Although this thing has not mutated to pass easily between humans it has me a little freaked out. Do you think that our Gov. should be mounting a massive investment to prevent a major outbreak?

They are probably afraid to do that for fear of a massive outbreak of hysteria. (Wusses)

Perhaps if the birdflu threatened oil fields? (tongue in cheek)

__________________
It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

I read somewhere that if the virus mutated and could be spread easily it would kill more people than a full blown nuclear war with Russia. I find that hard to believe but it is a chilling thought.

I watched a Frontline special on it. All indications are that it has passed from human to human in Vietnam. More scary, they found a human carrier with no symptoms. Not to be taken lightly in my opinion.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

I have several people in my household, including my wife, with severe asthma...thay are prone to nasty respiratory infections, bronchitis and pneumonia...I get the sick feeling that people who are prone to problems could redily fall prey to this illness, but what do you do about it? As an aside, mad cow sounds like a scary thing too, but it may already be festering inside lots of us, waiting to pop up years or decades from now.

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2002 Ford ZX2
2 x 2013 Honda Civics

Several anti-viral medications have proven efficacious at ameliorating the effects of the disease.

The biggest problem with developing an egg-based vaccine is that the factories need to know precisely which strain to manufacture and they have to prove it is safe to take or they will be sued from here to eternity. Also there are very few factories capable of mass production of the strain, once it is identified.

The chances are that society will reject a vaccine that has a 1% to 10% risk of awful consequences in the face of a disease that will cause greater than 60% mortality. Afterward the survivors can sue the manufacturers for failing to manufacture the vaccine. Or if they distribute a dangerous vaccine, the survivors can sue them for causing grievous harm to 1% to 10% of the survivors.

Or we can try magic.

B

Did you mean effective at killing the ****** thing?

I think it slows the rate of cell lysis which allows the immune system to build defenses. Not sure but I'll go look it up.

(Smart ass).

Bot

I think countries should be more proactive in addressing and handling these diseases...I find many countries just sitting on the sidelines watching while stockpiling Tamiflu...they should have experts and teams out there where the disease is spreading and try to combat it at the source...

__________________
1995 black pearl/black Mercedes-Benz E420 :

Its fake, dreampt up by big brother to keep us scared, afrade of immegrints, and in check


~Nate

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95 Honda Shadow ACE 1100.
1999 Plymouth Neon Expresso. 2.4 swap, 10.5 to 1 comp, big cams. Autocross time attack vehicle!
2012 Escape, 'hunter" (5 sp 4cyl)

You might be onto something there, Nate.

But...

http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/antivirals/influenza/default.htm
There has been a lot of recent concern about "bird flu" which can refer to a number of influenza viruses that occur in birds and could become causes of human disease in some situations. Some of the current influenza antiviral drugs are able to inhibit many of the "bird flu" viruses in the laboratory although it is not known exactly how much effect they would have against these infections in people.

The following links lead to information such as trade names, package inserts, and other material related to the four antiviral drugs currently approved by FDA to treat acute, uncomplicated influenza. Two related drugs, amantadine (approved 1966; Trade Name Symmetrel, also available as generic Amantadine Hydrochloride) and rimantadine (approved 1993; Trade Name Flumadine, also available as generic Rimantadine Hydrochloride), are approved for treatment and prevention of influenza A. Two newer drugs, zanamivir (approved 1999; Trade Name Relenza; no approved generics) and oseltamivir phosphate (approved 1999; Trade Name Tamiflu; no approved generics), are approved for treatment of acute uncomplicated illness due to influenza A and B. Oseltamivir has been approved also for preventive use, while zanamivir is approved only for treatment. Approved ages, doses, and uses in children are different for each drug, so the individual package inserts should be checked for this information. The anti-influenza antiviral drugs are not a substitute for vaccine and are used only as an adjunct to vaccine in the control of influenza.

The antiviral drug information addresses side effects or adverse events that might be associated with each drug. Because some side effects can be serious and because viruses may become resistant when antiviral drugs are used indiscriminately, decisions on the use of these drugs should be based on individual evaluations of risk and benefit. FDA encourages reporting of serious adverse events (associated with these or any other drugs) to the MedWatch program to facilitate continued updating of risk/benefit information.


And this from Hoffman LaRoche...http://www.tamiflu.com/consumer_48hoursurgency.asp
Coming down with the flu? The countdown is on!

If you or your loved ones are showing signs of the flu, call your doctor or pediatrician immediately. Why is it urgent to act quickly? Because the antiviral medications that can stop the flu episode need to be prescribed and treatment begun within 48 hours of the first symptoms.

The antiviral medication TAMIFLU was prescribed more often than any other during last year’s flu season. It is indicated for the treatment of influenza in patients aged 1 year and older who have had symptoms for no more than 2 days.

TAMIFLU attacks the influenza virus and stops it from spreading inside your body. TAMIFLU treats flu at its source by attacking the virus that causes the flu, rather than simply masking symptoms.

TAMIFLU is also indicated for the prevention of influenza in adults and adolescents aged 13 years and older.

Call your doctor now. Ask if TAMIFLU is right for you for the treatment or prevention of flu.

Also, official US gov website http://www.pandemicflu.gov/

There is like 90 million chickens that wished you were right.

Did you read about the French (?) cats that were dying from eating infected wild birds? Someone told me they had heard it has gotten as far west as the Caribbean. Anyone else hear that?

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

And 75 millions of them live across the Chesapeake Bay in Delaware (Purdue Plant). As the crow flies, less than 50 miles.

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95 R129
04 Infiniti G35.5 BS
10 X204

Speaking of Mad Cows, did anyone else read the recent report that scientists had infected mice in a lab with mad cow disease by feeding them infected muscle tissue (and not neurological parts)?

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13