THE Pandemic Thread (merged)

by **stu** » Thu 09 Jun 2005, 12:44:06

Bird flu outbreak confirmed in northwestern China

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'C')hina has confirmed an outbreak of bird flu in its northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, saying 460 geese had died of the H5N1 strain of the virus but the situation was under control. "A total of 1,042 geese were affected and 460 of them had died," the Ministry of Agriculture was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua News Agency today.

The national bird flu reference laboratory confirmed that the latest death of geese in a backyard farm in Tacheng City of Xinjiang was caused by the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus, according to Xinhua

by **stu** » Fri 10 Jun 2005, 11:05:34

WHO: Avian Flu Endangering 'More and More Species'

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A') top World Health Organization official Friday warned that the avian flu virus is evolving quickly and urged heightened vigilance because the strain in China appears to have increased in virulence.
Shigeru Omi, the WHO's Western Pacific regional director, said two outbreaks in China's remote west in the past month have killed large numbers of species of birds that had previously been relatively resilient to the disease.

by **PenultimateManStanding** » Fri 10 Jun 2005, 12:51:24

I hope this won't seem like an inappropriate post, but West Nile virus worries me. Lots of mosquitos here in the southwest US after much rain and West Nile virus is here. It can cause paralysis and I've had to put Caladryl on numerous bites this year.

by **oowolf** » Fri 10 Jun 2005, 18:43:21

Vira 38:
http://www.prbpharmaceuticals.com/order/vira38.asp
I notice the main ingredients of this are Black Elderberry, Echinacea, Common Mullein, Peppermint, Horehound, and Black Tea.

by **gg3** » Sat 11 Jun 2005, 23:53:29

It's not terribly offtopic to ask about West Nile.

if you're putting Caladryl on bites, you're missing the boat.

What you need to do, right now, is look around your yard for any and all accumulations of water, including very small ones, and dump them out. Mosquitos breed in any water they can find. Encourage your neighbors to do likewise. Check the neighborhood for items that could hold accumulations, for example discarded tires, and dispose of them properly.

Put screens on your windows; do not leave windows open without screens. When you go outside, particularly in the morning and evening hours, douse yourself with a strong bug repellent, including all exposed skin areas and also your clothing.

Encourage local populations of frogs, toads, bats, and other critters that eat mosquitos. If there are ponds (artificial or natural), stock them with mosquitofish, which will eat the larva.

by **TheTurtle** » Sun 12 Jun 2005, 08:25:45

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('gg3', '
')Encourage local populations of frogs, toads, bats, and other critters that eat mosquitos. If there are ponds (artificial or natural), stock them with mosquitofish, which will eat the larva.

by **Falconoffury** » Sat 18 Jun 2005, 12:33:13

Four new bird flu human cases in Vietnam.

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/medi ... u_patients

It's only a matter of time.

by **jupiter422** » Tue 21 Jun 2005, 23:56:37

I was just eating some dinner and some news came on about the avian flu and how it could be the next pandemic; I have heard this before a couple times in the past, and was curious as to if it was anything serious, but anyhow the news talked about how china is to blame because now the avian flu has grown stronger,and has immunity to a drug used in humans.

What I began to think about is how peak oil could possibly play into this. What if the gov't started a world wide pandemic? A pandemic would cut the population down to size. Then peak oil would be pushed back a little while and after the clean up from the trajic pandemic there would be plenty of room for economical growth. :cry:

I highly doubt this scenario, but hey its a thought . I feel that there is so much room for uncertainty in a world as unstable as the one we live. All I know is T.S.I.G.H.T.F (the shit is gonna hit the fan)

by **k_semler** » Wed 22 Jun 2005, 00:07:54

The government/media complex relies upon the distribution of FUD disinformation and focus on the trivial to the masses to sway thier opinion regarding matters that are deemed important. Even as recently as 5 years ago, some kid being lost in the woods would have never made national news. Now, it seems that the government media complex is absolutly insistint upon spreading fear, uncertanty, and doubt to control the masses. That is one of the main reasons I don't pay any attention to television broadcasts anymore. Now if there were a such thing as an SW walkman, I would be set. I would never have to put up with the massive propaganda campaign again.

by **savethehumans** » Wed 22 Jun 2005, 02:13:42

The planet's overdue for a pandemic. That makes the fearmonger propagandist's job SO much easier! :shock:

by **Barbara** » Wed 22 Jun 2005, 03:16:47

There's no use to spread a pandemic by purpose. The world (let alone the economy!) would never recover from a pandemic killing billions. And a pandemic killing millions would be of no use at all.

by **Falconoffury** » Wed 22 Jun 2005, 03:32:47

Another bird flu outbreak in birds in China.

http://www.brunet.bn/news/bb/wed/jun22w19.htm

No new humans cases in a few days though.

by **Doly** » Wed 22 Jun 2005, 03:33:40

Europe recovered from a pandemic killing 3/4 of the population in the Middle Ages. Of course, it did stop progress for a century or so. But after that, things were pretty much back to where they were.

by **Doly** » Wed 22 Jun 2005, 03:34:55

As long as the number of cases is in one and two-digit numbers, it doesn't scare me at all.

by **I_Like_Plants** » Wed 22 Jun 2005, 04:42:10

I think the Plagues killed 1/4 to 1/3, and yes it did set things back a bit and it also made things nice for the survivors a few decades later because there were less people to compete for resources with.
We may be overdue for a pandemic, not sure if flu will do it, the disease may mutate and just be a PITA nasty flu, by the time it gets out of Asia if it does. It may have less lethality to those of Europan descent, apparently that population has a long history of surviving all kinds of weird bugs. Or, it may be a real bad-ass population killer, I guess we'll just see.

by **Barbara** » Wed 22 Jun 2005, 05:32:30

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Doly', 'E')urope recovered from a pandemic killing 3/4 of the population in the Middle Ages. Of course, it did stop progress for a century or so. But after that, things were pretty much back to where they were.

by **I_Like_Plants** » Wed 22 Jun 2005, 05:34:39

Oh, no, you are right about that, it's amazing how many people stay in the modern age as it is! When as the Amish and Minimites, etc people who "opt out" find it's so easy to provide for yourself when you go out on the land and farm, and live without supporting corporations on your back.

by **Chocky** » Wed 22 Jun 2005, 09:18:32

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'c')hina is to blame because now the avian flu has grown stronger,and has immunity to a drug used in humans .

by **sklump** » Wed 22 Jun 2005, 09:46:14

It's like the newsprint reels are the worlds highest-volume prayer wheels, all desperately summoning a vile disease from the Void. Remember SARS? West Nile? Anthrax?

Except this time, WHO labs were caught out distributing by "accident" the mis-labelled original Asian flu by regular parcel post. If the guys in Winnipeg (?) hadn't diligently checked content against label, who knows what could have got out?

It's almost as if the media's repeated left jab softens us up in preparation for the killer right hook. Still, I'm skeptical that they could get away with this brazen a campaign.

by **UIUCstudent01** » Wed 22 Jun 2005, 21:57:01

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Doly', 'A')s long as the number of cases is in one and two-digit numbers, it doesn't scare me at all.

THE Pandemic Thread (merged)

A pandemic??? Or a diversion?

You might want to be scared..

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