You two guys seem fairly sure that Bird flu won`t become infectable between humans. What makes you so sure? Most of the worlds health scientists, are saying it`s actually quite possible for this to happen. At the moment, humans can only get the disease from infected birds. However, if the virus mutates to become infectable from human to human, then we`ve got a major problem on our hands. The flu pandemic of 1918 killed approximately 20 to 40 million people world wide. See HERE for more info. Given that air travel etc wasn`t as prevalent as it is now. A similar outbreak could potentially kill a lot more people now. I really hope you two guys are right. I guess only time will tell. Regards Howard
birds have always been dirty animals, people just need to learn to stop kissing with mouthfuls of raw chicken
yes, air travel was not available then, but now we also have vaccines, masks, hospitals,plans, and alot more protection then in 1918. Also, that was inbetween world war1 and the great depression, so many people were very poor and living on the streets and in tight quarters were transfer of disease was alot easier. Well, as you said i do pray that the disease doesn't mutate..but if it does..what can you do? Thats life.
Very funny Fiziks. However, that doesn`t answer my question. What makes you so sure there won`t be a flu pandemic? It`s happened before, that`s plain to see. So what`s to stop it happening again? Regards Howard
Also, as crued as this seems, a pandemic of such high scale could be could for this world...It is way over populated. If it isn't the "bird flu" thats going to kill us, it probably going to be the fact that were supplying gas to 3 billion peoples cars every day which we are completely dependent on which then destroys the ozone layer, melts a glacier..ocean rises..basically we are going to run out of resources..and tthe world is going to explode or sumthing...either that or we will go to war with iran and we will have a nuc fest and cover the world with radiation and nucleor smoke..huh..what can you do
Infuenza is a virus and is difficult to vaccinate against, particularly since we don`t know what strain it could mutate into. That`s the problem. How can you produce and test a vaccine against a strain of flu that hasn`t arrived yet. A lot of the worlds population is still poor and simply wouldn`t be able to cope with an outbreak of what may well be a very virrulent strain of flu. I hope this never happens in my lifetime and the lifetimes of my children and grandchilden. However, I can`t help thinking that it will happen sooner or later. Regards Howard
well they are saying that the current vaccine for the "non bird flu" flu will help protect against the bird flu to some degree..
Mmm. Interesting idea. I can`t recall any disease I`ve ever read about, being stopped purely by faith. Not one that`ll help a great deal, if or when a pandemic strikes. Regards Howard
The common cold kills millions every year, and there is no cue for it (athough there is treatment). We are talking about something that has only killed a few dozen people. We should be more worried about west nile.
Don't you mean the return "pandemic"..? It most assuredely has been and took out 3.8 million early last century. Many animal diseases have made the jump/transmutation to human hosts. VD, sif and gonha HIV to mention some scarey stuff. lhimes kissing bugs Honta Bubonic (black) rabies Are you still certain about the feather flue?
A pndemic WILL hit us - even if it's not a H5N1 pandemic. However, H5N1 is currently the most likely candidate, it has been known to be since the late 90's, and is known to still be very very unstable (prone to further and significant mutation). It's also been observed to be making significant progress in mutation to a human transmissable form - and perhaps worryingly, has been demonstratied to be making significant progress compared to the development of the 1918 spanish flu, making as it has in some cases, identical key mutations. Personally, I'm not as bothered about the pandemic itself as I am about the fact that all those who currently feel we are somehow immune to a pandemic of any sort in these "enlightened" days will suddenly start panicking. Unfortunately, it only takes a few to start a panic, and the rest will follow like sheep. We are WELL overdue for a pandemic, and a pandemic flu in particular. When it comes, I'm off to find myself a nice safe cave somewhere.
I saw this artice over at the Register. It certainly made me think. The original article can be found HERE
Look...I'm by no means a tree hugging earth saving hippy wannabe or anything. And dont want to get into a debate. But thats a fairly bleek outlook there ya think? Thats kinda like saying AIDS was invented as a population control tool......which some people believe. Maybe it was.....hummm....
think about it, if their was never any type of diseases,outbreaks, like the ones 1918..the black plague..the one in 1968..ect..what would the worlds population be? proably 1-2 billion people more..that is alot of people..well, thats just my opinion...also heres a intersesting article that seems to give some hope. http://www.physorg.com/news10302.html
And there's the real issue in my opinion. Human being like to somehow think that they are masters of the world, wheras in fact the world masters us. We are part of it, not the owners of it. For anything we could possibly do to this planet, nature could potentially have far worse in store for us.
