Swine Flu news and updates thread

I am posting this as an article of interest -

The history of the synthetic H1N1 flu virus and a not-so-rosy future

By Wayne Madsen
Online Journal Contributing Writer
May 21, 2009, 00:20

The history of the extraction of the genetic material from the corpses of victims of the 1918 Spanish influenza virus who were buried in Arctic permafrost is part “X-Files” and part “Jurassic Park.”

After an unsuccessful 1951 mission, that involved U.S. biological warfare specialists, to extract 1918 Spanish flu genetic material in 1951 from a cemetery in the Inupiat Eskimo village of Brevig Mission, Alaska, scientists made another attempt, a successful one it turns out, in 1997.

Dr. Johan Hultin, from the State University of Iowa, successfully extracted genetic material from the corpse of an obese 30-something female who died from the Spanish flu in 1918, along with 85 percent of Brevig Mission’s (called Teller Mission in 1918) villagers in a single week. The pandemic killed at least 50 million people around the world.

Once the Spanish flu genetic material was obtained from the lungs, spleen, liver, and heart of the Eskimo woman’s corpse, scientists, in a scene reminiscent of the fictional movie “Jurassic Park,” in which genetic material from extinct dinosaurs is used to bring the creatures back to life, recreated the long-since dead 1918 Spanish flu in a U.S. government-funded laboratory.

The woman’s organs were cut into one-inch cubes and shipped to the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Rockville, Maryland, where the virus’s genetic RNA material was identified and the 1918 Spanish flu was successfully brought back to life.

More here - onlinejournal.com...



[edit on 23-5-2009 by spinkyboo]

About known all known mutations with locations of mutations noted.

H1N1 Mutations in the Wild

I'm trying to find a similar list for some common flu strain for comparison. One from a different year would be good.

reply to post by pcgeek


I don't mind as a matter of fact am glad you are here!

thank you for the up-dates!
FMF

Originally posted by shadowmantn
I searched and found that 2 H1N1 victims who died had enlarged hearts.

A 21 year old male from Arkansas (he was visiting Africa) died unexpectedly after falling ill. The only thing noted on the autopsy was an enlarged heart.

People with heart conditions are more likely to die of any influenza virus. Sometimes heart conditions are not previously known to the patient.

For example, I have a relative that was just diagnosed in her thirties - after many many many years of her complaining and being poo-poo'ed about it - with a congenital heart defect usually only found in newborns.

[edit on 2009/5/22 by Aeons]

Originally posted by Aeons
About known all known mutations with locations of mutations noted.

H1N1 Mutations in the Wild

I'm trying to find a similar list for some common flu strain for comparison. One from a different year would be good.

A regular seasonal flu - one that isn't caused by a reassortment event like this version of H1N1 - seems to have 2 or 3 mutations in a season.

Swine Flu Bumps Up Price Of Chinese Spice

The swine flu outbreak has infected more than 8,000 people worldwide. In China, only three confirmed cases have been reported so far, but a surprising group of people is feeling the virus' economic impact.
Spice prices in a dusty covered market in Shanghai may seem an unlikely barometer of the level of public panic about new pandemic flus. But many people here believe that a star-shaped spice is a silver bullet against swine flu, and before that, bird flu. It's star anise, an orangey-red, licorice-smelling spice normally used in stews and five-spice powder.

The reason, as a spokesman for the drug-maker Roche explains, is that there are only two ways to produce the active ingredient for the flu-fighting drug Tamiflu — and one of them depends on star anise.

rest of story at the above link

I thought this was an interesting story that I dug up. Its a good read and is something I did not know.

H1N1 case confirmed in Greene County
Register-Star - 28 minutes ago

ALBANY — New York state Gov. David A. Paterson announced Thursday that a case of H1N1 influenza, commonly and improperly called swine flu, has been confirmed in Greene County, as well as one case in Albany County.

.China reports seventh swine-flu case
EARTHtimes.org - 31 minutes ago

Beijing - China's health authorities confirmed a seventh case of swine flu as a Chinese-American man tested positive to the new strain of the H1N1 influenza virus, state media reported Saturday. The 65-year-old man, whose name was given as Li, return...

.US swine flu toll rises to nine
Hindustan Times - 34 minutes ago

COMMENT ON THIS ! Your Views! The number of confirmed deaths from the A(H1N1) influenza virus in the US rose to nine after the death of a young man in Utah, the federal Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Thursday.

.Poorer nations put on flu alert
The Jamaica Observer - 38 minutes ago

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) -Global health chiefs warned yesterday that the H1N1 Influenza A virus, commonly known as the swine flu, could soon hit much harder in the world's poorest countries and its spread in Asia was in danger of accelerating with the change of season.

.Pig populations need to be monitored for emerging flu viruses in future: study
CNews - 55 minutes ago

TORONTO - Pig populations will need to be closely monitored in future for emerging influenza viruses, an international team of researchers warned as they published the first in-depth analysis looking for the origins of the swine flu virus.

.Credit Crisis Diary: 23/05/2009
Independent - 2 hours 1 minutes ago

The paper that takes health scares seriously Good news for Daily Mail readers: should swine flu strike millions of people down this year, they'll still be able to get hold of their favourite newspaper. Daily Mail & General Trust's latest set of results reveals that the company is "in the process of implementing a pandemic influenza management scheme that includes provision of anti-viral ...

.Lawrence's first case of H1N1 diagnosed
The Lawrentian - Fri May 22, 8:09 pm ET

According to the Appleton Health Department, Lawrence has its first confirmed case of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus, colloquially referred to as swine flu. The student has been isolated and the campus is following health safety procedures. Symptoms of the flue include are fever, headache, cough, sore throat, and fatigue.

.Vaccine looks likely for H1N1 strains of swine flu
Los Angeles Times - Fri May 22, 7:22 pm ET

Scientists find little variation among the viruses, which makes creating a vaccine 'much, much easier.' Centers for Disease Control staff have begun testing potential seed stock candidates. An analysis of more than 50 strains of the H1N1 influenza virus at the center of the global outbreak has concluded that they are closely related and can be fought with a single vaccine.

.Swine flu reaches Yamhill County
Yamhill Valley News-Register - Fri May 22, 7:01 pm ET

Yamhill County has confirmed its first case of H1N1 swine flu, Public Health Director Mike McNickle announced on Friday. While influenza can be deadly to people with fragile immune systems, the H1N1 strain, although it has spread rapidly throughout the world, has proven relatively mild so far.

.Flu: more seasonal than swine
The Oregonian - Fri May 22, 6:54 pm ET

Source Yahoo News


Gotta get some sleep!!!!!

[edit on 5/22/2009 by pcgeek]

reply to post by pcgeek


In Pakistan, and probably several other areas, there are traditional "recipes" to get over the flu faster.

The one I know of from Pakistan is to crush up star anise, pepper, and fry is lightly. Then take small palm fulls and drink it down with coffee.

The coffee has ingredients which intensify the effect of the active ingredient that is prized and is in Tamiflu - shikmic acid.

[edit on 2009/5/22 by Aeons]

The confirmed cases don't represent anywhere near the full scope of the outbreak: For every reported case of swine flu, there may be 20 people sickened with it, said CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat — more than 100,000 people in the U.S. There are signs that it is declining in parts of the country, although school-related outbreaks in New York City and elsewhere have led to the closings of about 60 schools affecting 42,000 students, Schuchat said. timesofindia.indiatimes.com...

I am grateful for all of the info here and for those who share...the arguments get a bit old however although everyone is entitled to an opinion,I tend to side with those who back their comments up with solid research.

www.webmd.com...

"May 22, 2009 -- The World Health Organization today said it will reconsider its standards for deciding when to declare the H1N1 swine flu a pandemic.

Fukuda said the basic idea will be to look for "signals" that the virus is becoming more dangerous to people. Those cues might include greater severity of illness or changes in how the virus is behaving."

They get to make up the rules,change them mid-way,and/or choose how it will all be handled so the simple fact that some can and are willing to dig deeper is critical to me!

reply to post by Cloudsinthesky


Thanks. We're a low key family anyway so we're just going to help our parents build a porch.

In at least one county, they're closing school early for the year. They say it's because the enrollment will be low, but they've never done that before, even though they dismiss early the last day or two. Last night, I heard military fly overhead, but couldn't see to tell whether or not they were medics.

I haven't noticed vitchilo or pixie lately. I hope things are going good.

Keep updating guys and gals. This thread has been the best because the mainstream has such a short attention span and seem to want to bury their heads in the sand or hope the first wave will give them immunity.

Personally-When I first heard of this website, I was very skeptical. I lurked for a while until things started happening with Yellowstone.

reply to post by fullmoonfairy


Good. If anything, don't try to suppress info from parents. They WILL find out how to protect their babies.

From International SOS-

Spain's army has quarantined over 50 soldiers at a barracks in Madrid after 11 soldiers tested positive for H1N1 flu. None of the 11 confirmed cases had been to Mexico. None of them are severely ill.


As usual, it's mild, but quarantined.

reply to post by Aeons


I just got diagnosed my self with a septal heart defect. Almost 40.
Have been very ill for two weeks and can not shake this thing, and it worries me with my heart.

TN-9 more cases confirmed-

health.state.tn.us...

reply to post by ecoparity


As has been said before, your contributions are greatly appreciated. There are many who aren't posting here but reading and passing on your information to others. So talk to those people as you have been and forget about others who get you sidetracked.

If you stopped updating here, it would indeed be a loss to many.

There is freedom of expression of opinion - hopefully people will also consider the title of the thread is Swine flu "news" and "updates". So if someone has news and updates that show this flu isn't what we here highly suspect it is, by all means post the link or source. I'd love all this to not be true, but I'm just too much of a cynic to believe it's real.

I hope you and your family fare well through all this - especially with some of you being ill ....

Well, I started coming down with symptoms today. It happened within about an hour timeframe - no doubt about it flu like symptoms. First I started sneezing, which then produced a lot of mucus. Then throat got sore and felt pressure in my ears. My neck started to ache and a slight headache towards the end of that hour and temp had gone to 99 degrees. So I grabbed my back-up remedy.

It consists of raw honey, elderberries, apple cider vinegar, propolis and echinacea. One tablespoon every hour. I'm on hour 5 (5 doses) - symptoms seem to be diminishing. Headache is gone, neck feels better, throat is better but still slightly sore. Temp is back to normal.

I'll let you know how I'm feeling tomorrow and if it worked. If not I'm heading to the docs in the morning.

Swine flu news from Kentucky:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Nearly half of the students at Meyzeek Middle School were not in class Friday. Health and school officials announced a second confirmed case of the H1N1 flu and two probable cases within the last few days. Meyzeek’s principal said 471 of the 1,076 students who attend the school did not attend Friday. Several parents said despite what officials are telling them, they're keeping their kids home because they don't want them getting sick.

Source (WLKY)

May 22, 2009: Eight New Confirmed Cases Reported Confirmed cases that have been added today are in Jefferson (4), Madison (2), Mercer (1), and Scott (1) counties.

Source.

Currently, Kentucky has reported 32 confirmed cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC's case count also includes probable cases, so may be different. The number of confirmed cases for each county are included below.

Source

reply to post by kshaund


Agreed. Have been following the discussion for a while and think that all the information posted here has been very interesting. Keep up the good work everyone.

Originally posted by pcgeek

But many people here believe that a star-shaped spice is a silver bullet against swine flu,

I admit it. A few weeks back I went and got two shakers of anise from the herb aisle at the grocery store. I've never used it, but I read that tamiflu is made from it so I picked some up.

Originally posted by Aeons
The coffee has ingredients which intensify the effect of the active ingredient that is prized and is in Tamiflu - shikmic acid.

I know some drugs use caffine to deliver their punch.
Coffee has caffine as well.