Subject: Bird flu two years to control: WHO

[Athame]

Wednesday, February 11, 2004 Posted: 0109 GMT ( 9:09 AM HKT)


(CNN) -- The deadly bird flu sweeping Asia could take two years to get under control, the World Health Organization has warned.

WHO has also stepped back from its statement last week that the avian virus was not being passed between humans, saying it was now not certain.

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/02/10/birdflu.wrap/

[Occulus]

1. And people here said

I was overreacting. Like I said... trickle, trickle.

[nodehopper]

3. your posts

you know, your concern is appreciated, and I have read through every response you posted to the threads about the flu.

but I have to say, whether you want to or not, you are fear-mongering. That does not make your concern invalid, but your approach is not appreciated by this reader. Info sharing is appreciated, creepy little posts are not. "Trickle, trickle"--what the heck are you, Gollum?

The whole thing about the news "trickling" is an overdetermined prediction; obviously, there are going to be news stories "trickling" about this because this is what's happenning, and it is consistent with how the US press covers such events; this is how it covers SARS.
it's one thing to give a heads up to people, because the avian influenza is definitely scary and something to watch out for and people should follow common sense health & prevention measures. Obviously, if a pandemic breaks out it will be a dangerous and devastating event, one that would strain the health care sector tremendously, especially in the poor and overpopulated sectors, especially in the Third World, and one that definitely could have political ramifications esp. with our current administration. Yes, all of it is realistic and probable to varying degree and scary. However, posting about total breakdown and death of society and The Stand coming to pass, and screaming about Airborne AIDS is, I am sorry to say, the very essence of fear-mongering. I am sure your intentions are good, but your approach seems, to me, somewhat questionable.

Please don't take offense at this; I just think that in the last three years everyone has experienced enough fear-mongering by our administration, and I don't think it's the most responsible way of relaying information.

[Athame]

2. and another thing...

At least 19 lives have been lost to the more virulent H5N1 virus that blights eight Asian countries. Five Thais and 14 Vietnamese have died after contracting bird flu from chickens.

The fear is the virus may combine with a human flu strain and mutate into a new deadly disease that can be passed between humans.

U.N. health officials expect more Asian nations beyond Vietnam and Thailand will see human cases.

***********
As was suggested a few days ago, the news is trickling out. There were "only" 18 deaths as of yesterday. I had not seen this increase, nor heard of the retraction of the finding of possible human to human contact. My sister had SARS last year, so I am watching this story carefully. I know that the info was distorted and downplayed. Note that this story was posted in the wee hours.

[Athame]

4. description of disease from Reuters this morning

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/BKK26529.htm

BANGKOK, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Asia's deadly bird flu virus masquerades as a run-of-the-mill cold before its victims descend rapidly into full-blown pneumonia and death weeks after being infected, a study of human cases in Thailand says.

The study, to be published by the World Health Organisation on Friday, offers the first detailed clinical look at the virus that has killed 19 people, including five Thais, and millions of poultry.

"It's sobering how this virus can be lethal," said Theresa Tam, a Canadian expert on respiratory infections who arrived in Thailand days after the country's first human case of avian influenza was confirmed last month.