Experts question cause of Chinese outbreak

[pandemic_1918]

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20050805-050919-5093r

Experts question cause of Chinese outbreak
By Steve Mitchell
Published 8/5/2005 5:21 PM

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Chinese officials maintain that a mysterious disease in pigs that has also infected and killed humans is an outbreak of swine flu, but the World Health Organization has recommended that further testing be conducted to identify the pathogen more precisely, and at least one U.S. scientist thinks it is possible a strain of Ebola virus could be involved.

The disease, which has occurred predominately in China's Sichuan province, has infected 206 people, of which 38 have died and another 18 are critically ill.

The Chinese Ministry of Health has said the disease is swine flu, which is not actually a flu but an illness caused by the bacteria Streptococcus suis. This disease, however, generally does not cause more than a few cases of human illness and it usually does not cause death in people.

"I don't think it's the bacteria," Henry Niman, a molecular biologist, told United Press International. "The bacteria usually doesn't infect humans and when it does it usually isn't fatal," said Niman, who is president of Recombonomics, a firm in Pittsburgh, Pa., that studies molecular evolution and the emergence of new diseases.

Niman thinks it is likely the outbreak is due to a virulent form of the avian flu strain H5N1 that has struck southeast Asia and killed more than 50 people.

"It's hard to tell what it is without further testing," Niman said.

So far, Chinese authorities have been reluctant to allow outside parties access to samples from patients.

Another possibility is Ebola, a deadly virus that kills 50 percent to 90 percent of those it infects, Niman said. He bases this on a report put out by a Chinese Web site Boxun.com, which claimed to be an interview with a Chinese physician who helped investigate the Sichuan outbreak............

[achtung_circus]

1. more

U.N. urges China to do more tests on pig disease in humans
August 5, 2005
The New York Times
Lawrence K. Altman
The World Health Organization was cited as urging China yesterday to conduct more tests to clarify perplexing aspects of the largest outbreak in humans of a bacterial pig disease, including the reason the death rate among patients has been unusually high.
The story explains that China has reported that the disease, caused by Streptococcus suis bacteria, infected 206 people in Sichuan Province from June 24 through July 21. Of these, 38 - or nearly 1 in 5 - died and 18 are critically ill.
Most cases have occurred among adult male farmers who have had close contact with diseased pigs or have eaten uncooked pig products. The bacteria are commonly found where pigs are raised. Animals without symptoms carry the bacteria in their tonsils and noses. Sichuan has one of the largest pig populations in China, and news organizations have reported a concurrent outbreak among pigs there.
WHO was cited as saying there is no evidence that the illness has been transmitted from one person to another in the outbreak. Many patients have developed meningitis, an inflammation of the covering of the brain and spinal cord, with symptoms that can include a high fever, malaise, nausea and vomiting. In the past, about half of the patients who have recovered from meningitis caused by Streptococcus suis have become deaf.

[CAcyclist]

3. More from the NYT Article You Posted

"Many patients have developed meningitis, an inflammation of the covering of the brain and spinal cord, with symptoms that can include a high fever, malaise, nausea and vomiting. In the past, about half of the patients who recovered from meningitis caused by Streptococcus suis became deaf.

The interval between exposure to Streptococcus suis and the onset of illness ranges from four hours to three days. The infection can progress rapidly.

Chinese officials say they are searching for cases and that the outbreak is under control. But Dick Thompson, a World Health Organization spokesman, said Thursday, "We do not have enough information to determine that.""
*******************************************************************

So, from the NYT article, there is no hint that it might be something different, like a variant of Ebola virus :eyes:

True, the Chinese might be lying, but if people have meningitis, it's a simple thing to do a spinal tap and grow the bacteria that's causing the meningitis. Chances are, the Chinese are telling the truth and this is a new, more dangerous form of streptococcus suis. And evidently (from this line, "In the past, about half of the patients who have recovered from meningitis caused by Streptococcus suis have become deaf").strep suis is dangerous to people and is not just a cause of minor illness as stated in the UPI article.

Isn't UPI the news outlet that got bought by the Moonies?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. I'll say it one more time........ immunostimulants are antiviral,

antibacterial, anti everything bad.

1: Int J Immunopharmacol. 2000 May;22(5):365-72. Related Articles, Links


In vivo macrophage activation in chickens with Acemannan, a complex carbohydrate extracted from Aloe vera.

Djeraba A, Quere P.

INRA, Virologie Aviaire et Oncologie, Station de Pathologie Aviaire et Parasitologie, 37 380, Nouzilly, France.

Acemannan (ACM 1), a beta-(1,4) -acetylated mannan isolated from Aloe vera, can be used as an effective adjuvant in vaccination against some avian viral diseases. Our results demonstrate a quick and lasting in vivo priming effect of ACM 1 on macrophage response after intramuscular inoculation in chickens (500 microg per 2-month-old bird). In response to IFN-gamma in vitro, monocytes from ACM 1-treated chickens exhibited a strong enhancement of NO production from 3 to 9 days p.i., but a weaker effect on MHC II cell surface antigen expression on day 3 p.i. A stimulating effect of ACM 1 treatment was also observed on spontaneous and inducible NO production for splenocytes only on day 3 p.i. By that time, splenocytes exhibited a strong higher capacity to proliferate in response to the T cell-mitogen PHA. At the same time, the in vivo capacity to produce NO, measured by the (NO(-)(2)+NO(-)(3)) serum level after intravenous LPS injection, increased greatly from 3 to 9 days p.i. In conclusion, ACM 1 was able efficiently and durably to increase the activation capacity of macrophages from the systemic immune compartment (in particular from the blood and spleen after an intramuscular injection) in chickens, especially for NO production. These findings provide a better understanding of the adjuvant activity of ACM 1 for viral and tumoral diseases.

PMID: 10708884

[Coastie for Truth]

4. God said don't eat pig meat. Period

1. For Muslims, the Qur’an prohibits the consumption of pork in no less than 4 different places. It is prohibited in 2:173, 5:3, 6:145 and 16:115.

"Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah."

The above verses of the Holy Qur’an are sufficient to satisfy a Muslim as to why pork is forbidden.

2. For Jews and Levitican Christians, God spoke to Moses and to Aaron, (at Leviticus 11:1-23) saying to them, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, These are the animals which you shall eat among all the animals that are on the earth. Whatever has a divided hoof, which is clovenfooted, and also chews the cud, among the animals, that you shall eat. Nevertheless these you shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those that have a divided hoof, such as the camel, because it chews the cud, but does not have a divided hoof So, it is unclean unto you. And the rabbit, because it chews the cud, but does not have a divided hoof, it is unclean to you. And the hare (kangaroo), because it chews the cud, but does not have a divided hoof, it is unclean to you. And the swine (hog, pig, pork), though it has a divided hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet it does not chew the cud; it is unclean to you. Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcass you shall not touch; they are unclean to you. These you shall eat of all that are in the waters, whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, those you shall eat. And all that do not have fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination to you. They shall be even an abomination to you. You shall not eat of their flesh, but you shall have their carcasses in abomination. Whatever has no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination to you. And these are those which you shall have in abomination among the fowls (birds), they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossiprage, and the osprey, and the vulture, and the kite after his kind; every raven after his kind, and the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckoo, and the hawk after his kind, and the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, and the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. All insects that creep, going upon all fours, shall be an abomination unto you. Yet these you may eat of every flying insect that goes upon all fours, which have legs above their feet, to leap with on the earth, these of them ye may eat: the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind. But all other flying insects, which have four feet, shall be an abomination to you."

I am not one of these rapture right repugs. But, I have family members who regard Hallal and Kosher as "disciplines" and "temporary" -- and the ultimate highest order of discipline is vegetarianism.

I do not buy into an anthromorphic God, or intelligent design, or Revelations, or physical resurrection of the dead, but ...

[Maple]

5. They dug up dead pig bodies

and sold and ate the meat.

Bad idea no matter what the animal.

[Coastie for Truth]

10. Twice a sin

rotting carcasses -- and pig meat.

[Maple]

11. I hope you're joking

[Coastie for Truth]

12. Just repeating the prohibitions of Kosher and Hallel

(Shariah and Halachah). Whether I follow them or not is another matter.

[Kelvin Mace]

6. Great!

Ebola is starting to mix with the flu virus. Really look forward to a highly contagious virus with a 50% kill rate.

:(

[mike_c]

7. this is why henry niman should not post this crap here....

Jesus christ on a stick....

[mike_c]

8. you've become quite the global ambulance chaser, Henry....

UPI is almost a cut above the usual fundamentalist and survivalist outlets for your ideas about viral epidemiology-- notwithstanding the Moonie connection-- but this is nothing more than your usual scaremongering. Folks should know that pandemic_1918 IS Henry Niman, the "one U.S. scientist" quoted in this story-- he's evidently quoting himself to lend this post an aura of authority. This is not unusual-- Niman/pandemic nearly always quotes his own articles as evidence (most are linked from the Recombinomics web site). They should also know that Niman/pandemic normally peddles his zealotry in the fundy apocalyptic "press" because reputable scientific journals won't publish any of his shrill pronouncements about avian flu, and now Ebola.

I'm not going to engage in another time wasting debate with you Henry, but folks have a right to know what sort of snake-oil peddler you are.

[mojavekid]

13. Thanks mike_c, for adding some much needed balance,

to these posts.

*on edit, I wish I could add more to the discussion, but I have no experience here. I do however have children, and for that reason I am deeply concerned.

[achtung_circus]

9. Yet more.

China confirms outbreak of pig disease to world veterinary agency
August 5, 2005
Agence France Presse
PARIS - The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), which monitors veterinary standards in the international meat and livestock industry, was cited as saying Friday that China has formally notified it of the outbreak of a deadly disease among pigs that has killed 38 people.
Avian influenza and Nipah virus were ruled out in the tests, which were conducted by the National Animal Exotic Centre and the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, the OIE said in a press release.
Controls have been put in place to quarantine animals, screen them for the disease and restrict their movements within the country, and "use of vaccination may be considered," China told the OIE.