Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

The Flu Pandemic and You - A Canadian Guide

Written by two physicians who experienced the SARS epidemic in Toronto:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/pro...283155&s=books

Originally Posted by /www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0385662777/ref=dp_proddesc_0/104-7032030-9351902?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Toronto doctors, nurses, and other health care workers became ill along with members of the public, and some succumbed to SARS... Over 23,000 citizens of Toronto were quarantined as the infection spread.

... It was unsettling to be working alongside a physician colleague, and then to see her quietly excuse herself and ask for a temperature check, and a little while later to be evaluating her as a patient in an isolation room – with a fever and a cough. Fortunately, neither of us became ill, but our friends and colleagues did. ...

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

MADtv: Sesame Street - Bird Flu

You have to laugh sometimes, and this is rather funny, but definitely not for your kids:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K8KvHxh1VI

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

From John Barry, the author of "The Great Pandemic":
http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/nextpandemic...ews_barry.html

Originally Posted by www.cbc.ca/fifth/nextpandemic/interviews_barry.html

Nothing really worked in 1918, nor would it really work today. Cities passed ordinances against shaking hands, against spitting. Washing your hands constantly could work. Limiting your contact with people could obviously limit your chance of infection.

If you were a healthy young adult, ... you were at the highest risk of dying.... Pregnant women had the highest rates of mortality - sometimes extraordinary - mortality rates.

What were the biggest mistakes in 1918 that made things worse? Not taking influenza seriously. The second biggest mistake was that governments did not tell the truth to the public.

I would cut down on my contacts with people. I would sit at home as much as possible with my family. I certainly wouldn’t shake hands, and I would have a large store of canned goods and bottled water and hunker down.

Do you have your own personal supply of Tamiflu? No. Tamiflu is not an answer. The virus is one of the fastest mutating viruses in existence...

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

Alaskan villagers living in the migratory pathways:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...home-headlines

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

Avian Influenza Information Sheet
NORAD-USNORTHCOM/SG


http://www.northcom.mil/avian_flu/info_sheet.htm

http://www.northcom.mil/avian_flu/fl...ld_apr2006.pdf

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

Europe on Bird Flu Alert:
http://birdflubreakingnews.com/templ...77%26cat_id%3D

Inner Mongolia:
http://birdflubreakingnews.com/templ...22_314207.html

Brazil:
http://birdflubreakingnews.com/templ...2F5605%2F53%2F

Japan:
http://birdflubreakingnews.com/templ...F%3FID%3D51791

Nigeria:
http://www.terra.net.lb/wp/Articles/...rticleID=31161

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

Pandemic Influenza - Risk Communication - The Teachable Moment:

http://www.psandman.com/col/pandemic.htm#no-1

Originally Posted by www.psandman.com/col/pandemic.htm#no-1

Reality check time: Nobody — nobody — is sure this will happen. Well, the experts are sure some flu strain will produce a pandemic eventually, but they don’t know which and they don’t know when and they don’t know how bad it will be.

Still, the majority of the world’s virologists, epidemiologists, and infectious disease experts are trembling in fearful anticipation of the epidemiologic equivalent of Code Red: “Pandemic Imminent.” The absence of dissenting voices is stunning. On most risk issues, the experts are loudly divided. Most of them think global warming is real and eating too much cholesterol is harmful, but it won’t take you two minutes on the Web to find respectable experts who disagree. Not on pandemic flu.

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

Malawi:
http://www.nationmalawi.com/articles...rticleID=19204

Angola:
http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=482051
They are just talking about this now?

Australia:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems...0/s1771730.htm

Originally Posted by www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200610/s1771730.htm

we're still concerned that the global epidemic is continuing and that ... the epidemic has come closer to Australia through Indonesia," he said.
"So that's a concern that we have to keep our vigilance and keep monitoring wild birds in through northern Australia."

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

The use of "humanized" avian flu antibodies:

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp...menu183_12_3_3

Originally Posted by /www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=5536979&nav=menu183_12_3_3

The biggest limitation of the humanized antibody is that "it recognizes only a small portion of the virus," said Webby, who works at St. Jude. "If the virus changes only a little bit, it might not be effective. We have to look at how this antibody works against the variants that are out there in Africa and the Middle East."

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

Commentary on H5N1 infection of a veterinarian in Mongolia this week, the first human case in that area:

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/10...golia_Vet.html

Originally Posted by www.recombinomics.com/News/10220601/H5N1_Mongolia_Vet.html

It is not clear if the infection was linked to a lab procedure by the veterinarian/scientist, or was acquired through proximity to infected birds. Earlier media reports described a massive outbreak of H5N1 in Tuva and adjacent areas in Mongolia.