Swine Flu

[ryverrat]

While this would make a good movie, or a good Stephen King book (oh wait, it's called The Stand, one of his most brilliant books up to date! All hail the all mighty Stephen King!!!), things like this can happen "naturally". Swine, and almost all farm animals, are given antibiotics regardless of whether they need them or not, and just like in people, viruses can become resistant to the antibiotics if exposed to them for extended periods of time. That's why a better route is integrated pest management, which essentially treats pests and diseases as they come as opposed to blindly dousing all your crops and all your livestock with pesticide and antibiotics.

Antibiotics are for bacteria not viruses- basically useless against a virus. Overuse of antibiotics created resist bacteria not viruses. The reason the World Health Organization (WHO) and several governments are worried is that this flu is passing from human to human now, we have no natural immunity to it (is a combination of pig and bird viruses) and it's mortality is targeting the healthiest section of the population (teens to 50yrs olds). This is very similar to the 1918 pandemic and despite our advanced medical knowledge we still cannot cure the flu- only treat the symptoms or lessen the infection if caught early enought (Tamaflu doesn't work well if you have had full blown flu for a few days). Also our health care system is no better prepared than in 1918 to handle thousands of patients that could result from a pandemic (remember the last time you were to the emergency room- how long was your wait?- the system is overburdened already) And viruses mutate much faster than any other lifeform- good reason to be mindful of what is going on.

 

[chloe]

take it all back, 3 people have been infected over here, bought it back from mexico

 

[cichlidinsomniac]

This post just shows you how ignorant you are of what is actually going on.

The swine flu is not being transmitted by eating pork (though it could happen). It's a strain of the influenza virus that primarily affects pigs, but can infect humans who come into contact with pigs through direct contact (respiratory droplets mainly).

Where it gets scary is that this virus has now mutated and can be transmitted human to human. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigenic_shift)

So far it has a death rate of 6%, while other flu virus pandemics have had a .001% fatal rate. Look up the 1918 influenza pandemic, where an estimated 30-40 million mostly young healthy people were killed. This flu is not attacking the already immunocompromised (very young, very old, already sick, pregnant), it's attacking and killing people who should not be dying of the flu.

I think it takes a background in the biology sciences (genetics, cell and molecular, etc.) to really understand how terrifying this could very easily be. Hell, half the American population still thinks you can take antibiotics to treat a viral infection.

This cannot be compared with SARS (774 total deaths) or mad cow disease (206 total deaths). The influenza virus "normally" kills around 500,000 people a year. When (not if) a pandemic occurs upwards of 50 million people will die.

It affects everyone but the young and old survive because their immune systems are weaker if your immune system is stronger you fight it too hard and die of a secondary infection, I had no clue this was going on we just were studying this in my Germs and Genes Class

 

[Red Devil]

It affects everyone but the young and old survive because their immune systems are weaker if your immune system is stronger you fight it too hard and die of a secondary infection, I had no clue this was going on we just were studying this in my Germs and Genes Class

i always thought it was the opposite of this.. babies and young children are vulnerable because they are just building an immune system... elderly are at risk because their immune system is weakened by age and other health issues they have...
The higher rate among young people is in part because although all over-65s are entitled to the flu vaccine free on the NHS, others only get it if they are deemed 'at risk'.
Those on the at-risk register include people with breathing problems or asthma, people with heart problems or high blood pressure, kidney failure, liver disease, diabetes, those who have had a stroke or people on immunosuppressive drugs.
Everyone else has to do without - or pay for their jab privately.
Douglas Fleming of the Royal College of General Practitioners said: 'We expect to see an increase in the number of cases within that age group, but also possibly in other age groups as well.
'There is often a tendency for the virus to affect one age group more than another. The reason has a lot to do with the amount of mixing within any given age group, but it is also concerned with the properties of the virus.
'We are now looking at a maximum impact on the working age groups.'
Richard Peabody, head of infectious disease surveillance at the Health Protection Agency, said: 'There is higher activity in the working-age group.

 

[cassharper]

All I have to say is

 

[bigspizz]

So should I have not made this thread? Am I wrong for posting my thoughts? Some of you are acting like retards. If you don't like it, say so and move on. Posting all day, and researching how right you are does not prove that you do not care. Wow.

 

[bigspizz]

I don't care about swine flu, bird flu, SARS, ebola, or HSV2. I'm going to eat bacon anyway. If it really is an epidemic then they should get some marshmallows and ride it out

Or, we could send out the MFK T-shirts we owe to people......

 

[ewurm]

The new pig flu doesn't come from undercooked meat.

So I need to stay away from farms, but eating bacon is fine. Pretty much what I'm doing already.

 

[ewurm]

Or, we could send out the MFK T-shirts we owe to people......

Tough to do if you don't send me an address. Or, I could guess. There's a 1 in 300 million chance

 

[bigspizz]

Tough to do if you don't send me an address. Or, I could guess. There's a 1 in 300 million chance

I'm just messing, I have 3 shirts already.