Pick A Pandemic: MERS, H5N1 or H7N9?

I have no doubt a pandemic is coming - maybe this year, maybe next, maybe MERS or H5N1 or H7N9 - but I question the science and logic behind vaccines. Talk about hubris! And disrespect for humanity. No one even knows how the immune system works but they think they can manipulate it? Still, vaccines are the only defence governments have for the masses - Big Pharma is the only game, and our governments give them no-liability contracts. I do understand that authorities feel they have to do something, and that people whose loved ones are dying will do anything to help them. Also, a friend was leveled by polio before the vaccine was developed - he is parapalegic and has spent almost his entire life sleeping in an iron lung - I don't dare question vaccines in his presence. He says anything that could have prevented his disabilities is worthy. It's a conundrum.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia just announced its 55th MERS death. H5N1 bird flu has resurfaced with a vengeance in Cambodia - and the USA just approved Glaxo-Smith-Kline's H5N1 vaccine with adjuvant for stockpiling. China's gearing up for more H7N9 outbreaks, and developed its first-ever vaccine in preparation - and the USA contracted Sanofi Pasteur to grow H7N9 viruses for vaccine development and manufacturing. Replikins testing says H5N1 is the flu most likely to go pandemic but the company developed vaccines for both H5N1 and H7N9. There is no vaccine for MERS.

So three viruses are poised to go pandemic: MERS coronavirus, H7N9 bird flu, and H5N1 bird flu. The latest bird flu discovered -H6N1- has pandemic potential. H5N1 is endemic in Asia, meaning it's in the soil, water, animals, insects, everywhere. The environmental reservoirs for H7N9 and MERS are unknown; for both, it is likely that many milder cases are undetected; testing upper respiratory samples can yield false-negative results but that's what's done, even though lower respiratory specimens are most reliable. Inadequate testing with false-negatives can lead to "silent spread," hospital-acquired infections and greater potential for pandemic spread.

Saudi Arabia announces 55th MERS death
Posted on 2013-11-24 17:51:24

RIYADH: The Saudi health ministry on Sunday announced a new MERS death, raising to 55 the number of people killed by the coronavirus in the country with the most fatalities.

WHO: Humans, animals both likely fueling MERS spread

…the continuing outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) cases is probably being sustained, as some researchers have suggested, by a combination of human-to-human transmission and spillover from animals or other non-human sources—not one or the other.

In its latest summary and literature update, the WHO also agreed that many MERS-CoV cases are probably going undetected and warned that this poses a risk of further outbreaks in hospitals.

The agency's current MERS-CoV count is 157 confirmed and 19 probable cases, for a total of 176. With 69 deaths, the case-fatality ratio is 39.2%. Two cases recently reported in Spain remain in the "probable" category, pending completion of testing.

…"The critical remaining question about this virus is the route by which humans are infected." It also noted that most of the patients in sporadic cases were not exposed to camels.

It is a fine mess we've gotten ourselves into, isn't it? Almost everything about modern society stands to encourage and nurture the right bug, not deter or kill it. The right bug just hasn't popped up to run wild with it yet, but as you note. It will happen. It's happened before, like clockwork in fact, through history. Nature has it's little clearing events every so often....and it has been awhile, now that you mention it.

A bit over 100 years, actually.

I do have my helpful little tool to offer folks in keeping track and perspective of it though.

International Disease Outbreak Index

I'd say enjoy, but that seems the wrong sentiment while sharing that one, somehow. I will note Dengue Fever seems particularly spunky this year and is being seen in growing numbers up into Texas.

I'm still waiting for fanatics of any sundry number of burn-it-all-down causes with the right equipment to customize and weaponize something nasty and treatment resistant with a high contagion factor before onset of symptoms ever occurs.

I find it surprising something of such sorts hasn't already occurred.

AliceBleachWhite

I'm still waiting for fanatics of any sundry number of burn-it-all-down causes with the right equipment to customize and weaponize something nasty and treatment resistant with a high contagion factor before onset of symptoms ever occurs.

I find it surprising something of such sorts hasn't already occurred.

Three words, incubation, communicability and mortality. These never seem to align in the right order to fully wreak havoc on humans (but do everyone once in awhile), and the flu (or variations of) is potentially one of the deadliest ones out there.

It seems to me that if you trigger the body to fight a certain virus it could send the instructions to be on allert for these viruses, which means that all their armies will be looking for a few certain combination of viruses. What happens if a new virus comes along or if you eat some contaminated foods and are exposed to some bad bacteria or fungus.

www.niaid.nih.gov...

I read an article a while back where someone from the AMA stated that they know that giving flu vaccines dampens our ability to form broadform immunity. The person said that this was ok though since they knew what strains were around. Only after two or three vaccinations does a person loose a lot of ability to fight a diverse number of viruses permanently though. They are dependent on the vaccines after that I guess. I guess the medical field feels that this is appropriate that people are dependent on vaccinations after that and I suppose the governments would not have it any other way. It is about controlling us.

I tried to find that article but can't, I'll have to look in my bookmarks.

I am pretty sure the biggest event to threaten our existence will come from creatures we can hardly see. We created a monster and now it is coming to get us. If our immune systems are working properly, it is not much of a problem. I think seventy five percent of Americans have problems with their immune systems from multiple causes, half of them created by ourselves. This is not an apocalypse, it will happen over a decade.

Nice.

Too many jobless out there.

This will be good for the economy!

UPDATE:

MERS Coronavirus Global Total Reaches 160 With Three New Cases Confirmed In Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabia Health Ministry has informed the World Health Organization (WHO) of three additional laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), according to a WHO update today.

…None of the three patients were exposed to a previously laboratory-confirmed case or had exposure to animals.

This brings the global total number of cases reported to the WHO to 160. Of the 160, 68 people died due to the illness.

I've got something developing. Mouth tastes funky, phlegm in throat, and slight cough. Though I haven't been sick in a very long time, I do get the beginning stages from time to time. Wonder if my record will be broke? Hope not.

UPDATE:

Qatar reports three camel MERS infections

Doha — The camels were found in the same barn, and had been in contact with two humans who fully recovered from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, said the country's Supreme Council of Health.

…In August, researchers pointed to Arabian camels as possible hosts of the virus, which has hit hardest in the desert kingdom.

Like SARS, MERS appears to cause a lung infection, with patients suffering from a temperature, cough and breathing difficulty.

But it differs in that it also causes rapid kidney failure and the extremely high death rate has caused serious concern.

December 2, 2013

MERS Spreads Across Middle East

Jordanian boy, 8, diagnosed with Mers coronavirus in Abu Dhabi

Nationwide testing of animals for MERS virus to begin soon

QATAR: Health officials allay fears over Mers outbreak

...The Mers-CoV has claimed four lives in Qatar since 2012 and the virus was also suspected in a total of 4,323 persons, whose samples were checked at the Hamad Medical Corporation’s Virology laboratory, explained SCH Surveillance and Outbreak section head Dr Hamad Eid al-Romaihi.

“It was the first time in Qatar that camels were linked to Mers-CoV infections and no new cases have so far been reported because we conducted a comprehensive epidemiological investigation into potential sources of exposure of human cases involved, with the support of an international team constituted by World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO),” he said.

…“People need not panic as it is only established that camels can be a host of the virus that is already identified as an animal disease, but we are yet to verify whether it is being transmitted from humans to animals or from animals to humans,” Dr al-Hajri said while recalling that a case linking the disease with bats was diagnosed in Saudi Arabia.

All of these viruses appear to be loose in the environment - H5N1 is everywhere in Asia (soil, water, plants, animals, insects) - H7N9 is being found in the soil and on surfaces in wet markets but NOT in chickens - MERS is in camels in the Middle East but the infection vector remains unknown (bats at least?). The latest from CIDRAP:

...dromedary camels in Jordan and Saudi Arabia were found to have antibodies to the virus (MERS-CoV) or one closely related to it.

…….[Saudi] Using a MERS-CoV pseudoparticle neutralization test, the authors found that 280 of 310 camels (90%) were seropositive, whereas all the other animals tested negative. The camel results differed by age: 47 of 65 (72%) of camels under 1 year old tested positive, compared with 233 of 245 (95%) of older camels. …these animals are getting infected within the first year of life...

All things considered, seems to me we need a new paradigm that accommodates something other than making war on our environment (and ourselves at the same time).





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