Bird Flu Virus 'Now In Two Forms'

[Broadslidin]

C.D.C. researcher, Dr Rebecca Garten:
"As the virus continues its geographic expansion,
it is also undergoing genetic diversity expansion."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4828078.stm

For your computer's 'Favourites List'
consider,
http://www.who.int/en
and/or
http://www.cdc.gov

[Midlodemocrat]

1. Better get to Costco and pick up some tuna.

[Broadslidin]

2. Or Rather, A Three Month hidden Stash of Navy Beans and Brown Rice..!

:yoiks:

[savemefromdumbya]

3. Has the virus been manipulated

by some scuurilous rogue or is this natural?

[LaurenG]

4. I have the most down to earth logical mother

who thinks very scientifically. She mentioned a few days ago that she believes the whole virus was manipulated and released for some "Tamaflu" stock owning individuals. What makes this really interesting is how p-o'ed she is at all the republican's now. (she voted for them and is heartily sorry for it)

edited to take out the laughing guy (a bit misleading, I think my mom may be right). It was funny because we all tried to tell her how bad this guy was in 2000.

[WindRavenX]

5. Sorry, that's utter hogwash

Tamiflu has been demonstrated to be highly ineffective against H5N1, and it would be equally improbable that someone would genetically alter the virus for profit.

[DavidDvorkin]

6. Ockham's Razor

There's no need to assume deliberate human intervention. Flu viruses have been mutating madly for eons.

[TrogL]

7. but they're still touting it as the 'cure'

[WindRavenX]

8. yes, which is mostly MSM hype

From what I've seen, the sheer fear mongering of H5N1 is abominable-- my virology professor made it clear that she and her colleagues (who are researchers and who actually WORK with viruses) think that while H5N1 should not be dismissed, the fear of it being a pandemic is unfounded and improbable.

[dysfunctional press]

22. who is...?

i haven't seen a story/article saying that tamiflu would be effective in quite awhile- quite the opposite, in fact- over the past several weeks i've seen several stories in the msm de-bunking the effectiveness of tamiflu against h5n1.

[LaurenG]

10. Sorry, but same to you

Tamaflu is EXACTLY what they ARE using and are planning to use for any and all flu, you think they care that it doesn't work? I do agree, genetically manipulating viruses by our own corporate government may be tin foil but I "trust" them enough to know they are capable of anything!

[WindRavenX]

11. It's illogical

They're using a substance that doesn't work.
Tinfoil plots are just that--tinfoil and should not be taken seriously.
The logical explanation is that the government, as it has in the past, is simply seizing an opportunity to scare an already panicked population for political gain.

[LaurenG]

14. Illogical or not I work in this field they ARE

using Tamaflu and they plan is to use it when/if the big boogie man virus mutates to humans. Read page 8 of the following and please don't attack me because you don't know what you're talking about. BTW this is NOT something the media stated this is OUR government!

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/pdf/panflu20060313.pdf

[WindRavenX]

16. I'm quite familar with this as well

And I've read the pdf-- it's more fear mongering.Tamiflu does not work- that's the bottom line. The government is wrong, as most scientists will tell you.

[LaurenG]

20. I have not disagreed with you on that (Tamaflu doesn't work)

I know that. Rumsfield happens to have a personal interest in Tamaflu as well and what are we doing besides frightening the public? Pushing Tamaflu which I think we both agree doesn't work.

This (rummy and Tamaflu)is my tin foil theory which IMHO is valid enough to watch carefully. I think that this administration would stoop to any measure that helps them to meet their goals. I'm just not certain what they ALL are at this point.

[WindRavenX]

21. Agreed

Good to see we're both in agreement-- I've had my mom *freak out* over H5N1. They are pushing tamiflu, which is ineffective for late infected individuals, for political and monetary gain. I think where we disagree is the degree of how far and how much exploitation of tamiflu he would go to increase his benefit. I think anything involving deliberate genetic manipulation is out of the range of possibility and the more reasonable action is the gov'ment hyping and pushing tamiflu. :hi:

[savemefromdumbya]

12. I don't thin anyone would alter it for profit but

the fact that this is being used as a 'scare' We will never know proably?

[WindRavenX]

18. Oh absolutely

It's a great tactic to scare the shit out of people.

[savemefromdumbya]

26. can you imagine how they can fake this

one cluster of fake bird flu and hey presto martial law. Nobody can move no elections.

[muriel_volestrangler]

17. The WHO thinks it may have some effect if taken early enough

There is limited evidence suggesting that some oseltamivir can reduce the duration of viral replication and improve prospects of survival, provided it is given within 48 hours following symptom onset, according to the WHO's fact sheet on avian flu, published on the Internet. Prior to an H5N1 outbreak in Turkey earlier this year, most patients were detected and treated late in the course of illness, it said.

Roche said last week it has data from 21 patients in Turkey who took the drug after being infected with H5N1. Four of the patients were given the drug ``very, very late'' and died, David Reddy, head of Roche's pandemic task force, said. The remaining patients recovered and were discharged from the hospital.

``The evidence for effectiveness of oseltamivir in human H5N1 disease is based on virological data from in vitro, animal models, and limited human studies and extrapolation from the results of trials in patients with ordinary human influenza, '' the WHO said.
...
In H5N1 cases, it is possible that severely ill patients might benefit from taking the medicine for seven to 10 days or given as much as 300 milligrams a day, the WHO said, adding that ``prospective studies are required.''

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=aI8r6k310BL4&refer=top_world_news

[WindRavenX]

19. key there is it is used to "improve prospects of survival"

But it is not a "magic" cure which can save infected patients who are already very ill, which is what I've been hearing a lot.
More study needs to be done, because at 21 patients is a rather small sample size to be used in determining efficiency.
Slowing/interfering with viral replication is a great way to improve survival for healthy individuals...but I'm not sure it would work with the elderly or other immun-compromised individuals.

[Mojorabbit]

23. They are setting up a study

to see if twice the dosage might be more effective. If so, this will cut the amt available by half. Since the US was one of the last on the list to order it as this administration is always behind in reacting to anything, if it goes pandemic we will have very little to use anyway.

[WhiteTara]

13. I heard on NPR that labs here are modiflying

the virus so they can create a vacine. I'll try to find a link later, but I have to run right now.

[woodsprite]

9. Would those two be the Natural & Mil Weaponized versions? n/t

[AlCzervik]

15. yeah, liquid and easy to swallow gel caps.

[brooklynite]

24. "The H5N1 virus has evolved"

The H5N1 virus responsible for the current virulent strain of bird flu has evolved into two genetically distinct strains, US scientists have confirmed.

But, I thought evolution was just a theory...

[savemefromdumbya]

27. hmmmm! amazing what God can do

with a flick of his magic wand?

[PVK]

25. It's Relenza that works. The license is owned by Glaxo Smith Wellcome.

It is manufactured by Biota in Australia.

Also, notice that Biota sued Glaxo last May over lost Relenza sales/profits after two years of discussions failed. Think someone is trying to deep-six Relenza in favor of Tamiflu???

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/05/1083635204662.html?from=storyrhs

{snip}

On its launch in 1999, he said Relenza had captured 48 per cent of the emerging market for broad-spectrum flu drugs but sales had plummeted to just 3 per cent after the newly merged GSK withdrew marketing and support for the product.

"Biota is seeking recovery of lost royalties for the past five years and lost royalties over the next up to 10 years for the life of Relenza's patents . . . There is no reason why Relenza couldn't have been a $500 million drug," Mr Molloy said.

{snip}

It is expected to take a year to 18 months for the case to go to trial. A directions hearing is scheduled for June 18.

Biota is seeking recovery of lost royalties for the past five years and up to the next 10 years.
PETER MOLLOY, Biota CEOMr Molloy said Biota's share price at the time that Relenza was launched gave the company a market capitalisation of up to $500 million and today it was about $70 million.

Professor Sir Gustav Nossal, one of Australia's leading medical biologists and former director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, yesterday said Relenza was "one of the greatest Australian research inventions of all time. It is a major Australian tragedy that this drug is not being used much more widely."