Killer Flu!

Havoc · #1 04-24-2009, 12:59 PM

:

World health experts are investigating a new strain of flu that may have killed as many as 60 people in Mexico.

The US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) said tests so far seem to link Mexico's outbreak with a swine flu virus that had sickened eight in the southern US.

The CDC said it was taking the virus - about which it was working to learn as much as possible - seriously.

Mexican authorities have closed schools, museums and theatres, and launched a vaccination campaign.

It is suspected the virus may have been involved in the deaths of about 60 people, mostly in and around Mexico City, since mid-March.

A new swine flu strain has been confirmed in 16 of the deaths and 44 others are being tested, Mexico's health secretary said. More than 900 other people are thought to have been infected.

Public buildings have been closed across the capital region and people are being urged to avoid shaking hands or sharing crockery.

In Geneva, the World Health Organization said an emergency committee would likely convene over the weekend.

And in the US, the White House said it was watching the situation.

Dr Richard Besser, acting director of the CDC, said that preliminary tests on seven out of 14 samples from patients in Mexico had matched the virus found in the US.

Eight people have fallen sick - six in California and two in Texas - with a virus that experts say is a new strain of swine flu. All eight have recovered and only one was hospitalised.

Dr Besser said more information was needed to determine the extent of the threat posed by the virus. It was unclear, he said, why it was proving fatal in Mexico but not in the US.

"We are not at the point of declaring a pandemic - we are at the point of trying to learn more about this virus," he said.

"In Mexico, other influenza viruses are circulating there, so sorting out which cases are caused by swine flu, which are other viruses and which are co-infections will be very important public health information."

The WHO said it had prepared "rapid containment measures" in case they were needed.

But both it and the CDC said that there was no need at this point to issue travel advisories for parts of Mexico or the US.

The CDC said it planned to send experts to Mexico to help investigate the virus.

Swine flu is a respiratory disease which infects pigs. It does not normally infect humans, although sporadic cases do occur usually in people who have had close contact with pigs.

There have also been rare documented cases of humans passing the infection to other humans.

Such cases are monitored very closely because of fears that a new strain of swine flu with the ability to pass from person to person could spark a pandemic.

Holy shit

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Wings of Fire · #2 04-24-2009, 01:11 PM

Mexico City is the worlds biggest human tip, if it hadn't spread to over ten thousand people and killed half of those over a weekend I can't see that much to worry about.

mr.odd · #3 04-24-2009, 01:16 PM

Man I just heard about this on the news this morning. I just I hope they get this cleaned up soon, I’m just glad I don’t live near Texas or California. Still, it seems to be spreading fast which worries me.(that is if 900 was infected)

Daxter King · #4 04-24-2009, 05:58 PM

Your shitty ass article failed to mention the most frightening fact of it

:

The worrisome new virus — which combines genetic material from pigs, birds and humans

Source

This means its only a matter of time before we have this fucker knocking on our front door:

Bullet Magnet · #5 04-24-2009, 07:16 PM

It's transmission is pig-to-pig and pig-to-human so far.

I wonder if the majority of deaths have been in young healthy adults because there are more of those than vulnerable elders and children, or that it is similar to 1918's Spanish flu.

***Nate*** · #6 04-24-2009, 07:39 PM

Often before the pig-to-human stage happens, there's some pig-to-chicken or pig-to-duck cross-evolution.

Mac Sirloin · #7 04-24-2009, 07:40 PM

Why are there Mexican museums?

Bullet Magnet · #8 04-24-2009, 07:45 PM

You're kidding, right?

shaman · #9 04-25-2009, 02:19 AM

I haven't heard much about bird flu lately.

It seems to have just got bored...

Bullet Magnet · #10 04-25-2009, 07:53 AM

It's actually the media that's just gotten bored.

Havoc · #11 04-25-2009, 03:50 PM

The World Health Association has just released word that containment is no longer an option. The virus has already spread to the US and rumors are boiling that the virus has also been spotted in Europe (right here in Holland, to be exact...). The WHO is considering raising the threat level to 4 (of 6), which is the highest it has been in recent years. Not even the Sars epidemic got to level 4.

It's also since been confirmed that the virus is of the H1N1 variety, which is the same strain as the Spanish Flu which is estimated to have killed over 20 million people back in 1918. It has yet to be detirmined if this strain is quite as deadly. Currently the score is 68 deaths and an estimated 1000 infected in the US and Mexico.

Wings of Fire · #12 04-25-2009, 03:53 PM

:

Meanwhile, a male British Airways cabin crew member is undergoing precautionary tests in a London hospital after falling ill with "flu-like" symptoms on a flight from Mexico City.

Now this could be fun...

Bullet Magnet · #13 04-25-2009, 06:03 PM

It's not officially "fun" until the deceased begin to feast on the living.

mr.odd · #14 04-25-2009, 06:45 PM

:

I haven't heard much about bird flu lately.

It seems to have just got bored...

Yea what ever happened to that, It was supposedly one of those deadliest flu’s and now nothing.
I personally think the media made it sound worse than it already was.

Wings of Fire · #15 04-25-2009, 07:01 PM

No shit, it's kind of their job, even the good ones.

Bullet Magnet · #16 04-25-2009, 08:25 PM

Or perhaps vaccinating our poultry actually helped? The people watching it are still watching it, it's still mutating and migrating, but the media exists to sell itself and it found stories that sell better. Then everyone forgets until people start dying again.

Havoc · #17 04-26-2009, 05:05 AM

New cases of the flu have been confirmed in France. They have been quarantined.

The case in London has been looked into and appears to have been a false alarm.

In New Zealand a classroom of 22 children and a teacher have been quarantined. They are still being examined.

Three cases of the swine flu have been confirmed in Spain in three different cities.

Current score is 81 deaths, 1324 infected.

Hobo · #18 04-26-2009, 06:24 AM

CONTEST

Last one to die gets my password.

shaman · #19 04-26-2009, 09:26 AM

Ah it's like this with every pandemic.

The zombie dogs are the worst

Bullet Magnet · #20 04-26-2009, 09:39 AM

Information.

Mac Sirloin · #21 04-26-2009, 01:12 PM

:

You're kidding, right?

Nope, not that it's like I live on the same continent and am prone to that sort of humor or anything.

:

New cases of the flu have been confirmed in France. They have been quarantined.

The case in London has been looked into and appears to have been a false alarm.

In New Zealand a classroom of 22 children and a teacher have been quarantined. They are still being examined.

Three cases of the swine flu have been confirmed in Spain in three different cities.

Current score is 81 deaths, 1324 infected.

Havoc is just playing Pandemic.

Bullet Magnet · #22 04-26-2009, 02:22 PM

Tunnel Snakes rule.

Hobo · #23 04-26-2009, 04:18 PM

Madagascar closed their borders.

SligCabaret · #24 04-26-2009, 06:24 PM

It's all overpopulations fault, and because we're trying to cure cancer and AIDS. Even if we get past this one they're only going to get worse and worse until our population drops and stays down. Frankly I couldn't care less, I hope more people die. No offense to any persons in particular, my opinion wouldn't change if I lost a friend or myself to it. And it's going to kill kids in particular because none of them are allowed to eat dirt or boogers anymore. Our immune systems are crap.
/rant

Blasted Madagascar. You have to play as a parasite, it makes it easier to infect everyone before they shut down. Takes forever though.

Havoc · #25 04-26-2009, 07:11 PM

You're even more cold hearted then I am

.

I agree that we could do with a billion or so less of us on this planet but uncontrolled deceases like these have the potential to kill off the entire planet in less then 2 years.
It seems this particular one is being handled since not everyone infected has actually died from it and some have even already recovered.

The only reason I'm concerned about this is because stuff like this can change the planet, the life we're used to. Should this thing mutate once more and kill off another 200 million people like it did in 1918 the world will change quite a bit, my friend. Even if you survive, the world you get dumped in might not be a nice one.

Wings of Fire · #26 04-26-2009, 07:22 PM

Yeah, there were mitigating factors with the Spanish Flu. Like people living in abject poverty with no food or clean water 'n shit, it was just after the most horrific war the world had ever knew.

SligCabaret · #27 04-26-2009, 07:23 PM

I would much prefer to be in a rough world than this one. I don't mind if all the humans die either, give the octopi a chance to take over. I would Love to have to fight for my survival, I feel horribly complacent sitting at my computer chair, I want to be a real animal, I want to have to fight to live. I probably wouldn't, but I'm sterile anyway, so I have no good genes to pass on for the betterment of the species. Even if I do die, all I want is an afterlife so I can see what happens. I would kill to watch the world evolve to fill the niche we would leave. And a big one it is. I've actually drawn pages upon pages of wildlife adapted to live in the ruins we leave behind.

Yep, I'm pretty harsh. I prefer the term 'Pessimoptimistic'.

Bullet Magnet · #28 04-26-2009, 07:41 PM

:

And it's going to kill kids in particular because none of them are allowed to eat dirt or boogers anymore. Our immune systems are crap.

So far it's hit young, healthy adults far harder than the supposedly more vulnerable children and elderly, just like Spanish flu did.

Facsimile · #29 04-26-2009, 07:42 PM

Tl;dr

I both struggle to believe any world threat the news claims after falling for so many others, and would also like to see some excitement in the world, so I have no problem with this thi

SligCabaret · #30 04-26-2009, 07:46 PM

:

Tl;dr

I both struggle to believe any world threat the news claims after falling for so many others, and would also like to see some excitement in the world, so I have no problem with this thi

Oh no! It got him before he could finish his sentance! Somebody call Dr. Stiles!

I find it interesting that it kills adults though. Just more proof fr overpopulation, I suppose. Though, that is my excuse for everything.