Human-to-Human Spread Of Avian Flu Confirmed
417 ViewsIt’s a limited case, but researchers believe they’ve proven human-to-human transmission.
Update: More news on the bird flu problem — This Is The End
Study Confirms Human-Human Spread of Bird Flu
August 29, 2007
14 Responses to “Human-to-Human Spread Of Avian Flu Confirmed”
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August 29th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
U.S. under U.N. law in health emergency
Bush’s SPP power grab sets stage for military to manage flu threats
www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57369
August 29th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Finally! So what. Another bullshit excuse for global big brother lockdown.
August 29th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
I just don’t think bird flu is a real threat.
August 29th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
It can be difficult to decide if the H5N1 bird flu virus, is a threat.
After two years of reading and listening to scientist’s and experienced veterinarians on the subject I’m convinced that it will hit with great severity.
History is always the best teacher and there have been pandemics that have done a decent job of taking a great number of people out.
Study the 1918 “spanish flu” and you’ll get a better idea of what could be. Only this time with air travel and the increased population the possibility of the virus going crazy and killing a large number of people is believable.
A quote from a good book, Bird Flu, a Virus of our own hatching: The National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine now describes a pandemic as “not only inevitable, but overdue.” This is based in part on the understanding that there have been ten pandemics recorded since global travelers embarked approximately three centuries ago. Pandemics average every 27.5 years, with 39 years presented as the longest known interval between pandemics. 2006 places us at year 37 since the pandemic of 1968. According to the director of the CDC, “It doesn’t take a scientist to appreciate that the clock is ticking, and that another pandemic is due.”
Said a WHO spokesperson, “All the indications are that we are living on borrowed time….” A senior associate at the Center for Biosecurity lists the indications: “The lethality of the virus is unprecedented for influenza, the scope of the bird outbreak is completely unprecedented and the change that needs to happen to create a pandemic is such a small change—it could literally happen any day.”
August 30th, 2007 at 3:37 am
The sad thing is that the “proof” is nothing more than a mathmatical calculation, NOT actual human to human transmission. Mathmatical calculations can include any variable, or can ignore them.
But I have to agree…its another “reason” for Big Brother to try and protect us from ourselves, and the sheeple masses will follow along right behind with their tails tucked between their legs.
August 30th, 2007 at 9:28 am
This is another distraction, chickens aren’t the new terrorists.
It is also not true. Note the ‘probably’ in the report… When someone lives and sleeps with chickens under there hammocks at night, it is not sound to say definitely that they caught the virus from a human.(when there is an animal to human route obviously in play why rule out the obvious with mark to model math?)
This particular virus has been around over 60 years and never mutated to human to human transmission. Noted Virus specialists are on record saying they think it may not even be possible for it to jump to human to human transmission.
Look at the contagion/transmission pattern maps for spanish flu- it comes directly from the CO area where soldiers coincidentally returned from Germany. The contagion spread pattern for spanish flu is definitely unrelated to any natural patterns like migratory bird flyways and bird flu contagion is not related to migratory bird patterns either.
Our government may release an altered virus on us, however even they are advised that they could not control possible mutations and would most likely be killing themselves as well.
August 30th, 2007 at 9:43 am
20 years from now it will be revealed that bird flu and cervical cancer vacines caused 10 times the damage of these diseases.
August 30th, 2007 at 9:44 am
…. at a huge monetary and freedom cost.
August 30th, 2007 at 10:50 am
Please take the time to link to and read ‘This is the End’ provided.
With all of the possible scenario’s that life could possibly throw at us it’s wise to at least stay abreast of this situation, whether casual or active.
The ramifications of a pandemic are vast and not outside the realm of possibilities.
Quite frankly and without hesitation, a major pandemic would be “good” for the world, a thought 99% of people fail to understand. Forgive me.
Over reaction to anything on our globe will only give one heart-burn and a possible ulcer. And please don’t take that statement the wrong way. I am concerned about the way “business” is being conducted in our world just as much as you all are.
admin: Thanks for taking the time to post on H5N1.
BTW, the Mongolian story was an ‘echo’ story from 2005.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
dokijo said, “This particular virus has been around over 60 years and never mutated to human to human transmission.”
The West is a truly amazing place. As if American Indians, the East and all its history and philosophy, and this virus do not exist or is not so until we describe it. Ultimate and absolute arrogance. Make it so ‘Journal of Virology’!
August 30th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
60 years ago life was very different.
The Black Death redirected European history in the 14th century.
Hopefully, for humanity’s sake, the direction world history will take is away from raising birds by the billions under intensive confinement. Tragically, it may take a pandemic with a virus like H5N1 before the world realizes the true cost of cheap chicken.
If I had to bet money on whether a pandemic would happen within the next year or two, I’d probably say “no,” based on past experience. But I wouldn’t bet much on it. I certainly wouldn’t bet my life on it.
August 30th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
H5N1 viruses have spread rapidly throughout poultry flocks in Asia over the past 2 years and now appears to be endemic in eastern Asia.
H5N1 strains cause severe disease in humans, with a high case-fatality rate, reportedly at over 50%.
The potential of exposure and infection of humans is likely to be ongoing in rural Asia and probably in Africa as well, where many households keep free-ranging poultry flocks for income and food.
The viruses have diversified genetically into two distinct phylogenetic clades (genetic groups) and subclades, indicating ongoing viral evolution. (Key word is evolution).
“Antigenic drift” refers to the process of small genetic changes that influenza viruses continuously undergo from year to year, which necessitates the development of new vaccines annually.
The 1918 pandemic strain apparently did not originate through a reassortment event; rather, it is likely that an avian strain initially infected humans and then adapted gradually to the human population over time to become a pandemic strain.
Apart from the inherent lethality of the virus, its capacity to cause severe disease in non-traditional age groups, namely young adults, is a major determinant of a pandemic’s overall impact.
August 31st, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Yes, the virus has a high human fatality when caught from birds. The transmission can also be prevented by washing ones hands with ordinary hot water and soap.
Is it helpful somehow to panic everyone into burning down all the non-factory food farms? To me, it seems easier to just wash our hands and prepare ourselves for whatever is next by continuing to think carefully.
I doubt we can predict what is exactly in our futures and I don’t see many scenarios where total panic is going to be a silver bullet.
If there were an antidote or vaccine that worked, maybe there would be just cause to raise awareness to a fever pitch. However there isn’t. Tamiflu is being banned in several countries, in addition to being ineffective it has horrific side effects.
Most of the free range poultry in the US are hertiage breeds(around since Romans for example) The birds have weathered many epidemics via natural immunity. What if we kill all these chickens only to find that we needed them for vaccines? We might not even be here to debate it if this same approach hadn’t worked for smallpox.
http://www.ahrp.org/cms/content/view/39/27/
August 31st, 2007 at 10:02 pm
Hear what you’re saying dokijo, and it’s not my intention to convert anyone to the possibility of a pandemic. My personal interest lies in a sincere and simple attempt to dispel myths and misguided information in whatever way possible.
I am an ordinary person by my standards alone, who by the advice of a wise gentle soul, was instructed to learn about the H5N1 and possibility of a pandemic over two ago.
Therefore and because as you say dokijo “I doubt we can predict what is exactly in our futures” I am only attempting to shed light on the issue here.
Since leading senior public health scientists, practitioners, epidemiologists and veterinarians do believe the possibility is High of another pandemic my interest has remained.
No where do I suggest total panic to be a silver bullet.
It’s conventional wisdom at the moment that this virus is transmitted overwhelmingly from bird to human, not human to human. If easy and sustained human to human transmission appears, this will very likely lead to a spreading outbreak and possibly a pandemic. That’s the bottom line.