Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

Commentary on the scandalous hoarding of viral sequences by the WHO and other agencies. There is simply no acceptable reason for this anymore. You have to ask why?
Post Publication Hoarding of H5N1 Sequences by The WHO

Originally Posted by www.recombinomics.com/News/11210602/H5N1_Hoarding_Post.html

Thus, although the samples are collected by public health agencies, the data is withheld from the public by the WHO affiliated labs until publication.

However, the sequence hoarders have now extended the hoarding beyond publication. This has been done in two recent high profile publications.

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

Recent changes to the USDA Report documenting finds of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) in wild birds spreading into other states. It is important to realize why they are testing. Assurances to the public that LPAI is not a problem are somewhat misleading. LPAI is a problem if poultry become infected because of the very real potential for it to mutate to a highly pathogenic form. They would not be monitoring and testing if it was not an issue.
http://wildlifedisease.nbii.gov/ai/LPAITable.pdf

Contrast the reassurances with this article:
Penn State Poultry Expert Explains Changes | Lancaster Farming

Originally Posted by www.lancasterfarming.com/node/257

Penn State Poultry Expert Explains Changes | Lancaster Farming]
The importance of containing LPAI is that the virus can mutate into a highly pathogenic form (HPAI). This is what happened in Pennsylvania and Virginia in 1983-1984 when about 17 million birds were euthanized because of a deadly HPAI outbreak.

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

Triage Protocol for Critical Care during a Pandemic:
Development of a triage protocol for critical care during an influenza pandemic -- Christian et al. 175 (11): 1377 -- Canadian Medical Association Journal

Bush pledges to help Indonesia with avian flu, except that he names the wrong country as the source of the problem:
http://www.antara.co.id/en/seenws/?id=2364

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

CIDRAP update on two new mutations effecting transmissibility of H5N1:
http://http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cid...6mutation.html

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This study illustrates the type of situation that is of concern in Africa with its hugh caseload of HIV infected patients:

Entrez PubMed

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

The WHO hoarding Azerbaijan sequences in data bases post publication for what reason?
http://www.recombinomics.com/News/11...zerbaijan.html

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

A little primer on reading gene sequences from the Flu Forum at
CurEvents.com - A Global Current Events Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Reading gene sequences for idiots

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

Excellent links! Anything new to report?

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

All animals including dogs, cats, pigs, probably every living bird, culled at South Korean poultry farm:
YONHAP NEWS

South Korea to slaughter 236,000 poultry after outbreak of bird flu - Asia - Pacific - International Herald Tribune

Official: SKorean bird flu outbreak caused by 'highly pathogenic' type of H5N1

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

PCR is still the only truly accurate test, study shows:
Rapid tests for bird flu are flawed, studies show - Americas - International Herald Tribune

Lessons from 1918:
ACSH > Facts & Fears > Archives

Mongolians fear for their horses:
HEALTH-MONGOLIA: Where Migratory Birds Are Bad News

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

Re-occurrence of H5N1 in Ivory Coast:
H5N1 Re-Emerges In Ivory Coast

As the folks at Flutrackers have pointed out, the Ivory Coast is in migratory pathways that include Western Europe and the eastern USA. The Northern Wheatear is one bird that spends the winter in Ivory Coast, and ends up in the northern part of North America (Alaska, Yukon, and Northwest Territories).
The fact that they have only found a few instances of avian flu is probably more related to not looking very hard, rather than what is actually present in the area.


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