Tracking the next pandemic: Avian Flu Talk |
1/4 of world's pigs, dead African swine flu |
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carbon20
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Posted: November 05 2019 at 1:18pm |
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Menu SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE A quarter of all pigs have died this year due to African swine fever DAILY-NEWS 5 November 2019 By Debora MacKenzie A dead pig is put into a quarantined pit in Hanoi to stop the spread of African Swine Fever A dead pig is put into a quarantined pit in Hanoi to stop the spread of African Swine Fever MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP via Getty Images A quarter of the world’s domestic pigs have died this year as a virus rampages across Eurasia, and that may be just the start. Half the pigs in China – which last year numbered 440 million, some 50 per cent of the world’s pigs – have either died of African swine fever (ASF) or been killed to stamp out the virus. ASF comes from East Africa. In 2007, it reached Georgia in the Caucasus in contaminated meat, and in infected wild boar. Now, it is all over Russia and eastern Europe and infected wild boar have turned up as far west as Belgium. It is also spreading in east Asia, killing many pigs in Vietnam and elsewhere. Read more: Human versus pig: Can we outwit the hog hordes? ASF was spotted in China in August 2018. It is now in every province. The virus may have spread there from North Korea. Advertisement The only way to get rid of ASF is to kill infected herds. But while pigs on farms can be destroyed and replaced, the disease persists in wild boar and feral hogs, as well as in meat, which is increasingly sold abroad. “I predict ASF virus will remain endemic for some time in east Asia and eastern Europe, with constant introductions around the world,” says Dirk Pfeiffer of City University in Hong Kong. “Currently nobody on this planet has the solution to the problem.” Read more: The porker paradox: A very human dilemma Despite years of warnings from virologists, there is no vaccine. Most vaccines against viruses stimulate the body to make antibodies against viral structural proteins, such as those in the virus coating. These then stop the virus from entering cells, for example. But ASF, says Linda Dixon of The Pirbright Institute in Surrey, UK, is a large, complex virus, with two coatings and several ways of entering cells. Antibodies to various bits of it have never been enough to stop it. We will now be able to look for better antibody targets, says Dixon, as scientists in China and Spain published the first detailed images of the virus last month (Journal of Biological Chemistry, doi.org/ddqz). Experimental vaccines made of live, weakened ASF have worked better, says Dixon. These prompt specialised blood cells to recognise a range of viral proteins, but there are several hurdles to developing such vaccines for use. Meanwhile, she fears, ASF “could go global”. Read more: 30 years ago, Haitians had to look on in horror as their pigs were slaughtered Contact usHelpAbout usPrivacy & cookiesTerms & conditions AdvertiseWrite for usEventsScience jobsSyndicationRSS feeds Gift subscriptionsStudent subscriptionsEducational subscriptionsCorporate subscriptions GET THE APP FOLLOW US © Copyright New Scientist Ltd. |
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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖
Marcus Aurelius |
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CRS, DrPH
Expert Level Adviser Joined: January 20 2014 Location: Arizona Status: Offline Points: 26660 |
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Amazing....Chinese Death Star will bring us all down with it.
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CRS, DrPH
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carbon20
Moderator Joined: April 08 2006 Location: West Australia Status: Offline Points: 65816 |
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I know you Doc,and Techno,say this cant jump spieces,i hope your correct,
However this Pig Pandemic is a big reminder why we must be vigilant...... |
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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖
Marcus Aurelius |
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Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
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I don't think it has to jump species to be bad news. The number of pig deaths is staggering. The pork industry is probably holding its collective breath and saying: "Hail Mary"s repeatedly.
It may not threaten us virally, but it is going to cause big economic problems and bacon may get quite rare and pricey. I have a bit of a problem with eating pork in general so no loss to me, but this is a slowly-unfolding disaster to some. |
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Technophobe
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Ps. It says a lot about Chinese farming methods too. So, whereas it is not a direct threat NOW, what about the next pig virus. Chuck has it about right there.
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Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
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There is a sliver of good news.
Asfivirus (the genus of species to which ASF belongs - and its the only one) are practicioners of multigene familiy replication. This slows down antigenic drift. So the species tends to remain unchanged over great periods of time. This slow evolution might be the reason it only affects the family of pigs. It also more than doubly reduces the possiblility of hopping species - and buys time to find vaccines and treatments. I won't say it's impossible (Strange things happen in the world of genetics and we even have some DNA in common with broad beans!) but of all the billions of viruses primed to jump into humans, ASF is very close to the bottom of the list. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/asfarviridae https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/multigene-family |
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How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
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EdwinSm,
Moderator Joined: April 03 2013 Status: Offline Points: 24065 |
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You can cure bacon, but now we need to find something to cure the pigs.
[Sorry, I am in a silly mood this morning, maybe something to do with the world were I am being white with snow] |
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carbon20
Moderator Joined: April 08 2006 Location: West Australia Status: Offline Points: 65816 |
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LMAO.....
We hitting 40c tomorrow..... |
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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖
Marcus Aurelius |
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Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
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I am seriously jealous, Carbon. A smattering of snow fell here -AND IT'S ONLY NOVEMBER! Snow does not fall here until january usually.
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How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
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carbon20
Moderator Joined: April 08 2006 Location: West Australia Status: Offline Points: 65816 |
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40c is nothing to be jealous about, we had our winter clothing on last week it was 15c,
These massive swings in temperature are not normal ,we do have odd weather in our spring (now) but not like this Plus major fires in the NSW,Queensland part of the country...... All while Africa floods...... The only news you get is either about Chump or Brexit.neither of which matter in the long run |
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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖
Marcus Aurelius |
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carbon20
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9News: Melbourne facing coldest spring in more than a decade.
https://www.9news.com.au/wild-weather/melbourne-weather-forecast-victoria-facing-coldest-spring-in-more-than-a-decade/a21a7281-b38e-48b8-ba1c-24bbffeaf6d9 |
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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖
Marcus Aurelius |
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Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
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Yep. Our climate is up the creek and we do not have a paddle.
Worse!!! Now we will have to argue (AGAIN!) with the ill educated twerps who think this is a symptom of global cooling. I already feel like a stuck record.... uck recor....uck recor....uck recor ....uck recor.....I seem to be losing my voice. |
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How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
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carbon20
Moderator Joined: April 08 2006 Location: West Australia Status: Offline Points: 65816 |
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39.5c yesterday,19c today...20c difference........
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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖
Marcus Aurelius |
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EdwinSm,
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Meat prices continue to rise, according to the FAO's öatest (October 2019) report
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Technophobe
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African swine fever kills more than 20 wild boar in Poland
4 December 2019 Cases of deadly African swine fever in western Poland, some 40 kilometers (24 miles) from the German border, have led Poland's veterinary authorities to seal off forests and terrain in that area. Local farmers calling for hunters to eliminate wild boar in the region. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski/file) An outbreak of African swine fever in Poland near the German border has killed 21 wild boar, the agriculture minister said Wednesday. Authorities were adding 56 kilometers (34 miles) to a previously installed 80-kilometer (48-mile) fence; local hunters were instructed to eliminate all wild boar in the area near the town of Zielona Gora; and Army soldiers were combing forests in search of fallen animals, said Agriculture Minister Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski. Ardanowski said the fence was aimed at protecting swine farms in the populous neighboring province near the city of Poznan. He said the disease had not been found in livestock. More than 2,000 boar have been sickened or killed by the disease this year, most of them in the eastern region that borders Ukraine, where Ardanowski said the disease is believed to have originated. Earlier this year, amid protests from animal rights groups, hunters killed 270,000 wild boar in eastern Poland in an effort to prevent the disease from spreading. That effort was largely successful until cases were discovered in the western part of the county last month. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-12-deadly-swine-flu-outbreak-poland.html |
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How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
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EdwinSm,
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Now it has spread to Indonesia...
It has had a wide impact in China and South East Asia
BBC Link |
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carbon20
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The Pig farmers here are getting the jitters
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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖
Marcus Aurelius |
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ME163
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China is going to panic as this thing gets much worse. Talked to some Chinese students at the local college. There is a sense of panic among Chinese pork producers and farmers in many areas. Get your ham and bacon while you still can find it at a decent price. Eventually, like all flu viruses it combines with other viruses.
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EdwinSm,
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Not just the farmers....this is hitting the consumers as well (from the article I linked above]
Pork prices must have shot up if they made up most of the rate of inflation! And the New Year celebrations are still to come! |
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