigs fly, looks like I was right. Beware the manpigbird flu.

This is very frightening.

[Alder]

1918 was a whole different deal. No good supportive therapy or antibiotics for secondary infections. Also, no clue of effective quarantine measures. It's a whole new world now.

Plus...most of the U.S. population has been vaccinated repeatedly and endlessly for many strains of flu over the past 40 years. Likelihood is that some exposure to a similar virus would help immensely.

Just being a ray of hope here....

[JDSeese]

Regarding the difference in mortality between Mexico and the US - aren't the US cases mostly children, whereas the Mexican cases are more across the board?

That would agree with the observation that it affects healthy 20-40 years olds (gulp) harder than the very young or very old

Wish we could get some hard, reliable data from south of the border.

There have been a couple comments about how an epi/pandemic is the "worst thing" this economy needs right now - but think about this - what kind of shape was Mexico in before this all started?

It's going to get ugly down there if this goes boom.

On a side note, the Gulf Cartel is the first to publish black market prices on Tamiflu. The Tijuana Cartel is offering a free 100 micron mask with every dime bag.

[louise]

I'm an interviewer,and work with 650 people! I know that folks where I work went to Mexico in the last 10 days! I'm very lucky that I just started working at home! I have a mask, and how I got it was I walked into one of those medical stores, and told them that I was working with someone who had TB. I got a N95 mask, I think that is what it was, that is made of some kind of material that when I put it on my face, it went back and forth at every breath I took. The woman told me it was good for anything, no matter what. Something to think about!

[bobfall]

"1918 was a whole different deal. No good supportive therapy or antibiotics for secondary infections. Also, no clue of effective quarantine measures. It's a whole new world now."

A what if,,,

If 45 million Americans get sick,
how many of them are going to get antibiotics?
how many will get iron lungs, if needed?

And if you can tell us,
what good supportive therapy?
Do you know which ones work and which ones don't?

Last I heard, there where a bunch of Mexican folks on the modern version of Iron lungs.
Right now.

Sounds like a bunch more, need them.

"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."

CDC is peeing their pants.
Everyone else, better have some options.

This might blow over.
If it does not, just go away, we are in some real pretty crap.

bob

[leedaisy]

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.

The WHO also said that the viruses in the outbreaks in Mexico and the United States had not been detected in pigs or humans before but were proving sensitive to Tamiflu. Known generically as oseltamivir, the pill by Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding (ROG.VX) can both treat flu and prevent infection.

"Because there are human cases associated with an animal influenza virus, and because of the geographical spread of multiple community outbreaks, plus the somewhat unusual age groups affected, these events are of high concern," the Geneva-based agency said in a statement. (For the WHO statement go to: here ) (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Jonathan Lynn)
__________________

[Tippy]

Just ordered more masks. :???:

[leedaisy]

Mexico City closes museums to stop flu outbreak

Apr 24 03:43 PM US/Eastern
By MARK STEVENSON
Associated Press Writer

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico's federal government has closed museums, libraries, and state-run theaters as well as schools in its overcrowded capital to stop a swine flu outbreak authorities say may have killed as many as 60 people.

The government already shut down schools across Mexico City Friday in hopes of containing the outbreak that has sickened more than 900 people. World health officials worry a global flu epidemic could spread from the city of 20 million.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says tests show some of the Mexico victims died from the same new strain of swine flu that sickened eight people in Texas and California. It's a frightening new strain that combines genetic material from pigs, birds and humans.

[Heartofdixie]

Just ordered more masks. :???:

Tippy, where do you order your masks from?

Thanks in advance. 8)

[kelee877]

At least Mexico is taking the right measure...but it sure is getting scarey...




kelee,s scared

[Annie Maude]

Just ordered more masks. :???:
Talk about having something to barter!

[SheWoff]

Listening to Neiman on sat. radio (global star radio network) right now. He is saying this is advanced bio war and it's out and spreading. :shock: This is so bad. Saying it's interrelated to all the wars overseas, the econ, etc...it's the end game for the NWO and Bilderburgers.

[KuernoDeChivo]

I am just hearing California has activated an EOC for this. Still trying to confirm.



BULLETIN -- CALIFORNIA ACTIVATES THE JOINT EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER TO COMBAT SWINE FLU.

[Tippy]

Tippy, where do you order your masks from?

Thanks in advance. 8)

I was poking around here and saw that they sell masks, among many other interesting things:

http://www.lifegoods.com/index.html

[Amaryllis]

I am just hearing California has activated an EOC for this. Still trying to confirm.

I eat my lunch at a park right across the street from the Texas National Guard office. Yesterday I noticed a black SUV with big white letters "Emergency Response". Reading your post makes me wonder if it's not related to the outbreak. I'm in East Texas.

[Tink]

It's been a year or two but I've bought boxes of N95 masks (20 count) at Home Depot, cost was right at $20/box.

[Tippy]

They also sell masks and gloves at Emergency Essentials (www.beprepared.com (http://www.beprepared.com)).

[kelee877]

There,s here for masks also


http://www.envirosafetyproducts.com/

[KuernoDeChivo]

I eat my lunch at a park right across the street from the Texas National Guard office. Yesterday I noticed a black SUV with big white letters "Emergency Response". Reading your post makes me wonder if it's not related to the outbreak. I'm in East Texas.

Could be. You can't tell me they didn't see this coming.

[Heartofdixie]

Thanks Tippy and everyone, for the links on where to purchase masks. 8)

[Samson]

It was a VERY different world 90 years ago. How many Emergency Rooms did they even HAVE - ? Majority of the population was in rural areas where the doctor came to your house

Anyway - I used to say that there would be a global pandemic when pigs fly, looks like I was right. Beware the manpigbird flu.

This is very frightening.

Yes, we have more hospitals and more knowledge. I have 7 MAJOR hospitals within 4 miles of my home. The entire economy here is Medical related. This is a major center for medical research. UPMC is taking over everything and they are far from the only player.

We also have a much larger population. Very dense also. Even living here I would not count on hospital care in a Pandemic situation. To many people/not enough resources.

I certainly hope this is all conjecture, but I do not have any false illusions.

[KuernoDeChivo]

Hearing Mexico Just delayed their Tax deadline a week (so far) due to the outbreak.

Also I beleive L.A. is getting ready for a news conference. I amtrying to find a stream - link for it.

[Is45]

Anyway - I used to say that there would be a global pandemic when pigs fly, looks like I was right. Beware the manpigbird flu.

This is very frightening.



manpigbird flu :shock:


~

[KuernoDeChivo]

manpigbird flu :shock:


~

I have a feeling this is the result of PORKULUS.... :shock: :shock: :shock:



First Porkulus now the SWINE flu!

[JDSeese]

I have a feeling this is the result of PORKULUS.... :shock: :shock: :shock:



First Porkulus now the SWINE flu!



/highfive

Brilliant.

I had to come in from mowing the lawn because I'm sweating like a porkulus, but also because a horrifying though occurred to me on the third swing of the front forty (more like .40, but who's counting)

Imagine that this takes off like gangbusters - not a real stretch at this point - imagine tens of thousands of desperatly ill Mexican natives who are not getting the health care that they need.

Where do you think they are going to go? En masse?

I'm not going to sleep again tonight.

Back to the lawn.

[Is45]

1918 was a whole different deal. No good supportive therapy or antibiotics for secondary infections. Also, no clue of effective quarantine measures. It's a whole new world now.

Plus...most of the U.S. population has been vaccinated repeatedly and endlessly for many strains of flu over the past 40 years. Likelihood is that some exposure to a similar virus would help immensely.

Just being a ray of hope here....


You know that sounds real good... but might the repeated vaccinations
people have received over the years contribute to the severe immune
system reaction in healthy adults that kills them, as it did with the
Spanish flu ??



1918 flu virus's secrets revealed


An experiment to reconstruct the deadly 1918 flu virus has given a new insight into how the infection took hold.

Scientists discovered a severe immune system reaction was triggered when mice were infected with the recreated virus.


The US team believes the extreme immune response could have provoked the body to begin killing its own cells, making the flu even deadlier.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5385894.stm


~

[pssst]

I'm not going to light my hair on fire until I see some fatality percentages.

I have not seen any numbers anywhere.....has anyone else???

[Just Kate]

I am pretty sure that I read it posted here...think about it..the past few weeks the markets are pumped up, the MSM and the elected officials are all claiming we are starting to recover from this downturn in the Economy...when everyone with half a brain knows that there is not recovery and soon things are going to crash and burn.

What a perfect way for the current administration not to take the blame for our collapsed economy with the SHTF with the dollar...instead they can point the pandemic as the reason that the upswing did not continue and we crashed and burned.

Smoke and mirrors...and Obama and the administration can come out of this blaming this event as the reason the upswing did not continue.

[melbo]

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN24445615


body { background: #FFF; } http://www.reuters.com/resources/images/logo_reuters_media_us.gif

http://www.reuters.com/resources/images/spacer.gif
FACTBOX-Some facts about pandemic flu from the WHO

Fri Apr 24, 2009 4:10pm EDT

April 24 (Reuters) - The U.N. World Health Organization has said it is closely monitoring an outbreak of a new deadly strain of swine flu in Mexico and the United States.

The human-to-human spread of the virus has raised fears of a flu pandemic. The WHO has said it needs more information before it changes its pandemic alert level, currently at three on a scale of one to six. [ID:nLO274836]

Here are some facts about pandemic influenza from the WHO's website here (http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/pandemic10things/en/)

* Flu pandemics are caused by new flu viruses that adapt into strains that become contagious between humans. [ID:nN24420522]

* Flu pandemics occurred three times in the past century: the Hong Kong flu in 1968, the Asian flu in 1957 and the Spanish flu of 1918. [ID:nN2444047]

* Experts agree that another pandemic could come at any time and could involve any one of a number of new strains of flu. Most eyes have been on the H5N1 strain of avian flu that first infected people in Hong Kong in 1997. Since 2003 it has infected 421 people in 15 countries and killed 257 of them.

* To be declared a pandemic strain, a virus must be new to humans, cause serious illness, be easily transmitted from one person to another, and sustain that transmission efficiently.

* All countries will be affected once a fully contagious pandemic virus emerges. Previous pandemics circled the globe in six to nine months, even before international air travel was common. Today, a virus could reach all continents in weeks.

* Widespread illness will occur. Most people will have no immunity to the pandemic virus. A substantial percentage of the world's population will need medical care, but few countries have enough staff, facilities, equipment and hospital beds.

* Supplies of vaccines and antiviral drugs will be inadequate. Many developing countries will have no access to vaccines.

* Many people will die. Based on the 1957 pandemic, the WHO conservatively estimates 2 million to 7.4 million people may die during the next outbreak, but says all estimates are speculative, and will depend on how many people become infected and the virulence of the virus, among other factors.

* Economic and social disruption will be great. High rates of worker absenteeism will impair services like power, transportation and communications.

* Every country must be prepared. The WHO has issued a series of recommended responses to the pandemic threat.

* The WHO will alert the world when the pandemic threat increases, working closely with governments and public health organizations on surveillance. WHO experts say it is too soon now to declare another pandemic. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Maggie Fox and Will Dunham)

[KuernoDeChivo]

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN24445615


body { background: #FFF; } http://www.reuters.com/resources/images/logo_reuters_media_us.gif

http://www.reuters.com/resources/images/spacer.gif
FACTBOX-Some facts about pandemic flu from the WHO

Fri Apr 24, 2009 4:10pm EDT

April 24 (Reuters) - The U.N. World Health Organization has said it is closely monitoring an outbreak of a new deadly strain of swine flu in Mexico and the United States.

The human-to-human spread of the virus has raised fears of a flu pandemic. The WHO has said it needs more information before it changes its pandemic alert level, currently at three on a scale of one to six. [ID:nLO274836]

Here are some facts about pandemic influenza from the WHO's website here (http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/pandemic10things/en/)

* Flu pandemics are caused by new flu viruses that adapt into strains that become contagious between humans. [ID:nN24420522]

* Flu pandemics occurred three times in the past century: the Hong Kong flu in 1968, the Asian flu in 1957 and the Spanish flu of 1918. [ID:nN2444047]

* Experts agree that another pandemic could come at any time and could involve any one of a number of new strains of flu. Most eyes have been on the H5N1 strain of avian flu that first infected people in Hong Kong in 1997. Since 2003 it has infected 421 people in 15 countries and killed 257 of them.

* To be declared a pandemic strain, a virus must be new to humans, cause serious illness, be easily transmitted from one person to another, and sustain that transmission efficiently.

* All countries will be affected once a fully contagious pandemic virus emerges. Previous pandemics circled the globe in six to nine months, even before international air travel was common. Today, a virus could reach all continents in weeks.

* Widespread illness will occur. Most people will have no immunity to the pandemic virus. A substantial percentage of the world's population will need medical care, but few countries have enough staff, facilities, equipment and hospital beds.

* Supplies of vaccines and antiviral drugs will be inadequate. Many developing countries will have no access to vaccines.

* Many people will die. Based on the 1957 pandemic, the WHO conservatively estimates 2 million to 7.4 million people may die during the next outbreak, but says all estimates are speculative, and will depend on how many people become infected and the virulence of the virus, among other factors.

* Economic and social disruption will be great. High rates of worker absenteeism will impair services like power, transportation and communications.

* Every country must be prepared. The WHO has issued a series of recommended responses to the pandemic threat.

* The WHO will alert the world when the pandemic threat increases, working closely with governments and public health organizations on surveillance. WHO experts say it is too soon now to declare another pandemic. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Maggie Fox and Will Dunham)


Rut-Roh... :shock::shock::shock:

[kelee877]

I posted that earlier about prepping for a pandemic is different then an economic breakdown...many workers will get sick or they will die...others won,t show up for work(self quarintine)...

If this gets any worse we are in deep do-do...also pandemics can last up to 2 years and come in 3 waves....

Please everyone ....be prepared...first wave will be mild...and when everyone thinks its gone it will come back and be worse....

[hunybee]

I'm not going to light my hair on fire until I see some fatality percentages.

I have not seen any numbers anywhere.....has anyone else???


i hear ya, and as always, my helmet is FIRMLY in place as i begin to put on the tinfoil hazmat suit.

but....

with all my gear on i ask:

does it matter one way or the other if the outcome is still the same?

[KuernoDeChivo]

Here are some good video reports.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrhMddfFfdo

CDC report.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veuVut7H6ss

BBC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMpJfIl5iiE

CBC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYMYF1Jt1L4

[SheWoff]

Fatality percents are not going to be exact with the "iffy" reporting of cases out of mexico, especially the outlying areas. And remember, with the first wave of a pandemic like the one of 1918, it will NOT have high fatality numbers. That is a game you shouldn't play with pandemic flu.

She

[Neco Illuminati]

I have a very serious question and I would appreciate it if anyone could help me out. Has anyone seen any information on where exactly around San Antonio these cases were reported?

This is right at my family's door step and I don't like this one bit. After all, I've read "The Stand."

[kelee877]

Fatality percents are not going to be exact with the "iffy" reporting of cases out of mexico, especially the outlying areas. And remember, with the first wave of a pandemic like the one of 1918, it will NOT have high fatality numbers. That is a game you shouldn't play with pandemic flu.

She

I was trying to calculate that one earlier..they are reporting 65 deaths..and 800 infected...but I think those numbers are way off....

[SheWoff]

Yep I have seen about 6 different sets of infected/fatalities today so far lol. Some of them are way different than others.

She

[Neco Illuminati]

Jesus...

It is in my home town.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=p&msa=0&msid=106484775090296685271.0004681a37b713f6b5950&ll=32.650649,-116.139221&spn=2.062781,3.99353&z=8

[KuernoDeChivo]

Most news agencies are tossing the number of "20" around for the current death-toll but now more an more I am seeing a new number over twice that, "60"!

http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKN24444739

CHICAGO, April 24 (Reuters) - A new, deadly strain of swine flu has killed as many as 61 people in Mexico, raising fears that the disease is spreading across North America.

If the disease spreads quickly, it has the potential to disrupt cross-border trade.

Below are some facts about trade between the United States and Mexico:

* Mexico is the United States' third largest trading partner, after Canada and China. About 70 percent of goods traded is transported by trucks. Mexico is the United States' top market for beef and No. 2 for corn, soybeans and pork.

* According to data from the Department of Commerce, total U.S. imports from Mexico totaled $216 billion in 2008, up from $211 billion in 2007 and $198 billion in 2006.

* U.S. Commerce Department data shows total exports to Mexico reached $152 billion in 2008, up from $136 billion in 2007 and $134 billion in 2006.

* The biggest U.S. imports from Mexico in 2008 were: electrical machinery (24.8 percent), minerals and fuels (19.4 percent) and vehicles (14.9 percent).

* The main U.S. exports to Mexico in 2008 were: electrical machinery (16.5 percent), nuclear reactors, boilers and machinery (14.9 percent) and vehicles (9.2 percent).

* Mexico is a leading supplier to the United States of agricultural goods. It exported some $5.5 billion of fruits and vegetables, more than $1 billion of bakery and confectionary products, about $444 million of meat and $400 million of sugar to the United States last year.

* Mexico also is a major market for U.S. farm products and last year bought nearly $2.8 billion of meat, $2.4 billion of corn, $2 billion of soybeans, $1 billion of wheat and sizable quantities of other food products.

* The Air Transport Association says there were 4,046 flights per week in the U.S. market this month. About 5.9 people flew from the United States to Mexico last year, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. (Compiled by Nick Carey, Bob Burgdorfer, Karl Plume and Doug Palmer)

[kelee877]

Yep I have seen about 6 different sets of infected/fatalities today so far lol. Some of them are way different than others.

She

Well then we will have to make up our own percentages based on our years of experience and by just dumb guessing....:mrgreen:

Goosh I have been up since 4 am and then we get hit with this...

but I did transplant my veggies today..lol..sounds like a commercial...

oh came back to edit and this...I,m going to go refresh my itty bitty brain on the 1918 pandemic...

[JDSeese]

A number calculated by a poster at another website is 6.8% mortality.
68 dead out of 1004 infected.

But we all know those numbers are questionable at best. The number dead could include some casualties of normal flu, the number of infected is most assuredly underreported, the number of dead maybe as well...

[kelee877]

I googled and found this....I highlighted ...yea I did that....


http://www.montrealgazette.com/Mexican+virus+could+throw+wrench+into+pandemic+pla nning/1531750/story.html

Mexican virus could throw a wrench into pandemic planning







By Ian MacLeod, Ottawa CitizenApril 24, 2009 6:25 PM




OTTAWA — Based on the law of averages and the science of virology, experts agree another influenza pandemic is inevitable. The question is when.


International public health officials have warned for more than a decade the world is due for a respiratory disease that will spread to every corner of the globe within months. Millions will become sick and untold numbers will slowly suffocate to death.


In Canada, it has been estimated one-third of the workforce could become ill. And without a ready vaccine, the federal government calculates 11,000 to 58,000 Canadians could die, depending on the virulence of the virus, the rate of infection and the availability of an effective vaccine.


But those dire warnings and grim numbers have been sounded so many times now, the alerts and headlines have taken on a Chicken Little quality, considered by many to be only slightly more credible than tips to the FBI on the whereabouts of Jimmy Hoffa's gravesite.


If the Mexican virus does, indeed, turn out to be a novel pandemic strain — and that's still a very big if — it would throw a wrench into emergency preparations.


Much of North America's pandemic planning is premised on the assumption a killer virus would emerge in Asia, where all previous pandemic flu viruses have surfaced, and wouldn't arrive here for at least three months. That would allow time to begin preparing a vaccine and detailed plans to inoculate doctors, nurses, police officers, air-traffic controllers, other essential personnel and high-risk groups.

But if Mexico proves to be ground-zero, that hoped-for head-start could be lost.


A flu pandemic occurs once every generation or so when a type A influenza virus, originating in birds but which can spread to pigs and then humans, undergoes a sudden and radical mutation called an antigenic shift, and acquires the ability to infect humans. Because people have never been previously exposed to such a germ, no one has immunity.

The result is a worldwide epidemic, known as a pandemic.


An average of 25 years separated each pandemic of the 20th century. The range was 11 to 39 years. It has been 41 years since the last pandemic. Statistically speaking, we're overdue.


Like all flu viruses, the one now striking down Mexicans hijacks healthy human cells and use them to rapidly reproduce new copies of itself. The host cells soon swell and then burst, spewing out armies of new pathogens to invade other healthy cells, particularly the epithelial cells that form the lining of the lungs.


The surface of an influenza virus is covered with hundreds of protruding spikes, each made from one of two proteins: Hemagglutinin (H) allows the virus to bind to the host cells it uses to reproduce itself; neuraminidase (N) helps the new pathogens to pour out of those cells and travel through the bloodstream.


When the virus invades, the immune system produces antibodies that target the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, called antigens, of that particular strain. The antibodies kill the virus and prevent a repeat infection.


To survive, the virus must constantly replicate. But as it does, incremental mutations occur and over time, minor changes appear in the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, a process called antigenic drift.

Antibodies on guard against the earlier antigens become less and less effective at recognizing the newer invaders, so that a portion of the world's population is always susceptible to some degree of infection. The result is the annual flu season.


As many as 100 million people in the Northern Hemisphere are infected each year with one of three types of flu virus, usually Type A and Type B, both capable of causing serious disease. Type C influenza is of little public health concern.


Once every generation or so, a type A influenza virus undergoes a sudden, radical mutation. An antigenic shift. Without warning, a novel subtype emerges with a combination of hemagglutinin and neuraminidase to which humans have never been exposed and have no immunity. The result is a pandemic.


The first detailed record of an influenza pandemic was in 1580.

Since then, three to four have swept the planet each century.

The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-19 was triggered when a virus to which humans had never been exposed — called A/H1N1 and a distant relative of the virus now raging in Mexico — crossed from a bird or pig to a human and then blazed around the globe, killing 20 million to 40 million people, many within a day or two of being infected. Others were felled by secondary infections such as bacterial pneumonia.


The virus slipped into Canada with the troops returning from the Great War in 1918. Almost 60 per cent of the victims were 18 to 35 years old. In all, more than 500 people died and thousands became gravely ill during the final four months of the year.


But not all pandemics are apocalyptic.

In 1957, Asian flu (H2N2) arrived in Canada that July, but the rate of infection didn't explode until the fall, killing 7,000 Canadians. The last pandemic, the 1968 Hong Kong flu (H3N2), caused far more widespread illness than the Asian flu, but was less deadly, killing about 4,000 Canadians.

In a normal year, upwards of 1,500 Canadians, mostly older, die from the flu.

Hundreds to thousands of others die from flu-related complications.

[KuernoDeChivo]

This report from El Universal in Mexico states that the "Vaccines Do Not Work" And will not help against this new "Unknown" Virus.

http://fotos.eluniversal.com.mx/img/2009/04/Ciu/021mascara001a.jpg
VACUNAS NO SIRVEN El gobierno del DF no aplicará una campaña de vacunación contra la influenza, pues las dosis de reserva no servirían para detener el brote causado por un virus nuevo y hasta ahora desconocido
http://www.el-universal.com.mx/noticias.html
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/img/2009/04/Cob/384x250influenza.jpg

[KuernoDeChivo]

A number calculated by a poster at another website is 6.8% mortality.
68 dead out of 1004 infected.

But we all know those numbers are questionable at best. The number dead could include some casualties of normal flu, the number of infected is most assuredly underreported, the number of dead maybe as well...

Am I doing this wrong? wouldn't that be a .68?
6 percent would be six out of 100.

[JDSeese]

Am I doing this wrong? wouldn't that be a .68?
6 percent would be six out of 100.


Would serve me right for quoting numbers without checking the math!
Lets see.... 68 out of 1000 like 6.8 out of 100, so 6.8% is right

However, I wouldn't put any stock in that. The number of infected is more likely to go up than the number of deaths - UNLESS - depending on how long it has been in the populace and how long it takes to kill

It's all guesswork really

[KuernoDeChivo]

Check out this pic from a clinic. "There are No Influenza Vaccines" We don't know when they will arrive"

http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/el-dia-en-imagenes-2/no%20hay%20vacuna.JPG/image_preview

[KuernoDeChivo]

Would serve me right for quoting numbers without checking the math!
Lets see.... 68 out of 1000 like 6.8 out of 100, so 6.8% is right

However, I wouldn't put any stock in that. The number of infected is more likely to go up than the number of deaths - UNLESS - depending on how long it has been in the populace and how long it takes to kill

It's all guesswork really

I doubt any numbers can be trusted. If it does get up to 6.8% it won't belong until everybody knows someone that has died. I sure hope it doesn't go there.

[kelee877]

COMING TO YOUR COUNTRY SOON

Tuesday nights are only 2 bucks

:mrgreen:




Check out this pic from a clinic. "There are No Influenza Vaccines" We don't know when they will arrive"

http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/el-dia-en-imagenes-2/no%20hay%20vacuna.JPG/image_preview