Friday night Pandemic Watch - Swine Flu coming to you?

[Jeff]

So it will be rather helpful to the universal heathcare proponents...

Well, I quit my job so I could work alone,
Then I changed my name to Sherlock Holmes.
Followed some clues from my detective bag
And discovered they wus red stripes on the American flag!

Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues

[lightningBugout]

I think it is also important to note, as others have, that this is only the first wave and that next winter it will likely hit harder and more wide spread, keep in mind that I am not denying the swine flu exists but I believe they want it to spread far and wide. I believe that because next winter will be right around the time Obama's socialized universal health care plan will be making its appearance (its in the new 3 trillion dollar budget among many other sinister things like CAP AND TRADE which will increase your electrical bill by thousands of dollars and which coincidently nobody is talking about right now because of the flu distraction, the budget and its congressional debate is getting no air time). So it will be rather helpful to the universal heathcare proponents to have an epidemic/pandemic taking place during the introduction of their agenda.

Not that I am against everyone having access to health care or anything but...

What bothers me about your logic is that you don't flesh out "they" in much detail and sometimes on this thread you've popped in and just said something like "they think we are guppies" or now, "they want it to spread far and wide." If you mean the deep PTB, its not clear to me. Though judging by what you've now followed up with, it would seem you mean the domestic policy wing of Obama's administration? I'm also not convinced that a pandemic taking place would help strengthen the case for universal healthcare. Opponents of universal healthcare are not likely big fans of govt or champions of its efficiency. Raise the stakes (ie we need to make vaccines fast and distribute Tamiflu effectively) and I'd think them less likely to trust the govt. and to support universal healthcare.

[chiggerbit]

I think it is also important to note, as others have, that this is only the first wave and that next winter it will likely hit harder and more wide spread, keep in mind that I am not denying the swine flu exists but I believe they want it to spread far and wide.

Then read this article again, if that's what you believe, Percy. I think it's clear that this has become a very complicated disease, and no conspiracy needs to be involved. The article is a 2004 article, so not a part of the "hype".

http://www.porkmag.com/directories.asp? ... ent_id=807


".....According to Marie Gramer, Veterinary Diagnostic Medicine, University of Minnesota, the new reassortant H1N1 strains are adding to the confusion about SIV and contributing to problems surrounding its control.

“Multiple strains active in a herd on a nearly continual basis make SIV testing more complicated,” says Gramer. “It’s difficult to identify strains definitively using only the basic testing procedures.”

It’s possible for one herd to carry multiple SIV strains including H1N1, rH1N1, H1N2 and H3N2, stresses Gramer. To identify multiple strains in a herd the diagnostic lab must do genetic sequencing of the virus in addition to performing serotyping.

“Today, SIV is a moving target,” says Gene Erickson, Rollins Laboratory, Raleigh, N.C., “with the emergence of H3N2, it has become clear that the virus has a broad ability to reassort with other strains of virus co-circulating in the herd, at the same time allowing it to create a new virus.”

“We’re seeing documented cases in well-vaccinated pigs where the SIV vaccine hasn’t offered adequate protection,” acknowledges Gramer. “The vaccine didn’t necessarily fail, it just didn’t cover new strains circulating within the herd....”'


"....Since 1998, SIV has moved from a single, stable virus to a virus with the ability to reconfigure itself to the point where it may avoid control by existing vaccines.


“The new H1N1 strain emerged from a process called genetic reassortment, which occurs when a single cell is infected by two different influenza viruses,” explains Robyn Fleck, a technical service veterinarian at Schering-Plough Animal Health. “The result is a ‘progeny virus’ containing genetic material from both ‘parents’.”

“In other words,” she adds, “the outside of reassortment H1N1 looks like a classical H1N1, but its internal genes are derived from H3N2. Reassortant H1N1 also acts differently from the old classical H1N1. It picks up mutations at an increased rate, thereby evading the pig’s immune system.”

According to Bruce Janke, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Iowa State University, the positive identification of H3N2 in 1998 made SIV “a two-strain disease in many Midwest herds within 6 months, thus setting the stage for further variations.”'

[Percival]

So it will be rather helpful to the universal heathcare proponents...

Well, I quit my job so I could work alone,
Then I changed my name to Sherlock Holmes.
Followed some clues from my detective bag
And discovered they wus red stripes on the American flag!

Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues

Haha thats good stuff there, Jeff. Thanks for the laugh, I needed that.

[Percival]

I think it is also important to note, as others have, that this is only the first wave and that next winter it will likely hit harder and more wide spread, keep in mind that I am not denying the swine flu exists but I believe they want it to spread far and wide. I believe that because next winter will be right around the time Obama's socialized universal health care plan will be making its appearance (its in the new 3 trillion dollar budget among many other sinister things like CAP AND TRADE which will increase your electrical bill by thousands of dollars and which coincidently nobody is talking about right now because of the flu distraction, the budget and its congressional debate is getting no air time). So it will be rather helpful to the universal heathcare proponents to have an epidemic/pandemic taking place during the introduction of their agenda.

Not that I am against everyone having access to health care or anything but...

What bothers me about your logic is that you don't flesh out "they" in much detail and sometimes on this thread you've popped in and just said something like "they think we are guppies" or now, "they want it to spread far and wide." If you mean the deep PTB, its not clear to me. Though judging by what you've now followed up with, it would seem you mean the domestic policy wing of Obama's administration? I'm also not convinced that a pandemic taking place would help strengthen the case for universal healthcare. Opponents of universal healthcare are not likely big fans of govt or champions of its efficiency. Raise the stakes (ie we need to make vaccines fast and distribute Tamiflu effectively) and I'd think them less likely to trust the govt. and to support universal healthcare.

25 years dedicated to learning about deep politics, high weirdness and the unseen hand and I still have no idea who 'they' are but I think it is safe to assume they exist, they are real, and they dont have our best interest in mind.

The bottom line is I have become numb to these types of things, like I said before it is always something but it is never anything. The media has cried wolf so many times, and especially since 9-11, that I just have a hard time believing it anymore. That is not to say that I encourage people to be reckless and not take precautions, but I also do not see the point in getting all worked up over these types of things either.

[Percival]

I think it is also important to note, as others have, that this is only the first wave and that next winter it will likely hit harder and more wide spread, keep in mind that I am not denying the swine flu exists but I believe they want it to spread far and wide.

Then read this article again, if that's what you believe, Percy. I think it's clear that this has become a very complicated disease, and no conspiracy needs to be involved. The article is a 2004 article, so not a part of the "hype".

http://www.porkmag.com/directories.asp? ... ent_id=807


".....According to Marie Gramer, Veterinary Diagnostic Medicine, University of Minnesota, the new reassortant H1N1 strains are adding to the confusion about SIV and contributing to problems surrounding its control.

“Multiple strains active in a herd on a nearly continual basis make SIV testing more complicated,” says Gramer. “It’s difficult to identify strains definitively using only the basic testing procedures.”

It’s possible for one herd to carry multiple SIV strains including H1N1, rH1N1, H1N2 and H3N2, stresses Gramer. To identify multiple strains in a herd the diagnostic lab must do genetic sequencing of the virus in addition to performing serotyping.

“Today, SIV is a moving target,” says Gene Erickson, Rollins Laboratory, Raleigh, N.C., “with the emergence of H3N2, it has become clear that the virus has a broad ability to reassort with other strains of virus co-circulating in the herd, at the same time allowing it to create a new virus.”

“We’re seeing documented cases in well-vaccinated pigs where the SIV vaccine hasn’t offered adequate protection,” acknowledges Gramer. “The vaccine didn’t necessarily fail, it just didn’t cover new strains circulating within the herd....”'


"....Since 1998, SIV has moved from a single, stable virus to a virus with the ability to reconfigure itself to the point where it may avoid control by existing vaccines.


“The new H1N1 strain emerged from a process called genetic reassortment, which occurs when a single cell is infected by two different influenza viruses,” explains Robyn Fleck, a technical service veterinarian at Schering-Plough Animal Health. “The result is a ‘progeny virus’ containing genetic material from both ‘parents’.”

“In other words,” she adds, “the outside of reassortment H1N1 looks like a classical H1N1, but its internal genes are derived from H3N2. Reassortant H1N1 also acts differently from the old classical H1N1. It picks up mutations at an increased rate, thereby evading the pig’s immune system.”

According to Bruce Janke, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Iowa State University, the positive identification of H3N2 in 1998 made SIV “a two-strain disease in many Midwest herds within 6 months, thus setting the stage for further variations.”'

Good article, Chiggerbit. So you think this is real and we are facing an actual pandemic that is going to kill a lot of people?

[lightningBugout]

If 25 years has left you with nothing but the idea of a mysterious and singular master hand, I'd argue that's no different than believing in a mysterious and singular god-force.

[chiggerbit]

I think it had the potential of being a pandemic (well, still does, actually, as it isn't totally over yet) and that it could have killed a lot of people. Even if this one doesn't, I'd say there's a good chance that the next one will. Hell, maybe we'll get "lucky" and be bombarded with so many different strains that flu will wear itself out kind of like scarlet fever did.

[slow_dazzle]

A pandemic flu ARG was being developed just before the panic broke ...

http://coralcross.org/

Hat tip to Cryptogon

[Percival]

If 25 years has left you with nothing but the idea of a mysterious and singular master hand, I'd argue that's no different than believing in a mysterious and singular god-force.

Nah, not singular and not the Jooz re the Protocols, nothing like that but certainly there is a ruling class.

[lightningBugout]

Why, might I ask, do you believe the "ruling class" wants Americans to have universal healthcare?

[Percival]

I dont think universal healthcare is a bad thing nor is it a conspiracy, although one could make the argument it will give the govt even more control over the decisions we make about our lives, however there are a lot of people against the idea of UH and so all I am saying is that those who are for it, now being in power, would not be beyond, in my opinion, creating the kind of environment needed to get everyone on board and a pandemic would certainly work well in that regard.

[Jeff]

Alberta pigs likely infected with flu from worker: CFIA official

May 2

In what would be the first reported case of its kind, a farm worker with the swine flu virus is believed to have infected about 200 pigs in Alberta, a top official with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Saturday.

Dr. Brian Evans, executive vice-president of the CFIA, said at a news conference in Ottawa that the pigs were apparently infected by a farm worker who had recently been in Mexico and fell ill upon his return.

The worker returned from Mexico on April 12 and worked at the Alberta farm two days later. He "may have exposed pigs there to the illness," Evans told reporters.

The man has since recovered. The pigs are also recovering and the herd in question has been quarantined, he said. Samples from the infected pigs are being analyzed.

"We have found the virus is the one being tracked in the human population," Evans said. About 10 per cent of the 2,200 pigs at the farm exhibited flu-like symptoms such as loss of appetite or fever, he said.

"I want to be clear — there is no food safety concern related to this finding," said Evans.

It is common for pigs to contract influenza, he said. But this is the first known case of the H1N1 virus being transmitted from humans to pigs.

Normally, detecting influenza in pigs wouldn't generate a response from food safety officials, but with an international flu outbreak the current circumstances are different, Evans said.

"The chance that these pigs could transfer virus to a person is remote," said Evans.

The outbreak among pigs, he said, was confined to the herd in question as none of the pigs have been moved outside the farm or sold elsewhere.

...

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/05/ ... es789.html

[OP ED]

Why, might I ask, do you believe the "ruling class" wants Americans to have universal healthcare?

i thought the ruling class consisted largely of health insurance salesmen.

[myriadsmallcreature]

If you wanted, you could have universal healthcare within thirty days across all of North America.

Be careful what you wish for.

Do you want to instigate the singularity?