SNAP ANALYSIS-New swine flu likely widespread, experts say

There were a bunch right here in San Diego. Like 4 or something. None of them fatal, but I'm staying away from Hog.

been 90+- years .. long overdue ...scares me a lot.

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/investigation.htm

Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the infection and whether additional people have been infected with similar swine influenza viruses.

CDC is working very closely with state and local officials in California, Texas, as well as with health officials in Mexico, Canada and the World Health Organization. On April 24th, CDC deployed 7 epidemiologists to San Diego County, California and Imperial County, California and 1 senior medical officer to Texas to provide guidance and technical support for the ongoing epidemiologic field investigations. CDC has also deployed to Mexico 1 medical officer and 1 senior expert who are part of a global team that is responding to the outbreak of respiratory illnesses in Mexico.

Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people. There are many things you can to do preventing getting and spreading influenza:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aEsNownABJ6Q&refer=worldwide

The first case was seen in Mexico on April 13. The outbreak coincided with the President Barack Obama’s trip to Mexico City on April 16. Obama was received at Mexico’s anthropology museum in Mexico City by Felipe Solis, a distinguished archeologist who died the following day from symptoms similar to flu, Reforma newspaper reported. The newspaper didn’t confirm if Solis had swine flu or not.

I can see a time in the near future where you will see Americans wearing protective face masks to prevent transmission.

My advice to all of you is to wash your hands often and avoid touching your face.

This virus has evolved (I know --- evolution doesn't exist but let's pretend for a moment) to propagate in at least two species. Since viruses are cell-specific -- they have to replicate in a specific type of cell and usually gain entry through highly specific cell receptors, the fact that his virus can replicate and produce symptoms in porcine and in human (and probably other primates) makes this a very dangerous threat to humans and livestock.

I will do some digging to see if I can find how this virus gains entry to the cell and how it replicates once inside.

Dude dies the very next day? Conspiracy theories that they sent a suicidal biological weapon to get at Obama?
That is insane though.
How is this contracted. I think I'm safe with bacon but medium pork is out of the question now

"Celtkin wrote:

This virus has evolved (I know --- evolution doesn't exist but let's pretend for a moment) to propagate in at least two species..

Are you implying they spontaneously appeared, twice? :lol:

Please do your digging and tell us what not to eat!

"jdang307 wrote:

Dude dies the very next day? Conspiracy theories that they sent a suicidal biological weapon to get at Obama?
That is insane though.
How is this contracted. I think I'm safe with bacon but medium pork is out of the question now

I believe it is found primarily in pigs, but like the bird flu it evolved to be able to spread from human to human?

"jdang307 wrote:

Dude dies the very next day? Conspiracy theories that they sent a suicidal biological weapon to get at Obama?
That is insane though.
How is this contracted. I think I'm safe with bacon but medium pork is out of the question now

Viruses are obligately intercellular so no, bacon would not be a problem. The virus would be shed by sneezing, coughing or by manual transmission. The virus has to be transmitted to the mucosa -- either through the nose or lungs. You could eat a live pig and you'd be ok unless you swapped snot with an infected one.

Manual transmission. There goes my Saturday night!!!!! :eek:

"jdang307 wrote:

Manual transmission. There goes my Saturday night!!!!! :eek:

I think I just heard a collective scream out of alabama :pointlol:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090427/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu

Swine flu worry: US advises against Mexico trips

Interesting. no mention of the danger of stray Ak-47 bullets.

This is scary stuff. We actually have two of our call centers that may be affected by this, one of them is actually where I work out of.

El Paso, Texas, hasn't seen any issues, but neighboring Juarez has already started closing schools, despite the fact that there aren't any related cases.

My hometown, Manhattan, Kansas, also appears to be fine, but Dickinson county (which is the county right next to mine) has reported 2 cases thus far. Those folks are currently voluntarily quarantined, but it's still frightening to think that this is right next door to me.

Since it's viral in nature, there's no real good way to prevent it, outside of trying to avoid contact with folks already affected and trying to make sure you're taking the right precautions.

This is very serious, my company is already taking precautions expecting this to affect both of the aforementioned centers.

"Celtkin wrote:

This virus has evolved (I know --- evolution doesn't exist but let's pretend for a moment) to propagate in at least two species. Since viruses are cell-specific -- they have to replicate in a specific type of cell and usually gain entry through highly specific cell receptors, the fact that his virus can replicate and produce symptoms in porcine and in human (and probably other primates) makes this a very dangerous threat to humans and livestock.

I will do some digging to see if I can find how this virus gains entry to the cell and how it replicates once inside.

Celt, nothing official on how it's transmitted, though it's thought to be airborne in nature.

Spread of this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm

Thus far there's two drugs which look to be promising, oseltamivir and zanamivir. They act as transition-state analogue inhibitors. You're the biologist, but I'm guessing that means that it doesn't "cure" the virus, but keeps it from spreading to other cells. (Details on those drugs from my same link above.)

And I am currently re-reading Stephen King's 'The Stand'. :pity:

This is scary.

"opfinistic wrote:

And I am currently re-reading Stephen King's 'The Stand'. :pity:

This is scary.

excellent book.. we go out with a wimper

"cnc66 wrote:

excellent book.. we go out with a wimper

My all time favorite cautionary tale.

Palm Beach County braces for arrival of deadly flu

Palm Beach County braces for arrival of deadly flu

By STACEY SINGER and GREG STODA

Palm Beach Post Staff Writers

Monday, April 27, 2009

As the number of confirmed swine flu cases climbed Monday in New York and Mexico, health officials said it was likely the strain has already infected people in South Florida.

The key now is to find those people, said Tim O'Connor, spokesman for the Palm Beach County Health Department. So far, Florida has no reported swine flu cases.

"It's pretty much the consensus around the state that it's here," O'Connor said. "We just have to identify it."

Meanwhile, frightened residents called doctors throughout South Florida asking for Tamiflu, just in case.

I wouldn't be shocked if it was already here. We have a lot of people traveling to and from Mexico in South Florida.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2009/04/27/0427pbflu.html

"opfinistic wrote:

I wouldn't be shocked if it was already here. We have a lot of people traveling to and from Mexico in South Florida.

Interesting, as we have millions in North Texas that used to live in Mexico :shifty:

Anywho, at least it seems they have found a few things that work against it.

I have been wondering for a few days now why the only deaths seem to be in Mexico?

"azfinfanmang wrote:

Interesting, as we have millions in North Texas that used to live in Mexico :shifty:

Anywho, at least it seems they have found a few things that work against it.

I have been wondering for a few days now why the only deaths seem to be in Mexico?

Did you say anywho?

from what ive read about the flu, the symptoms are nearly identical to a normal flu, and the way to treat it is the same, bed rest and fluids. all the casses of death so far are in Mexico and the number of cases in the US are very small, with the number of cases worldwide being in the low hundreds . While i understand being cautious, i believe the story has been a bit overblown from everything ive been able to gather

"Dannyg28 wrote:

While i understand being cautious, i believe the story has been a bit overblown from everything ive been able to gather

Maybe, maybe not.

WASHINGTON – Hundreds more fell ill with swine flu in the U.S. and deaths seem likely as governments around the world on Tuesday intensified steps to battle the outbreak that has killed scores in Mexico.

President Barack Obama asked Congress for $1.5 billion in emergency funds to fight the fast-spreading disease. Cuba banned flights to Mexico, where public life is being altered dramatically by illness.

The Los Angeles County coroner's office was investigating the recent deaths of two men for links to swine flu. So far, no deaths linked to the disease have been reported outside Mexico. And the number of students who have fallen ill at a New York City school hit by the outbreak climbed to several hundred, officials said.

"I fully expect we will see deaths from this infection," Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in Atlanta.

Source.

And you want a GREAT way to spread this virus across the globe quickly?

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Eyewitness News has learned of Orlando's first confirmed case of swine flu. According to the chief medical officer for Adventist Health System, Loran Hauck, the case was diagnosed Tuesday morning.

"A case was diagnosed here in Orlando today on a tourist from Mexico who came to Disney attractions two days ago to visit," Hauck wrote in an email obtained by Eyewitness News.No further details have been released, but Eyewitness News is working to learn specifically what days the tourist was at the parks and which park the tourist went to.

Details about the tourist, beyond being from Mexico, have not been released.

He went to Disneyworld? Yikes.

And I'll be there in two weeks...

Strap in, kids.

To be fair Pagan, given where you've been and what you've seen/done, perhaps Disney should be the one saying "yikes." :tongue2:

Swine influenza - update 4

28 April 2009--The situation continues to evolve rapidly. As of 19:15 GMT, 28 April 2009, seven countries have officially reported cases of swine influenza A/H1N1 infection. The United States Government has reported 64 laboratory confirmed human cases, with no deaths. Mexico has reported 26 confirmed human cases of infection including seven deaths.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Canada (6), New Zealand (3), the United Kingdom (2), Israel (2) and Spain (2).

Further information on the situation will be available on the WHO website on a regular basis.

WHO advises no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders. It is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities.

There is also no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products. Individuals are advised to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water on a regular basis and should seek medical attention if they develop any symptoms of influenza-like illness.

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_04_28/en/index.html