The idea of a flu virus containing fragments from swine, avian, and human flu is not at all unusual or strange. These viruses do this all the time. When different types of flu reside in a host, they can exchange DNA with each other, often resulting in such hybrids or mutations or whatever you want to call them.

Flu is a highly adaptable virus that is constantly mutating, even from one person to another. That's one reason why flu shots are seldom good for more than a year or two. By that time, the viruses have mutated so much that the body simply doesn't recognize them any more.

The H1N1 flu is worrisome because it is believed to be the type responsible for the great Flu Pandemic of 1917-1918. This pandemic wiped out millions of people - some estimates go as high as 100 million people. That's more than the number of people killed in all the wars of the 20th Century. Since the population back then was around 1.6 billion, the higher estimate would have meant over 5% of the world's population died. Even at the lower figures, it would have been a significant percentage. A similar death rate now would kill close to half a billion people worldwide.

What makes that flu frightening is that it was extremely contagious, unusually virulent, and attacked the healthy, young people the hardest. We still don't know what made that pandemic so deadly, but when authorities see an H1N1 variety, they get nervous. Their thinking is that it's not a matter of whether there will be another pandemic; but when it will come.

Originally posted by burntheships

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 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.

(visit the link for the full news article)

OMG they recovered. Run for the hills!!!!!1

No less than 3 items on the front listings on ATS for it, now thats scary.. really..

Sorry to sound ignorant about it, we all know what to deny you know.. but it just doesn't sound that drastic...

meh..

it takes almost a year to create a vaccine that works , so if they already have a vaccine .............

On the live CDC briefing an hour or so again the guy speaking mentioned something about moves to create a new vaccine targetted for the disease that is breaking out. They start off with something called a "seed" vaccine which is quite a general vaccine I guess then they can "update" that to target something more specific. He alluded to the possibility of talks with vaccine maufacturers to start producing something en masse.

Whatever they are doling out now must just be some very basic vaccine which is something they are simply hoping may help, a kind of stand in until something better is created. I'm not saying this to dismiss the idea that vaccines per se are unsafe but to point out it can be inferred that as yet there is NO vaccine for this specific strain of disease.

How many people actually died from vaccines in the last type of swine virus I wonder compared to how many people may actually have been saved by it ? Just wondering. I know in the USA there are some sort of laws in place to make taking a vaccination mandatory in the event of a pandemic but as far as I know there's no such legislation in the UK....what about elsewhere ?

I guess we'd soon enough find out if the vaccine they develop is deadly in some way as won't people react badly to it rather soonish if they are going to react at all ? And then won't this news spread and prevent alot of people from going ahead with a vaccination ? And won't there be a load of people around the globe who won't be vaccinated anyway so potentially could die if this becomes pandemic ? I'm just wondering if they would really NEED to deliberately contaminate vaccines as enough people won't bother getting one anyway so therefore loads might die anyway ?

Originally posted by badw0lf

OMG they recovered. Run for the hills!!!!!1

No less than 3 items on the front listings on ATS for it, now thats scary.. really..

There are too many odd things about this not to find it both fascinating and scary.

The people that are dying are in Mexico. Now suppose this makes it to all the third world countries? Imagine the death toll then.

Still, I hope your right. I pray to God our imaginations are running wild and this turns out to be just a blip in the track of time.

If you're wrong though, I would rather have the latest information at my disposal, than get the sniffles and think it's nothing.

Whats odd for me is I get the flu once a year,every year. I make some hot toddies and curl up with a book or something and usually get over it in a day or two.

I didn't get the flu this year. Not yet anyway,

(Oh GREAT! Now my hypochondria's kicking in!)

Originally posted by cosmicpixie


How many people actually died from vaccines in the last type of swine virus I wonder compared to how many people may actually have been saved by it ?

No swine flu outbreak ever manifested itself. The inoculation was useless for this reason and was considered a horrid waste of money.

I'm just wondering if they would really NEED to deliberately contaminate vaccines as enough people won't bother getting one anyway so therefore loads might die anyway ?

Vaccines are stabilized with preservatives such as mercury. They are contaminated to begin with.

Originally posted by badw0lf

Originally posted by burntheships

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 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.

(visit the link for the full news article)

OMG they recovered. Run for the hills!!!!!1

No less than 3 items on the front listings on ATS for it, now thats scary.. really..

Sorry to sound ignorant about it, we all know what to deny you know.. but it just doesn't sound that drastic...

meh..

Ok, while you have been "meh-ing", Drudge report has it's top headline as:
OUTBREAK
The linked article from Drudge to Breitbart lists SIXTY dead now, up from reported sixteen dead earlier today. Truth? Hype? Conspiracy? You will have to decide for yourselves.

What to do? Nothing. If you're healthy or more at risk, just follow basic precautions. There's no "meh-dicine" for this problem. My advice is not to take any immunization.