Pandemic-Human Swine Flu Influenza

[Razor]

CDC - Influenza (Flu) | Swine Influenza (Flu)

Speaking of post apocalyptic/survival scenario books etc. has anyone been following this possible pandemic swine flu spreading from Mexico already reported in TX, CA, KS, NY.

Besides stocking up on ammo you may want to include tamiflu or relenza to the stockpile.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Ram Rod]

I read about this in today's newspaper actually. Seems like this stuff pops up every year now. Only reasons I can think of that these new killer virus strains come about is because too many anti-viral shots are taken every year. Viruses are like humans to the earth......they find new ways to destroy healthy organisms...they adapt to their environment.

[Siafu]

The media loves to hype viruses. This will be a fart in the wind, especially since it is only killing Mexicans at the moment. I predict that by this time next week the news cycle will have come up with a new crisis to get the sheep all worked up about. When the President gets a second dog then I will start to worry because then you know a storm is brewing that they want to distract us from.

[user]

This may also have something to do with the vials of live virus recently stolen from Fort Detrick.

[Razor]

The media loves to hype viruses. This will be a fart in the wind, especially since it is only killing Mexicans at the moment. I predict that by this time next week the news cycle will have come up with a new crisis to get the sheep all worked up about. When the President gets a second dog then I will start to worry because then you know a storm is brewing that they want to distract us from.

[boricua]

Mexico should ban all pigs to prevent all these swine viruses from crossing the border to the US and creating an epidemic.... lets see how they like that.

[Tom G]

Mexico should ban all pigs to prevent all these swine viruses from crossing the border to the US and creating an epidemic.... lets see how they like that.

Can pigs swim?????

[ccw9mm]

... it is only killing Mexicans at the moment.

It is virulent in the world's most populous city, and that city is connected to every major city on the planet via one trip on a plane. It's spreading, quickly. It's a small world, in that sense.

[SelfDefense]

Remember when we were all going to die from the bird flu?

How did that turn out?

[ccw9mm]

Remember when we were all going to die from the bird flu?

How did that turn out?

I recall no broad scare tactics about "all are going to die," no. (That's 6.7B, BTW.)

A good number did, and it was contained in part by the aggressive (a) spreading of information and (b) efforts by health organizations.

What's the point, again?

[Rock and Glock]

The first news, yesterday morning, actually noted the flu in only Mexico, San Diego and San Antonio. As the day progressed they added NY and KS. So if it is the same, it affects the infected very quickly (1-2 days). That is a fast gestation period IIRC. What is interesting is that this appears to be the first "swine" flu that can spread via people to people, as does bird flu. That is one of the considerations that has the CDC excited.

This will actually be an interesting one to watch from afar.

And, every Bug-In kit should included medicines including the anti-virals.

[SelfDefense]

I recall no broad scare tactics about "all are going to die," no. (That's 6.7B, BTW.)

I used hyperbole to make a point. No, the scientists did not predict 6.7 B but rather hundreds of millions.

Scientists now believe that the bird flu is killing people more slowly. Do you think that is good news? It's not. In fact, scientists fear that by not killing people as quickly, the bird flu has a much better chance of becoming a pandemic that will kill millions because it gives the disease more time to spread before killing the host.

These days the topic of a potential bird flu pandemic is mainstream news. One major U.K. newspaper says that the recent outbreak of new human bird flu cases suggests that the danger of a pandemic is rising:

First the good news: bird flu is becoming less deadly. Now the bad: scientists fear that this is the very thing that could make the virus more able to cause a pandemic that would kill hundreds of millions of people.

Did you get that last part?

Hundreds of millions of people.

In fact, last year the U.K. government identified the bird flu as the biggest single threat facing the nation. The U.K. government's own estimate states that the bird flu has the potential to kill up to 750,000 U.K. citizens.

Some of the most troubling bird flu news has come out of Egypt recently. Three more human bird flu cases were reported there just last week. What is strange is that almost all of the recent cases there have been in children under the age of three.

The frightening thing is that these infections have been less deadly than usual. Normally the bird flu quickly kills over 50 percent of those infected. But every one of the Egyptians infected in 2009 are still alive.

That may sound like good news, but it is not. Victims that don't die or that die slowly are likely to spread the disease to many others. This could lead to a much, much higher death toll.

In fact, studies show that a potential bird flu pandemic that killed even 5 percent of those it infected could still cause hundreds of millions of deaths across the globe.

I think these are the same scientists that now say we will die of global warming.

A good number did, and it was contained in part by the aggressive (a) spreading of information and (b) efforts by health organizations.

Do you still have your supply of Tamiflu?

What's the point, again?

The point is that every few years the media (I mean scientists) promote some catastrophic, cataclysmic event, all of which is a lot of nothing. One hundred people died because they became ill? Big deal. Millions die of smoking related diseases every year.

Swine flu? I think I'll make some bacon and eggs.

[Hopyard]

This may also have something to do with the vials of live virus recently stolen from Fort Detrick.

NO!!!!

Wrong virus; and apparently no theft either.

[Hopyard]

Mexico should ban all pigs to prevent all these swine viruses from crossing the border to the US and creating an epidemic.... lets see how they like that.

This would do no good. This actually has nothing to do with swine--at this point.

Besides, it is out of Mexico now, so stopping imports of swine, to whatever extent that might actually be happening, won't help.

[Hopyard]

What is interesting is that this appears to be the first "swine" flu that can spread via people to people, as does bird flu. That is one of the considerations that has the CDC excited.

This will actually be an interesting one to watch from afar.

And, every Bug-In kit should included medicines including the anti-virals.

No, not the first time, won't be the last time.

The issue isn't that it is swine flue, or bird flue, but a variant which has not circulated before. Therefore, folks have no (or more limited) immunity to it. That, might mean nothing by itself if it is a low virulent strain--one that doesn't cause severe illness, which is how it appears right now in the US. Even in Mexico, there isn't sufficient information to know if it is particularly virulent. The authorities there only suspect 60 deaths; 20 only were confirmed; and they have no idea out of how many actual hundreds or thousands of cases that might be.
It could easily be a minor disease that has already infected thousands, with a low mortality rate and a relatively minor course for the disease--as appears to be the case in the US.

NO need to panic. Everybody relax.