Bird flu

[JC1]

I have 2 question's

1. Is it another fearmongering attempt by the media ?

and

2. if not, how should Communist's react to such a situation ?

[voice of the voiceless]

Originally posted by [email protected] 14 2006, 11:15 PM
I have 2 question's

1. Is it another fearmongering attempt by the media ?

and

2. if not, how should Communist's react to such a situation ?
We should take the companies who make the drugs for it into public ownership.
The company who made them, Rocha, only recently dropped the patenting laws they have on them.

[Solace]

Originally posted by [email protected] 14 2006, 06:15 PM

1. Is it another fearmongering attempt by the media ?


Yes and No.

Surely, they like to scare you. Just think about the Nile virus.

The form of the avian flu virus that is currently circulating now is low pathogenic and not contagious human to human.

Avian flu could be potentially as threatening as the Influenza pandemic of 1918 only if the virus mutates. Only then it can be transmitted between humans. Death within 48 hours.

The virus mutates within the infected bird. So as long as these are present, there is a possibility for mutation.

[Seong]

My conspiracy theory reflex immediately makes me think that it is yet another scam. I had a friend who recently went to Vietnam without receiving any influenza vaccinations or medication etc. He is still very much alive and flu free.

I think it is potentially dangerous. As Solace noted, there is the possibility of mutation. But for now as long as you're not planning on slaughtering chickens or playing with their poo I think you're pretty safe.

[Canavar]

Although the threat is real, you can count on the media to resort to fearmongering, because that's what sells.


Originally posted by Seong
But for now as long as you're not planning on slaughtering chickens or playing with their poo I think you're pretty safe.

That's the situation at this point. The children who died from the avian flu in eastern Turkey, all lived on small farms where they were in close contact with fowl. The danger lies in the event that the H5N virus will mutate into a form that can transmit between humans, but the possibility is very slight, so there is no doubt that the media is fearmongering.

[Solace]

I never understood what was the point of posting the exact same thing that was previously said.


...but the possibility is very slight

The current outbreak of Avian flu is the most serious one in history. Despite killing a metric shitload of poultry, the virus is still spreading like crazy.

Also, the circulation version of the virus proved to be much more pathogenic than previous ones. The last I heard, it would years to get rid of it.

The possibility is a little more than very slight, aint it.

And, for the records, if it H5N1.

[Canavar]

Originally posted by [email protected] 7 2006, 02:58 PM
I never understood what was the point of posting the exact same thing that was previously said.


...but the possibility is very slight

The current outbreak of Avian flu is the most serious one in history. Despite killing a metric shitload of poultry, the virus is still spreading like crazy.

Also, the circulation version of the virus proved to be much more pathogenic than previous ones. The last I heard, it would years to get rid of it.

The possibility is a little more than very slight, aint it.

And, for the records, if it H5N1.
A bit cranky, are we? I fail to see my post being the exact same thing as yours. If it was, how could you disagree with it?

Anyway.. I never denied the virus could pose a real danger to humans, in the event that it should mutate. The possibility of such mutations turning into such a serious outbreak as feared, is always slight, but that's not to say it can't happen, and we must take all necessary steps to prevent a possible pandemic.

(Indeed it is H5N1)

[Solace]

Cranky, who moi?! :lol:


The possibility of such mutations turning into such a serious outbreak as feared, is always slight

And I am saying that the possibility is not just "slight". The virus is an RNA virus and therefore it replicates fast without proofreading. You just need one amino acid screw up to get a more dangerous form.

"Slight" is what we had back in 1997.


I fail to see my post being the exact same thing as yours. If it was, how could you disagree with it

I disagree with one element in your post. The rest, I had already mentionned.

[Canavar]

Originally posted by [email protected] 7 2006, 03:51 PM
And I am saying that the possibility is not just "slight". The virus is an RNA virus and therefore it replicates fast without proofreading. You just need one amino acid screw up to get a more dangerous form.

"Slight" is what we had back in 1997.
OK, OK, I'll have to read up on virology. :) I just thought it would have to rely on many circumstances for it to become a serious outbreak. But I'll admit I'm an ignoramus on the topic.. A topic I nonetheless find very interesting. What's the probability of "just one amino acid screw up", then?

[Ligeia]

As far as I know the transmissibility on to humans is just persistent in one version of the virus and can only be transmitted to,say,blood....and chances are very low that you get into contact with bird's DNA (and thus RNA) and at the same time soak it up in your blood.The transmissibility to humans is still unclear and there exists no proof it could happen...still.

And mutations are also very unlikely to happen ,for a mutation the RNA of another Virus or bacteria has to be transmitted to that one through plasma and chances aren't high that a virus or bacteria enters the same cell with the bird flu virus and they do exchange and who knows if the transmition succeeds and even if it succeeds it has to be some kind of trojan virus which can spread out fast since one of that kind can't be harmful to the organism,nevertheless we should keep an eye on the seasons and where the birds will fly and stay...etc.

Well,I could be wrong.....

[Noah]

I just heard news H5N1 has reached Iraq..

[razboz]

Hello! I have not read any of this thread so im sure somones said this before. I just cant be bothered to find out.
The human form of the bird flu virus doesent actually exist yet. the way i understand it is that the few cases were it has passed over to humans it wasent fully mutated so it couldnt pass on to humans. HOWEVER the human form could very well appear in asia and other rural places where there are infected domestic birds. here the virus could just mutate natural as all viruses and living beings tend to, or it could have human infecting DNA or RNA cant remeber which, passed on to it from the human form of influenza common in winter.
Also i dont think a strong economico political stance is required. I mean the communist revolution is hardly going to happen thanks to everyone coghing really badly...
or maybe it will....maybe they'll be too sick to bother with the revolutionairies marching all over their shams of governments...mmmh...

[Delirium]

If you think it is fearmongering now wait until it is detected in the U$. The newsmedia is going to have people killing thier own grandmothers for antivirals.
I also heard that wild strains are developing a resistance to oseltamivir phosphate.

[Solace]

.... can only be transmitted to,say,blood....and chances are very low that you get into contact with bird's DNA (and thus RNA) and at the same time soak it up in your blood.

:blink:

First, blood is involved here because it circulates therefore allowing movement of the virus. It doesn't have an "active" role.

Second, you don't get "in contact" with DNA. In a nutshell, a virus gets into a cell, replicates itself using the host's replication machinery and the cell end up bursting. The virus is then released and able to get into another cell. From that point, it replicates like crazy. In humans, the H5N1 gets into your body if you inhale or are in direct contact with infected feces for example.


The transmissibility to humans is still unclear and there exists no proof it could happen...still.

Transmissibility from what to humans? From infected poultry? From other humans? In both cases, there are scientific explanations/reports and specific cases.


And mutations are also very unlikely to happen

Each time there is a replication, there is a mighty small chance for mutation because there is no checkpoints for RNA viruses. Add up all those chances, considering that replication is the main part of the cell cycle, and you end up with something bigger than you'd think.

And each time it mutates, it increases its pathogenity.


Well,I could be wrong.....

Most definitely. :P

[Ligeia]

Hey,I know how viruses and bacteria replicate,and that's what I read about the transmissibility,would it be the way you said,then it already should have spread all over the world in large amounts and there would be an epidemy but that has not happened yet,so why dind't it happen if it is not since it doesn't or still cant be transmitted from one human to another ?

or even in rural areas it already should had happened at large since people get more into contact with birds there.I haven't read anything which tells me that this form of the virus is transmittesd from humans to humans....give me a link or something so that I can broaden my horizon.

And what about the immune system?I always thought it depends on the virus and the other partner how fast it can replicate since there are different forms,some who can rest years and some who explode the cell ,some who replicate only if they get the right alliment..etc.


And I just was giving an example with the blood,I didn't want to say that blood is the only way to transmit and plays an active role,of course I know that the infectious ways are the respiratory infection or the aerosol or the smear infection and that this isn't active but for transport.

And what I wanted to say is that,is the chance that big that a cold virus meets a bird flu virus in the same cell and make their RNA or DNA exchange or plasmids?

Surely,mutations caused by coincidence in themselves through insertion,deletion ..whatever can happen but I think that would'nt have the same impact and consequences as the other form of mutation which most fear of......well,anyway,I want to see the studies and researches about transmissibility,maybe my information was too old since I made a research only two months ago.