US scientists have found the 1918 virus shares genetic mutations with the bird flu virus now circulating in Asia.
Writing in Nature, they say their work underlines the threat the current strain poses to humans worldwide. A second paper in Science reveals another US team has successfully recreated the 1918 virus in mice.
This should further reinforce the need to take urgent measures to develop ways to quickly produce mass amounts of meds to address this coming disaster. In addition we need to make sure that our operational plans of how to handle a national bio emergency. Maybe someone should look at the FEMA records and make sure that actually have viable concept on how to respond.
Working on virus samples from the remains of victims of the 1918 pandemic, the researchers were able to piece together the entire genetic sequence of the virus.
They found the virus contained elements that were new to humans of the time - making it highly virulent. And analysis of the final three pieces of the virus' genetic code has revealed mutations that have striking similarities to those found in flu viruses found only in birds, such as the H5N1 strain currently found in south east Asia.
It has been almost a hundred years, and it appears that we can expect a return of an avian pandemic.
2 comments:
A pandemic will be a great way to use the military to control the civilian population here. A great way to easily control elections and their outcomes. A great way to cut off aid (even further) to the poor and hope many of them die out. A great way to funnel more taxpayer money to pharmaceutical companies. A great excuse to blame terrorists for whatever and declare war on Syria or Iran.
A pandemic has a lot of things going for it. Jeez, we could all start over again, just like in The Stand.
Lynne, there was just an article yesterday in the post about how the administration was considering taking control of the national guard from the states so that it can enforce a mandatory quarantine in the event there's a bird flu crisis.
Eat your veggies, drink your OJ, and have plenty of whiskey on hand! (It kills germs! Honest!)
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