Deadliest flu bug

by **israelirealities** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 11:30 am

<a href="http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/10/06/MNG1UF392J1.DTL&type=science">sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...pe=science</a> Deadliest flu bug given new life in U.S. laboratory Some applaud scientific feat, but others decry move as reckless - Sabin Russell, Chronicle Medical Writer Thursday, October 6, 2005 Top American scientists have re-created in the laboratory a living copy of the deadly flu bug responsible for the catastrophic 1918 Spanish influenza epidemic, a remarkable advance that may help fight future pandemics but raises troubling safety and ethical concerns. During the terrible fall and winter of 1918-19, the strain killed an estimated 50 million people around the world in the single worst health catastrophe of modern times. And then it disappeared as quickly as it had come. On Wednesday, a team of researchers led by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced they had successfully rebuilt a functioning replica of the 87-year-old virus and had published its genetic blueprint on the Internet. The culmination of more than 10 years of research, the re-created virus was assembled in August at the CDC's lab in Atlanta under tight security. Initial tests of the virus show that it is behaving like its lethal ancestor, efficiently killing mice and chicken embryos, and growing lustily in lab dishes of human lung cells. Analysis of its eight genes suggests that it was a bird flu virus that, with remarkably few genetic mutations, adapted to human beings. Federal health authorities framed the research as a scientific tour de force that will yield insights on how to combat a future pandemic -- which might spring from the rogue flu virus, known as H5N1, that is spreading among birds in Asia and also has caused disease in some humans there. "We are very focused on the potential for and outbreak of pandemic influenza,'' said CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding. "We are looking back to the 1918 pandemic virus as a natural resource to help us understand and predict what we are dealing with.'' Gerberding described the two papers outlining the research, one to be published in the journal Science on Friday, the other in the journal Nature today, as "extraordinary." The stakes in controlling the bird flu outbreak are high. Newly appointed U.N. avian flu coordinator David Nabarro warned last week that the bird strain has the potential to cause 150 million deaths worldwide -- three times the toll of the 1918 Spanish flu. The World Health Organization has made a more conservative estimate of up to 7.5 million deaths. Among the questions CDC researchers hope to answer is why the H5N1 virus is so lethal to chickens and to the few humans who have caught it; whether it will change like the 1918 strain and become easy for humans to pass around; and how it can be detected quickly and efficiently. Dr. Terrence Tumpey, lead author of the Science paper and the CDC scientist in charge of re-creating the 1918 strain, called the work "essential" in the effort to forestall a new pandemic. "It will enhance our ability to make vaccines. It will enhance our ability to make antivirals," he said. Studies of the 1918 virus reassuringly have found that it can be blocked by conventional anti-flu drugs, such as amantadine, and the more modern antiviral drug sold as Tamiflu. Christopher Basler, a Mount Sinai School of Medicine molecular biologist and co-author of the paper, said Tumpey himself took Tamiflu as an added precaution while re-creating the 1918 virus. But critics of the research to exhume and bring to life the 1918 strain are appalled that the work has come to fruition. "I fail to understand what the real reason is for doing this,'' said Edward Hammond, director of the Sunshine Project of Austin, Texas, which advocates for controls on bio-warfare. "What happens if it becomes acceptable for scientists, on a lark, to develop novel strains of microbes capable of killing millions of people? It's crazy," he said. "What happens if the Chinese do this, if the Iranians do this, or the Pakistanis?" University of Pennsylvania bio-ethicist Arthur Caplan said the research would undoubtedly yield important clues but said it still raises troubling questions. "Microbiology is much more likely to present us with hard ethics choices than, say, the cloning of human beings, which is something that would happen far out in the distant future, if ever," he said. Caplan is particularly uncomfortable with the posting of the genetic blueprints for the 1918 virus on Genbank, an Internet resource freely available to the public. "In an age of terrorism, in a time when a lot of folks have malicious intent toward us, I am very nervous about the publication of accurate (gene) sequences for these pathogens and the techniques for making them.'' Federal health authorities said they are fully aware of the issues involved and are convinced they are doing the right thing. "We have erred on the side of caution in every step of the process,'' said Gerberding. CDC spokeswoman Jennifer Morcone said the Spanish flu virus will not be shipped to another lab. "We will consider hosting researchers at CDC if they go through the same training and clearances required of our researchers,'' she said. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said participants in the research carefully evaluated the project and concluded that the benefits "far outweighed" any theoretical risks. The decision to publish the papers and the genetic blueprints was made after consultations with the U.S. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, which advises the federal government on biological safety issues, and is chartered to include a public representative. In an accompanying editorial in Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Phillip Sharp said it was "reassuring" that the advisory board had been consulted. "People may be reassured that the system is working, because agencies representing the public, the scientific community, and the publishing journals were involved in the decision,'' he wrote. No public representative has sat on the NSABB, however. Bill Hall, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said the administration "was close to announcing" an appointee. The science behind the re-creation of the 1918 flu virus is a triumph for Dr. Jeffrey Taubenberger of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Rockville, Md., who began the seemingly quixotic quest to reconstruct the virus 10 years ago. Initially, he tried to piece together the viral genome from fragments found in lung tissue of Army recruits who died in 1918. The infected tissue, sealed in wax, had been carefully warehoused at the federal lab. His big break came when he learned that an adventurous San Francisco physician, Dr. Johan Hultin, had independently obtained samples of lung tissue from flu victims buried in the Alaskan permafrost. Seven of the eight genes were decoded using Hultin's Alaskan samples. Taubenberger's contribution is like that of a cryptographer. He decoded the blueprint for making the 1918 virus. Researchers, led by Dr. Adolfo Garcia-Sastre at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, rebuilt the actual genes. Using those genes, Tumpey's team at the secure CDC lab performed the final genetic engineering feats to cause the genes to assemble into a replicating virus -- a spitting image of the 1918 monster that changed history. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Flu questions Armed with a replica of the 1918 flu virus that killed millions, scientists hope to find out: Why the H5N1 virus, the avian flu that is spreading among birds in Asia, is so lethal to chickens and to the few humans who have caught it? Whether today's avian flu will change like the 1918 strain and become easy for humans to pass around? How the avian virus can be detected quickly to prevent a pandemic? E-mail Sabin Russell at srussell@sfchronicle.com. Page A - 1 URL: <a href="http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin">sfgate.com/cgi-bin</a>

by **banned** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 2:38 pm

I sent an article around about this some months back when someone had written about being upset that the 'bug' was in their town--Seattle I think. I said then the real reason they're studying it is to find out how to set it loose again. See "Dead microbiologists all over the world" as well. It will be only a matter of time before either the genetic info gained from the Spanish Influenza will be used to alter the current bird flu virus, or SI itself will escape one day through a 'regrettable' accident ("Darn, we took all the precautions we could, who knew the temp janitor would spill some on his Keds and then go play pickup ball downtown and spread it all over the place? It's not our fault, you can't get good help these days.") Welcome to The Stand, eh?

by **Col Quisp** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 6:33 pm

Yes, I find the timing of this "discovery" too convenient. Just when Boosh announces the president needs to have all options, er assets on the table when it comes down to imposing martial law, er quarantines. And of course, we all remember the missing viruses from last spring. Plus, in this case, they are publishing the gene sequences of the 1918 flu so it will be readily available to scientists, er terrorists, to study. <blockquote>Quote:<hr> Alarmingly, some of the characteristics shared by the two types of flu suggest the current avian form could become highly contagious in humans in one simple step. Previously it was thought the H5NI avian flu strains would have to infect a human with ordinary flu and then mix together to form a highly lethal contagious disease. But it now appears this is not necessary. One scientist involved in the new research said the small number of human cases to date suggested the disease "might be acquiring the ability to adapt to humans, increasing [the] pandemic risk". <hr></blockquote> - Bird flu virus 'similar to great killer of 1918' IAN JOHNSTON SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT <a href="http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=2046982005">news.scotsman.com/health....2046982005</a> We're in deep doo-doo while the chicken pecks nervously addressing the masses in press conferences. Bock Bock, The sky is falling! "Bock, did someone say bock? Pass that bottle over here," says the chicken. Bock beer is best Oktoberfest breu. Oktober surprise will be no big shockeroo. Gee, I think I've been possessed by dbeach! Note: edited to correct the spelling of "October" Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=colquisp>Col Quisp</A> at: 10/6/05 4:37 pm

by **glass** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 10:51 pm

hm.. just thought this was kind of interesting. <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/10/06/D8D2QNPG2.html">www.breitbart.com</a> Plane Carrying Viruses Crashes in Canada Oct 06 6:57 PM US/Eastern WINNIPEG, Manitoba A cargo plane carrying small amounts of flu virus crashed on railway tracks near Winnipeg's city center Thursday, killing the pilot but missing buildings and vehicles, authorities said. The research samples of frozen influenza and herpes viruses were destroyed in the crash and ensuing fire along with other freight, Federal Express spokeswoman Karen Cooper said. She said the Cessna 208 was owned by Morningstar Air Express of Edmonton and was under contract to FedEx. Morningstar spokesman Don Boettcher didn't immediately identify the woman piloting the aircraft. "She'd been with us for about five years," he said, without providing further details. The plane took off from the Winnipeg airport en route to Thunder Bay, Ontario, at about 5:45 a.m. and traveled about four miles southeast of the airport before it requested a return, Transportation Safety Board investigator David Ross said. "The aircraft then descended below radar coverage and contact was lost with the aircraft," Ross said. "It has crashed on railway tracks and does not appear to have collided with any other objects, houses or cars," police Sgt. Shelly Glover said. Winnipeg police spokeswoman Carolyn Kwiatek said there was no damage to the surrounding area from the fire. The crash did tie up traffic on nearby streets during the morning rush, but no accidents or injuries resulted. In its cargo were six vials of virus samples being sent to Thunder Bay for research, Cooper said. Although the samples were labeled dangerous goods, they weren't considered hazardous at the crash site since all the cargo was destroyed in the blaze, Cooper said. Police Sgt. Kelly Dennison said weather may have been a factor. Reports suggested light snow and mist in the area, temperatures near the freezing mark, moderate winds and about four miles of visibility. Ross said the plane probably wasn't carrying a flight data recorder. Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=glass@rigorousintuition>glass</A> at: 10/6/05 8:55 pm

by **Dreams End** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 10:57 pm

Sorry if this has been mentioned. A blurb on NPR (didn't hear the actual story) said scientists had just discovered that the 1918 flu HAD BEEN A BIRD FLU. Wow...whoulda thunk it?

by **Col Quisp** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 11:21 pm

The infamous Dr. Niman at Recombinomics.com says the 1918 flu was a swine flu, not avian. <a href="http://www.recombinomics.com/News/10050503/1918_Recombination_Confirmed.html">www.recombinomics.com/New...irmed.html</a> I don't know how credible he is. But that's what he says. Whatever it was, it's been recreated now. Only a matter of time before it recombines with the new flu to create Superflu. Chicken-man! He's everywhere, he's everywhere! (doubt that anyone remembers that old radio show from the 60s!) God, all this stuff is making me crazy. I have visions of Bo and Peep flowing in my head along with VALIS, Astarte, Chicken Little, Campbell's soup and other Elusian mysteries (thanks to Homeless Halo). Om Pe! HA!

by **Col Quisp** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 12:14 am

3 dead ducks in Romania are being tested for bird flu. Samples were sent to England. The area is under quarantine. According to my favorite alarmist, Henry Niman, of Recombinomics.com: <blockquote>Quote:<hr>The detection of H5N1 on the western side of the Black Sea would signal H5N1 throughout much of Europe, even though the Asian version pf (sic) H5N1 has never been reported in Europe. A confirmation would indicate that H5N1 has significantly expanded its geographical range and increased the likelihood of recombination leading to an increased efficiency of transmission in humans. The increase in Indonesia has already been noted, and there has been speculation that the outbreaks have been triggered by migratory birds. H5N1 in Europe would not be a surprise. The H5N1 from Qinghai Lake had European signatures as did the isolates from Chany Lake. However, in the past this exchange of genetic information was facilitated by low pathogenic strains. The current wild bird H5N1 however has the HPAI cleavage site from Asia, which is why its migration is clearly marked by a trail of dead birds. Although other countries in Europe have not reported H5N1, confirmation of H5N1 in Romania would likely trigger a series of similar reports from many or most of the countries in Europe.<hr></blockquote>

by **aleanor** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 4:04 pm

"Although other countries in Europe have not reported H5N1, confirmation of H5N1 in Romania would likely trigger a series of similar reports from many or most of the countries in Europe". Hé hé, perhaps you will no longer be able to count on that help Heneghan et al have described in Chicago and NYC undergrounds. I'm teasing, of course. Watching world events unfold from my home in France. My training in biology makes me receptive to reports of the likes of The Lancet which, as of Oct 6, remains guarded but not alarmist: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/9sbwe">tinyurl.com/9sbwe</a> This said, the coincidence between spread of H5N1 and the retro-engineering of the deadly "Spanish flu" virus is troubling, to say the least. Yet I think there's ample evidence to conclude that the timing of the publication of this viral recombination effort amounts to orchestrated fear-mongering. There's a great deal "they'd" like to distract us from ... Fitzgerald's investigation, release of torture images, saber rattling against Iran and Syria, the growing likelihood of the reinstatement of military draft. — Lots of reasons to get us worked up about a pandemic... I'm not discounting potential for real danger, but I think we've got to keep the context in mind: a good number of key WH mafia [ie, world players] are in hot water at the moment. — May they boil! We should know before long. Meanwhile, I lift my glass to you. Life is good and you are doing a great service, here.

by * » Sat Oct 08, 2005 5:30 pm

Some history of the treatment of epidemics with Homeopathy by Julian Winston From its earliest days, homeopathy has been able to treat epidemic diseases with a substantial rate of success, when compared to conventional treatments. It was these successes that placed the practice of homeopathy so firmly in the consciousness of people world-wide. There is a story told about Joseph Pulte, one of the earliest homeopaths in Cincinnati. When he began his practice, many people were so angered by a homeopath being in town that they pelted the house with eggs. He was becoming discouraged enough to think of leaving. His wife said, "Joseph, do you believe in the truth of homeopathy?" He replied in the affirmative. "Then," she said, "you will stay in Cincinnati." Shortly after, when the Cholera epidemic swept through, Pulte was able to boast of not having lost a single patient-- and he was accepted into the community. In the Epidemic of 1849, people crowded to his door and stood in the street because the waiting room was full. In 1900, Thomas Lindsley Bradford, MD, wrote a book called "The Logic of Figures" in which he collected the statistics he could find that would compare the conventional therapeutics with homeopathic ones. Many of the figures cited below are derived from Bradford's work. One of the earliest tests of the homeopathic system was in the treatment of Typhus Fever (spread by lice) in an 1813 epidemic which followed the devastation of Napoleon's army marching through Germany to attack Russia, followed by their retreat. When the epidemic came through Leipzig as the army pulled back from the east, Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, was able to treat 180 cases of Typhus-- losing but two. This, at a time when the conventional treatments were having a mortality rate of over 30%. In 1830 as the cholera epidemic was reported coming from the east, Hahnemann was able to identify the stages of the illness, and predict what remedies would be needed for which stages. When Cholera finally struck Europe in 1831 the mortality rate (under conventional treatment) was between 40% (Imperial Council of Russia) to 80% (Osler's Practice of Medicine). Out of five people who contracted Cholera, two to four of them died under regular treatment. Dr. Quin, in London, reported the mortality in the ten homeopathic hospitals in 1831-32 as 9%; Dr. Roth, physician to the king of Bavaria, reported that under homeopathic care the mortality was 7%; Admiral Mordoinow of the Imperial Russian Council reported 10% mortality under homeopathy; and Dr. Wild, Allopathic editor of Dublin Quarterly Journal, reported in Austria, the Allopathic mortality was 66% and the homeopathic mortality was 33% "and on account of this extraordinary result, the law interdicting the practice of Homeopathy in Austria was repealed." Homeopathy continued to be effective in the treatment of Epidemic Cholera. In 1854 a Cholera Epidemic struck London. This was a historically important epidemic in that it was the first time the medical community was able to trace the outbreak to a source (a public water pump), and when the pump was closed, the epidemic soon ceased. The House of Commons asked for a report about the various methods of treating the epidemic. When the report was issued, the homeopathic figures were not included. The House of Lords asked for an explanation, and it was admitted that if the homeopathic figures were to be included in the report, it would "skew the results." The suppressed report revealed that under allopathic care the mortality was 59.2% while under homeopathic care the mortality was only 9%. It is hard today to comprehend what kind of scourge such an epidemic was. As was seen in the later Flu Epidemic of 1918, one could be healthy in the morning and be dead by evening-- it moved that rapidly. Many books were written about the Homeopathic treatment of Cholera during these times, among them: Cholera and its Homeopathic treatment, F. Humphreys (1849); Homeopathic Treatment of Cholera, B.F. Joslin (1854); Homeopathic Domestic Treatment of Cholera, Biegler (1858); Epidemic Cholera, B. F. Joslin (1885); Asiatic Cholera, Jabez Dake (1886). The success of homeopathic treatment continued with the later cholera epidemics. In the Hamburg epidemic of 1892, allopathic mortality was 42%, homeopathic mortality was 15.5% During the 1850s, there were several epidemics of Yellow Fever in the southern states. This disease was eventually found to be transmitted by mosquito. Osler, says that the allopathic mortality from Yellow Fever is between 15-85%. Holcome, a homeopath, reported in 1853 a mortality of 6.43% in Natchez, and Dr. Davis, another homeopath in Natchez, reported 5.73%. In 1878 the mortality in New Orleans was 50% under allopathic care, and 5.6% (in 1,945 cases in the same epidemic) with homeopathic care. The two best books on this topic were: Yellow Fever and its Homeopathic Treatment, Holcome, (1856) and The Efficacy of Crotalus Horridus in Yellow Fever, C. Neidhard, (1860). Another epidemic disease which was treatable with homeopathy was Diphtheria. Since the advent of widespread vaccination, it is a disease not often seen in our modern world. Diphtheria appeared periodically, and rarely had the same presentation. It was, therefore, very important for the practitioner to individualize the treatment in each specific case or generalized epidemic. A remedy which had been effective in treating it one year might not be the same remedy needed the next year. In the records of three years of Diphtheria in Broome County, NY from 1862 to 1864, there was a report of an 83.6% mortality rate among the allopaths and a 16.4% mortality rate among the Homeopaths. (Bradford) Perhaps the most recent use of homeopathy in a major epidemic was during the Influenza Pandemic of 1918. The Journal of the American Institute for Homeopathy, May, 1921, had a long article about the use of homeopathy in the flu epidemic. Dr. T A McCann, from Dayton, Ohio reported that 24,000 cases of flu treated allopathically had a mortality rate of 28.2% while 26,000 cases of flu treated homeopathically had a mortality rate of 1.05%. This last figure was supported by Dean W.A. Pearson of Philadelphia (Hahnemann College) who collected 26,795 cases of flu treated with homeopathy with the above result. The most common remedy used was Gelsemium, with occasional cases needing Bryonia and Eupatorium reported. Dr. Herbert A. Roberts from Derby, CT, said that 30 physicians in Connecticut responded to his request for data. They reported 6,602 cases with 55 deaths, which is less than 1%. Dr. Roberts was working as a physician on a troop ship during WWI. He had 81 cases of flu on the way over to Europe. He reported, "All recovered and were landed. Every man received homeopathic treatment. One ship lost 31 on the way." Closer to our present time, there were the Polio epidemics in the mid-1950s. Dr. Alonzo Shadman, a homeopath in the Boston area, emphasized that until *actual paralysis* was observed, it was hard to distinguish the prodromal symptoms of Polio from those of the common cold-- and he treated many "summer colds" during the time. Were they incipient polio? No one can tell. Dr. Francisco Eizayaga or Argentina, tells of a polio epidemic in Buenos Aires in 1957, where the symptoms of the epidemic resembled those of the remedy Lathyrus sativa. The homeopathic doctors and pharmacies prescribed Lathyrus 30c as a prophylactic, and "thousands of doses" were distributed. "Nobody registered a case of contagion." Eizayaga points out that in other epidemics of polio, Gelsemium was the indicated remedy-- emphasizing, again, the need for individualization. Homeopathy has been very effective in treating many of the epidemics during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Why the successes are not better known is a subject for conjecture. It could be that, like the physician quoted below, most would rather not see the ineffectiveness of the conventional therapeutics nor accept the efficacy of homeopathy. From "Homeopathy In Influenza-A Chorus Of Fifty In Harmony" by W. A. Dewey, MD (Journal of the American Institute of Homeopathy, May 1921): One physician in a Pittsburgh hospital asked a nurse if she knew anything better than what he was doing, because he was losing many cases. "Yes, Doctor, stop aspirin and go down to a homeopathic pharmacy, and get homeopathic remedies." The Doctor replied: "But that is homeopathy." "I know it, but the homeopathic doctors for whom I have nursed have not lost a single case."--W. F. Edmundson, MD, Pittsburgh. -<a href="http://www.whale.to/v/winston.html">link</a>

by **Col Quisp** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 5:34 pm

Welcome to RI, Aleanor! I look forward to more posts from you.

by **aleanor** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 6:21 pm

Thank you for the nice welcome, Col Quisp! I've learned an immense amount, reading here over the past few weeks, and have begun to understand and appreciate the temperaments of the various members. Anyone who contributes here is kept honest, and that's good. — A

by **glass** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 10:27 pm

I thought I remembered reading something about this last year... <a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/191418_flu18.html">seattlepi.nwsource.com</a> Saturday, September 18, 2004 1918 killer flu virus to be tested in UW lab Study needed to head off next epidemic, scientists say By TOM PAULSON SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER University of Washington scientists plan to infect monkeys with a killer flu virus grown from tissue exhumed from victims of the 1918 epidemic. They hope the insight they gain will unravel the mystery of why tens of millions of people worldwide died from the virulent flu strain and lead to development of better vaccines and drugs that may save lives in the future. "This was the most deadly infectious disease in the history of mankind, killing at least 40 million people," said Dr. Michael Katze, a UW microbiologist and principal investigator for the local arm of the project. -snip -- <a href="http://www.news-medical.net/?id=4905">www.news-medical.net</a> Genome researchers to look at 1918 Spanish flu Medical Research News Published: Monday, 20-Sep-2004 University of Washington researchers will be taking part in a multi-site project examining a portion of the genome of the strain of influenza responsible for the "Spanish Flu" outbreak in 1918. A group of researchers in the Department of Microbiology at the UW School of Medicine is teaming up with researchers from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York to study the virus through a five-year, $12.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health as well as Scripps Research Institute and the Centers for Disease Control. The funding includes $300,000 this year to develop a proper bio-containment facility for studying the pathology of the virus. Work on the facility will begin after the NIH develops its guidelines for facilities handling flu strains. The UW research team is led by Michael Katze, professor of microbiology. -snip

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