Pandemic In the Making?

[Annie]

prayers wont stop a killer strain of flu...sorry ...

the hints to wash hands etc are good ones...dont even touch handrails....or door knobs...

and here is how we wash our hands...you go in and you hit the motion detector thing so you have two towels hanging there.....turn on the water...wash y our hands with soap...hum yankee doodle dandy...when you finish you have washed enough...rinse...grab first towel and turn off spigots...toss ...grab next towel to open door to backroom going out....toss at last minute...

carry hand santizer or wipes...just in case...wipe off handles of shopping buggies...most stores provide wipes for doing that....and i wouldnt be eating out that much...or hanging out at the airports....avoid handling money as much as possible....money is so nasty

Great advice!

The scary thing is, they are saying it's a strain never before seen in humans OR swine. Not sure why they're calling it the swine flu?

The 'big flu' was 1918, however there have been more than several pandemics in the 20th C. I believe the last was in late 70's, Hong Kong flu. A 'breakout' has been overdue for awhile, I believe that would have more to do with viruses than humans. The CDC and WHO have been watching for 'this' if it is, 'this.'

The virus is a mutation/combination of swine, avian viruses and for the first time for both, spread human-to-human. This that last part that has raised concerns.

 

[007]

I know.

But then I live in an isolated area. Regardless of what happens, I'm unlikely to be affected.

It's more likely to hit those isolated liberal elitists who choke our cities.

Me either. I wouldn't even have to leave my house for a couple weeks if I didn't want to. Got everything I need. If I needed milk and bread and stuff like that, I probably wouldn't have to come in contact with anyone, seeing as I could get that a block from me at this little gas station/gun store. Yes living in a tiny little poodunk town has it's advantages. I even have my own water and sewer.

And I'm not going to say I'd like to see a bunch of liberals DIE, but you are probably correct. Huge cities like NY and LA would probably fair the worst. Hope it doesn't though.... millions of people dying off all of a sudden like can't be good.

 

[Chris]

We get the whole trumped up torture debate with soon-to-be-released pics, and now this relative non-story spreading more fear and uncertainty, and dominating the weekend news cycle????

Hmmmmm.....

It's not a "non story" to the 68 people who died in Mexico.

 

[KittenKoder]

We get the whole trumped up torture debate with soon-to-be-released pics, and now this relative non-story spreading more fear and uncertainty, and dominating the weekend news cycle????

Hmmmmm.....

It's not a "now story" to the 68 people who died in Mexico.

Mexico ... where there's more bacteria per milliliter of drinking water than a whole pond in the US? That Mexico? Of course we can ignore those facts can't we ... it's better to have everyone scared into paying a fortune for medicines and doctor visits than let them live their lives.

 

[theunbubba]

prayers wont stop a killer strain of flu...sorry ...

the hints to wash hands etc are good ones...dont even touch handrails....or door knobs...

and here is how we wash our hands...you go in and you hit the motion detector thing so you have two towels hanging there.....turn on the water...wash y our hands with soap...hum yankee doodle dandy...when you finish you have washed enough...rinse...grab first towel and turn off spigots...toss ...grab next towel to open door to backroom going out....toss at last minute...

carry hand santizer or wipes...just in case...wipe off handles of shopping buggies...most stores provide wipes for doing that....and i wouldnt be eating out that much...or hanging out at the airports....avoid handling money as much as possible....money is so nasty

Great advice!

The scary thing is, they are saying it's a strain never before seen in humans OR swine. Not sure why they're calling it the swine flu?

The 'big flu' was 1918, however there have been more than several pandemics in the 20th C. I believe the last was in late 70's, Hong Kong flu. A 'breakout' has been overdue for awhile, I believe that would have more to do with viruses than humans. The CDC and WHO have been watching for 'this' if it is, 'this.'

The virus is a mutation/combination of swine, avian viruses and for the first time for both, spread human-to-human. This that last part that has raised concerns.

There was a big swine flu epidemic in 1996. I can personally attest to the fact that it was pure hell to get. I couldn't tell you how far it spread. I was in bed for two weeks.

 

[theunbubba]

I know.

But then I live in an isolated area. Regardless of what happens, I'm unlikely to be affected.

It's more likely to hit those isolated liberal elitists who choke our cities.

Me either. I wouldn't even have to leave my house for a couple weeks if I didn't want to. Got everything I need. If I needed milk and bread and stuff like that, I probably wouldn't have to come in contact with anyone, seeing as I could get that a block from me at this little gas station/gun store. Yes living in a tiny little poodunk town has it's advantages. I even have my own water and sewer.

And I'm not going to say I'd like to see a bunch of liberals DIE, but you are probably correct. Huge cities like NY and LA would probably fair the worst. Hope it doesn't though.... millions of people dying off all of a sudden like can't be good.

There's only one problem with that theory. A pandemic will last about six to nine months. A single person may be contaigous for only a matter of a few weeks but it's the chain of infections that lasts.
So having food for a few weeks isn't going to do you one dang bit of good. You need enough to last almost a year.
Not to mention toilet paper and soap and all that goes with living a normal life. Oh and rent or mortgage money.

 

[Annie]

I have always wondered why some people die from the flu, and others don't.

I think our immune systems are so different, Annie, you just said healthy adults are dying from this new strain. It's scary. There are so many things we, as consumers, eat and drink and even touch, not knowing what's in it or where it's been.

I know the very young and the elderly have always been at high risk, but now it seems nobody is immune.

I think it's the same reason some people develop and die from cancer while others do not. Some people have stronger immune systems than others. We have been searching for a cure for cancer for over fifty years, putting billions of dollars into research, and yet, for the most part, have made little progress. Yes, some treatments do seem to work with certain types of cancer if caught early enough, but no real cures.

When I watched my wife battle leukemia and eventual die from it, I kept wondering how killing cells throughout the body was a good way to fight cancer. It just doesn't seem to make sense. It seems like the real cure would be in finding a way to strengthen the immune system so the body could do what it is meant to do. Of course, that may be impossible also.

Anyway, just rambling, I guess.

I am sorry about your wife, I can't imagine. I pray that you and your children are healing.

I do think some people are born with a more robust immune system, they seem able to be exposed to many things, yet they never come down with those diseases. I think of the kids with perfect attendance awards, year after year. I think I'm luckier in that way than many teachers, I've had the flu once in the past 40 years. I average a cold a year and that's with teaching in a small, poorly ventilated school with kids ages 3-14! I am susceptible to strep, I've had that 10 times in the past 10 years. Others seem to struggle with a variety of viruses for the first few months, every year.

 

[Annie]

it is killing 25 to 45 yr olds....now that is odd...about 60 have died in mexico....estimates as low as 20 as high as 60....8 infected in texas...it will spread fast.. think of all the mexicans harvesting food...i would be trying to grow a garden and/or buy local food...

I posted this somewhere else, but can't find it. It's basically a history of pandemics or threats of such in 20th C. The Avian strain is one or two of the strains, now incorporated into what the medical people are so concerned about. The only one of the following that seemed to 'hit' healthy adults was the 1918 one, which is worrisome. However, the ability to come up with vaccines seems to be the reason that none of those following that breakout, were able to cause such a loss of life:

Pandemics and Pandemic Threats since 1900

1918: Spanish Flu

The Spanish Influenza pandemic is the catastrophe against which all modern pandemics are measured. It is estimated that approximately 20 to 40 percent of the worldwide population became ill and that over 50 million people died. Between September 1918 and April 1919, approximately 675,000 deaths from the flu occurred in the U.S. alone. Many people died from this very quickly. Some people who felt well in the morning became sick by noon, and were dead by nightfall. Those who did not succumb to the disease within the first few days often died of complications from the flu (such as pneumonia) caused by bacteria.

One of the most unusual aspects of the Spanish flu was its ability to kill young adults. The reasons for this remain uncertain. With the Spanish flu, mortality rates were high among healthy adults as well as the usual high-risk groups. The attack rate and mortality was highest among adults 20 to 50 years old. The severity of that virus has not been seen again.

1957: Asian Flu

In February 1957, the Asian influenza pandemic was first identified in the Far East. Immunity to this strain was rare in people less than 65 years of age, and a pandemic was predicted. In preparation, vaccine production began in late May 1957, and health officials increased surveillance for flu outbreaks.

Unlike the virus that caused the 1918 pandemic, the 1957 pandemic virus was quickly identified, due to advances in scientific technology. Vaccine was available in limited supply by August 1957. The virus came to the U.S. quietly, with a series of small outbreaks over the summer of 1957. When U.S. children went back to school in the fall, they spread the disease in classrooms and brought it home to their families. Infection rates were highest among school children, young adults, and pregnant women in October 1957. Most influenza-and pneumonia-related deaths occurred between September 1957 and March 1958. The elderly had the highest rates of death.

By December 1957, the worst seemed to be over. However, during January and February 1958, there was another wave of illness among the elderly. This is an example of the potential "second wave" of infections that can develop during a pandemic. The disease infects one group of people first, infections appear to decrease and then infections increase in a different part of the population. Although the Asian flu pandemic was not as devastating as the Spanish flu, about 69,800 people in the U.S. died.

1968: Hong Kong Flu

In early 1968, the Hong Kong influenza pandemic was first detected in Hong Kong. The first cases in the U.S. were detected as early as September of that year, but illness did not become widespread in the U.S. until December. Deaths from this virus peaked in December 1968 and January 1969. Those over the age of 65 were most likely to die. The same virus returned in 1970 and 1972. The number of deaths between September 1968 and March 1969 for this pandemic was 33,800, making it the mildest pandemic in the 20th century....

1976: Swine Flu Threat

When a novel virus was first identified at Fort Dix, it was labeled the "killer flu." Experts were extremely concerned because the virus was thought to be related to the Spanish flu virus of 1918. The concern that a major pandemic could sweep across the world led to a mass vaccination campaign in the United States. In fact, the virus--later named "swine flu"--never moved outside the Fort Dix area. Research on the virus later showed that if it had spread, it would probably have been much less deadly than the Spanish flu.

1977: Russian Flu Threat

In May 1977, influenza A/H1N1 viruses isolated in northern China, spread rapidly, and caused epidemic disease in children and young adults (< 23 years) worldwide. The 1977 virus was similar to other A/H1N1 viruses that had circulated prior to 1957. (In 1957, the A/H1N1 virus was replaced by the new A/H2N2 viruses). Because of the timing of the appearance of these viruses, persons born before 1957 were likely to have been exposed to A/H1N1 viruses and to have developed immunity against A/H1N1 viruses. Therefore, when the A/H1N1 reappeared in 1977, many people over the age of 23 had some protection against the virus and it was primarily younger people who became ill from A/H1N1 infections. By January 1978, the virus had spread around the world, including the United States. Because illness occurred primarily in children, this event was not considered a true pandemic.

1997: Avian Flu Threat

The most recent pandemic "threats" occurred in 1997 and 1999. In 1997, at least a few hundred people became infected with the avian A/H5N1 flu virus in Hong Kong and 18 people were hospitalized. Six of the hospitalized persons died. This virus was different because it moved directly from chickens to people, rather than having been altered by infecting pigs as an intermediate host. In addition, many of the most severe illnesses occurred in young adults similar to illnesses caused by the 1918 Spanish flu virus. To prevent the spread of this virus, all chickens (approximately 1.5 million) in Hong Kong were slaughtered. The avian flu did not easily spread from one person to another, and after the poultry slaughter, no new human infections were found.

In 1999, another novel avian flu virus - A/H9N2 - was found that caused illnesses in two children in Hong Kong. Although both of these viruses have not gone on to start pandemics, their continued presence in birds, their ability to infect humans, and the ability of influenza viruses to change and become more transmissible among people is an ongoing concern.

 

[KittenKoder]

I have always wondered why some people die from the flu, and others don't.

I think our immune systems are so different, Annie, you just said healthy adults are dying from this new strain. It's scary. There are so many things we, as consumers, eat and drink and even touch, not knowing what's in it or where it's been.

I know the very young and the elderly have always been at high risk, but now it seems nobody is immune.

I think it's the same reason some people develop and die from cancer while others do not. Some people have stronger immune systems than others. We have been searching for a cure for cancer for over fifty years, putting billions of dollars into research, and yet, for the most part, have made little progress. Yes, some treatments do seem to work with certain types of cancer if caught early enough, but no real cures.

When I watched my wife battle leukemia and eventual die from it, I kept wondering how killing cells throughout the body was a good way to fight cancer. It just doesn't seem to make sense. It seems like the real cure would be in finding a way to strengthen the immune system so the body could do what it is meant to do. Of course, that may be impossible also.

Anyway, just rambling, I guess.

I am sorry about your wife, I can't imagine. I pray that you and your children are healing.

I do think some people are born with a more robust immune system, they seem able to be exposed to many things, yet they never come down with those diseases. I think of the kids with perfect attendance awards, year after year. I think I'm luckier in that way than many teachers, I've had the flu once in the past 40 years. I average a cold a year and that's with teaching in a small, poorly ventilated school with kids ages 3-14! I am susceptible to strep, I've had that 10 times in the past 10 years. Others seem to struggle with a variety of viruses for the first few months, every year.

There are many factors to how strong our immune system is, some are genetic. One thing though, catching a cold every year can actually make you healthier. Like all parts of the body the immune system needs to practice at what it does, or it gets weaker. Flu vaccines are suppose to work on this fact to improve your chances of fighting it, but it's not quite the same. Sometimes, it's just better to get sick when you naturally do.

A great example is the Chicken Pox. The reason we can catch it only once is that the cause does not mutate or evolve (yet). Once our immune system fights it off it's smart enough to keep you from catching it again. The problem is that instead of allowing people who need to have their immune systems exercised they scare people into getting vaccines for things we really don't need, ultimately weakening our bodies so when something comes that they don't plan for it hits us so hard that even "healthy" people are killed by it. What they would really do if they actually cared about us (the medical community) is find out what is weakening immune systems and work on curing those instead, otherwise it is quite possible a virus could wipe out most of our population.

But meh, I don't mind that thought s much so I don't do much but tell people the truth. You can listen and maybe save yourself should such an event happen, or buy into the scares and take the risk ... matters not to me.

 

[Annie]

I think it's the same reason some people develop and die from cancer while others do not. Some people have stronger immune systems than others. We have been searching for a cure for cancer for over fifty years, putting billions of dollars into research, and yet, for the most part, have made little progress. Yes, some treatments do seem to work with certain types of cancer if caught early enough, but no real cures.

When I watched my wife battle leukemia and eventual die from it, I kept wondering how killing cells throughout the body was a good way to fight cancer. It just doesn't seem to make sense. It seems like the real cure would be in finding a way to strengthen the immune system so the body could do what it is meant to do. Of course, that may be impossible also.

Anyway, just rambling, I guess.

I am sorry about your wife, I can't imagine. I pray that you and your children are healing.

I do think some people are born with a more robust immune system, they seem able to be exposed to many things, yet they never come down with those diseases. I think of the kids with perfect attendance awards, year after year. I think I'm luckier in that way than many teachers, I've had the flu once in the past 40 years. I average a cold a year and that's with teaching in a small, poorly ventilated school with kids ages 3-14! I am susceptible to strep, I've had that 10 times in the past 10 years. Others seem to struggle with a variety of viruses for the first few months, every year.

There are many factors to how strong our immune system is, some are genetic. One thing though, catching a cold every year can actually make you healthier. Like all parts of the body the immune system needs to practice at what it does, or it gets weaker. Flu vaccines are suppose to work on this fact to improve your chances of fighting it, but it's not quite the same. Sometimes, it's just better to get sick when you naturally do.

A great example is the Chicken Pox. The reason we can catch it only once is that the cause does not mutate or evolve (yet). Once our immune system fights it off it's smart enough to keep you from catching it again. The problem is that instead of allowing people who need to have their immune systems exercised they scare people into getting vaccines for things we really don't need, ultimately weakening our bodies so when something comes that they don't plan for it hits us so hard that even "healthy" people are killed by it. What they would really do if they actually cared about us (the medical community) is find out what is weakening immune systems and work on curing those instead, otherwise it is quite possible a virus could wipe out most of our population.

But meh, I don't mind that thought s much so I don't do much but tell people the truth. You can listen and maybe save yourself should such an event happen, or buy into the scares and take the risk ... matters not to me.

I agree with what you are saying there, although Shingles are thought to be related to the chicken pox virus. A different 'form' even if exposed as a child. Some get them, others don't.

 

[KittenKoder]

I am sorry about your wife, I can't imagine. I pray that you and your children are healing.

I do think some people are born with a more robust immune system, they seem able to be exposed to many things, yet they never come down with those diseases. I think of the kids with perfect attendance awards, year after year. I think I'm luckier in that way than many teachers, I've had the flu once in the past 40 years. I average a cold a year and that's with teaching in a small, poorly ventilated school with kids ages 3-14! I am susceptible to strep, I've had that 10 times in the past 10 years. Others seem to struggle with a variety of viruses for the first few months, every year.

There are many factors to how strong our immune system is, some are genetic. One thing though, catching a cold every year can actually make you healthier. Like all parts of the body the immune system needs to practice at what it does, or it gets weaker. Flu vaccines are suppose to work on this fact to improve your chances of fighting it, but it's not quite the same. Sometimes, it's just better to get sick when you naturally do.

A great example is the Chicken Pox. The reason we can catch it only once is that the cause does not mutate or evolve (yet). Once our immune system fights it off it's smart enough to keep you from catching it again. The problem is that instead of allowing people who need to have their immune systems exercised they scare people into getting vaccines for things we really don't need, ultimately weakening our bodies so when something comes that they don't plan for it hits us so hard that even "healthy" people are killed by it. What they would really do if they actually cared about us (the medical community) is find out what is weakening immune systems and work on curing those instead, otherwise it is quite possible a virus could wipe out most of our population.

But meh, I don't mind that thought s much so I don't do much but tell people the truth. You can listen and maybe save yourself should such an event happen, or buy into the scares and take the risk ... matters not to me.

I agree with what you are saying there, although Shingles are thought to be related to the chicken pox virus. A different 'form' even if exposed as a child. Some get them, others don't.

It's possible, I don't know enough about Shingles though. I do know that Chicken Pox is a variant of herpes.

 

[Annie]

There are many factors to how strong our immune system is, some are genetic. One thing though, catching a cold every year can actually make you healthier. Like all parts of the body the immune system needs to practice at what it does, or it gets weaker. Flu vaccines are suppose to work on this fact to improve your chances of fighting it, but it's not quite the same. Sometimes, it's just better to get sick when you naturally do.

A great example is the Chicken Pox. The reason we can catch it only once is that the cause does not mutate or evolve (yet). Once our immune system fights it off it's smart enough to keep you from catching it again. The problem is that instead of allowing people who need to have their immune systems exercised they scare people into getting vaccines for things we really don't need, ultimately weakening our bodies so when something comes that they don't plan for it hits us so hard that even "healthy" people are killed by it. What they would really do if they actually cared about us (the medical community) is find out what is weakening immune systems and work on curing those instead, otherwise it is quite possible a virus could wipe out most of our population.

But meh, I don't mind that thought s much so I don't do much but tell people the truth. You can listen and maybe save yourself should such an event happen, or buy into the scares and take the risk ... matters not to me.

I agree with what you are saying there, although Shingles are thought to be related to the chicken pox virus. A different 'form' even if exposed as a child. Some get them, others don't.

It's possible, I don't know enough about Shingles though. I do know that Chicken Pox is a variant of herpes.

Very weird, do a 'quick search' for both on .gov and find that having either chicken pox or shingles may help keep brain cancer at bay!?!

I swear I find the weirdest stuff. I love the net.

History of chickenpox and shingles and prevalence ...[Am J Epidemiol. 2005] - PubMed Result

 

[KittenKoder]

I agree with what you are saying there, although Shingles are thought to be related to the chicken pox virus. A different 'form' even if exposed as a child. Some get them, others don't.

It's possible, I don't know enough about Shingles though. I do know that Chicken Pox is a variant of herpes.

Very weird, do a 'quick search' for both on .gov and find that having either chicken pox or shingles may help keep brain cancer at bay!?!

I swear I find the weirdest stuff. I love the net.

History of chickenpox and shingles and prevalence ...[Am J Epidemiol. 2005] - PubMed Result

It is possible to find almost anything online. But hey! That's kinda cool. They've been forcing parents to get their kids vaccinated against Chicken Pox, well, now there's a reason to say 'no' when they do.

 

[Annie]

KK, just went to start reading 'news', found this on front page, Yahoo! Seems Mexico is where there's some difference in virus. Seems some may just have the swine flu, of those that died, some had the combo virus form, including the avian strains:

Minister: 10 NZ students likely have swine flu

Minister: 10 NZ students likely have swine flu

By RAY LILLEY, Associated Press Writer
2 mins ago

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – New Zealand's health minister said Sunday 10 students who just returned from Mexico have tested positive for influenza. He said the cases are "likely" to be swine flu.

Tony Ryall said none of the patients was seriously ill and they seemed to be recovering. He added that there was "no guarantee" the students had swine flu, but that health officials were taking precautions.

At least 81 people have died from severe pneumonia caused by a flu-like illness in Mexico, according to the World Health Organization, which declared the virus a public health emergency of "pandemic potential."

The virus is usually contracted through direct contact with pigs, though some limited cases of human-to-human transmission have been reported. Health officials have sought to reassure people that it is safe to eat pork that is properly handled because the virus dies when cooked at temperatures of 160 F/70 C or higher.

The 10 New Zealand students who returned positive results were among 13 quarantined and tested for the virus after a school trip to Mexico. In all 25 students and teachers arrived in the northern city of Auckland on Saturday on a flight from Los Angeles. One student had to be hospitalized, said Auckland Regional Public Health Services director Dr. Julia Peters.

"Ten students have tested positive for Influenza A, and these results will now be sent to the World Health Organization laboratory in Melbourne to ascertain whether it is the H1N1 swine influenza."

H1N1 influenza is a subset of influenza A.

At this stage other passengers on their flight were not being sought and the next step would depend on what the tests showed, said Health Ministry spokesman Michael Flyger.
Governments across the Asia-Pacific region were stepping up surveillance for the deadly virus after Mexico closed schools, museums, libraries and theaters in a bid to contain the outbreak. About 1,000 people may have been sickened there.

Some of those who died are confirmed to have a unique version of the A/H1N1 flu virus that is a combination of bird, pig and human viruses, WHO said.

U.S. authorities said 11 people were infected with swine flu, and all recovered or are recovering and at least two were hospitalized....

 

[KittenKoder]

KK, just went to start reading 'news', found this on front page, Yahoo! Seems Mexico is where there's some difference in virus. Seems some may just have the swine flu, of those that died, some had the combo virus form, including the avian strains:

Minister: 10 NZ students likely have swine flu

Minister: 10 NZ students likely have swine flu

By RAY LILLEY, Associated Press Writer
2 mins ago

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – New Zealand's health minister said Sunday 10 students who just returned from Mexico have tested positive for influenza. He said the cases are "likely" to be swine flu.

Tony Ryall said none of the patients was seriously ill and they seemed to be recovering. He added that there was "no guarantee" the students had swine flu, but that health officials were taking precautions.

At least 81 people have died from severe pneumonia caused by a flu-like illness in Mexico, according to the World Health Organization, which declared the virus a public health emergency of "pandemic potential."

The virus is usually contracted through direct contact with pigs, though some limited cases of human-to-human transmission have been reported. Health officials have sought to reassure people that it is safe to eat pork that is properly handled because the virus dies when cooked at temperatures of 160 F/70 C or higher.

The 10 New Zealand students who returned positive results were among 13 quarantined and tested for the virus after a school trip to Mexico. In all 25 students and teachers arrived in the northern city of Auckland on Saturday on a flight from Los Angeles. One student had to be hospitalized, said Auckland Regional Public Health Services director Dr. Julia Peters.

"Ten students have tested positive for Influenza A, and these results will now be sent to the World Health Organization laboratory in Melbourne to ascertain whether it is the H1N1 swine influenza."

H1N1 influenza is a subset of influenza A.

At this stage other passengers on their flight were not being sought and the next step would depend on what the tests showed, said Health Ministry spokesman Michael Flyger.
Governments across the Asia-Pacific region were stepping up surveillance for the deadly virus after Mexico closed schools, museums, libraries and theaters in a bid to contain the outbreak. About 1,000 people may have been sickened there.

Some of those who died are confirmed to have a unique version of the A/H1N1 flu virus that is a combination of bird, pig and human viruses, WHO said.

U.S. authorities said 11 people were infected with swine flu, and all recovered or are recovering and at least two were hospitalized....

There is a problem with their country though, ever hear the phrase "don't drink the water"? Virus' thrive in their water so when there is contact it's in large amounts. You can come into contact with small amounts of a virus and your body will often fight it off quickly, sometimes even without noticing. However if there is a enough of the virus in what you are eating, drinking, etc. then it's harder for your immune system to fight off, often resulting in complications such as organ failure.

Great example of that is e-coli. All of our meat contains small amounts of the virus, just it's safe for most people because there isn't enough to over power most of our immune systems. The cases in which an "outbreak" happens isn't when the virus is there, it's when the virus is in such high concentrations in the food that almost anyone will get sick on it, or more than 20% chance of getting ill. Mexican water is much the same, and while boiling cuts down on the concentration of virus' it doesn't get rid of it all if the concentration is high enough. Also many foods contain a large amount of water, lettuce is mostly water.

 

[strollingbones]

for some reason it is attacking people with healthy or well developed immune systems...bypassing the very young or the more mature of us...(did you think was gonna call myself old here?)

lungs are quickly filing with fluids...tamiflu seems to be working...there are treatments but it is like everything else...you have to seek treatment in time

 

[strollingbones]

you didnt mention the workers pissing on stuff....

 

[Annie]

for some reason it is attacking people with healthy or well developed immune systems...bypassing the very young or the more mature of us...(did you think was gonna call myself old here?)

lungs are quickly filing with fluids...tamiflu seems to be working...there are treatments but it is like everything else...you have to seek treatment in time

What I got from the 'history post' that I included above, the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 was similar, in the way it was spread human-to-human, rather than from just surfaces and such. Spreading like a cold virus and air borne. Seems that hits all, not just the young and elderly and the previously sick.

 

[strollingbones]

who its hits is not as important as who it kills....1918 was shocking due to the sudden death of young people....this one is following that path...so it has to be tied in with an over reaction of the immune system...which you dont have in the under 25 or over 45..its too early to say...i was in canada when sars broke out...it was quickly contained...just depends on how quickly it is spreading..and it looks like it is spreading fast...you have to remember mexico is a cheap travel spot ..all those kids on spring break....everyone likes to dip down the border and buy cheap silver....it just goes on and on...and remember mexican trucks can cross the border now...it will be interesting to see a map of the confirmed cases?

 

[KittenKoder]

for some reason it is attacking people with healthy or well developed immune systems...bypassing the very young or the more mature of us...(did you think was gonna call myself old here?)

lungs are quickly filing with fluids...tamiflu seems to be working...there are treatments but it is like everything else...you have to seek treatment in time

Depends on the definition of "healthy" for immune system, uncompromised is usually what they are talking about, but how long have people been using the flu vaccines as well as for other mild illnesses? Healthy does not mean strong in most cases, it merely means there are no traceable weaknesses. A truly strong immune system would be someone who has gotten sick a lot in their life and survived without complications, while most medical practitioners will often consider them "unhealthy". So the wording is very relative in this instance.