Tracking the next pandemic: Avian Flu Talk |
A new strain of flu |
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Tabitha111
Adviser Group Joined: January 11 2020 Location: Virginia Status: Offline Points: 11640 |
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Posted: June 29 2020 at 2:49pm |
You heard it here first! Warning Will Robinson!! Warning!! Flu virus with 'pandemic potential' found in China By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News It emerged recently and is carried by pigs, but can infect humans, they say. The researchers are concerned that it could mutate further so that it can spread easily from person to person, and trigger a global outbreak. They say it has "all the hallmarks" of being highly adapted to infect humans - and needs close monitoring. As it's new, people could have little or no immunity to the virus. Pandemic threat A bad new strain of influenza is among the top disease threats that experts are watching for, even as the world attempts to bring to an end the current coronavirus pandemic. The last pandemic flu the world encountered - the swine flu outbreak of 2009 that began in Mexico - was less deadly than initially feared, largely because many older people had some immunity to it, probably because of its similarity to other flu viruses that had circulated years before. That virus, called A/H1N1pdm09, is now covered by the annual flu vaccine to make sure people are protected. The new flu strain that has been identified in China is similar to 2009 swine flu, but with some new changes. So far, it hasn't posed a big threat, but Prof Kin-Chow Chang and colleagues who have been studying it, say it is one to keep an eye on. The virus, which the researchers call G4 EA H1N1, can grow and multiply in the cells that line the human airways. They found evidence of recent infection starting in people who worked in abattoirs and the swine industry in China. Current flu vaccines do not appear to protect against it, although they could be adapted to do so if needed. Prof Kin-Chow Chang, who works at Nottingham University in the UK, told the BBC: "Right now we are distracted with coronavirus and rightly so. But we must not lose sight of potentially dangerous new viruses." While this new virus is not an immediate problem, he says: "We should not ignore it". The scientists write in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that measures to control the virus in pigs and closely monitor working populations should be swiftly implemented. Prof James Wood, Head of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge, said the work "comes as a salutary reminder" that we are constantly at risk of new emergence of pathogens, and that farmed animals, with which humans have greater contact than with wildlife, may act as the source for important pandemic viruses. |
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'A man who does not think and plan long ahead will find trouble right at his door.'
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WitchMisspelled
Adviser Group Joined: January 20 2020 Status: Offline Points: 17170 |
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2020 just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it? |
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carbon20
Moderator Joined: April 08 2006 Location: West Australia Status: Offline Points: 65816 |
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I hope someone has told Chump..... Lest he say he wasn't briefed...... Unless it's FAKE NEWS..... LOL..not funny I know..... |
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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖
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Usk
V.I.P. Member Joined: January 26 2020 Location: Virginia Status: Offline Points: 7325 |
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That is all old news. It is called swine flu and it is not new |
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carbon20
Moderator Joined: April 08 2006 Location: West Australia Status: Offline Points: 65816 |
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CTV News: New influenza strain identified in pigs has 'essential hallmarks' of a pandemic virus. The Spanish flu was H1N1..... |
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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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Dutch Josh
Adviser Group Joined: May 01 2013 Location: Arnhem-Netherla Status: Offline Points: 95547 |
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The G4 EA H1N1 virus has been in pigs since 2016-is now becoming another risk for human spread. So it is an older virus becoming a new-not unexpected-risk. The only way to deal with that-stop international air travel and stop eating/farming pigs ! But most likely we will do both when the virus is already spreading....(eventhough [url]https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/29/china-reports-african-swine-fever-outbreak-in-gansu-province.html[/url] China is now buying pigs from around the globe-African Swine Fever may have killed more than 50% of Chinese pigs.) [url]https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/06/23/1921186117[/url] ; AbstractPigs are considered as important hosts or “mixing vessels” for the generation of pandemic influenza viruses. Systematic surveillance of influenza viruses in pigs is essential for early warning and preparedness for the next potential pandemic. Here, we report on an influenza virus surveillance of pigs from 2011 to 2018 in China, and identify a recently emerged genotype 4 (G4) reassortant Eurasian avian-like (EA) H1N1 virus, which bears 2009 pandemic (pdm/09) and triple-reassortant (TR)-derived internal genes and has been predominant in swine populations since 2016. Similar to pdm/09 virus, G4 viruses bind to human-type receptors, produce much higher progeny virus in human airway epithelial cells, and show efficient infectivity and aerosol transmission in ferrets. Moreover, low antigenic cross-reactivity of human influenza vaccine strains with G4 reassortant EA H1N1 virus indicates that preexisting population immunity does not provide protection against G4 viruses. Further serological surveillance among occupational exposure population showed that 10.4% (35/338) of swine workers were positive for G4 EA H1N1 virus, especially for participants 18 y to 35 y old, who had 20.5% (9/44) seropositive rates, indicating that the predominant G4 EA H1N1 virus has acquired increased human infectivity. Such infectivity greatly enhances the opportunity for virus adaptation in humans and raises concerns for the possible generation of pandemic viruses. |
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EdwinSm,
Moderator Joined: April 03 2013 Status: Offline Points: 24065 |
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[Josh posted much that same as I was trying to compose this, so this is basically a duplicate of what he wrote] While it has elements from the old swine flu this is a new combination meaning that "preexisting population immunity does not provide protection ". Definitely something to keep an eye on.
https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/06/23/1921186117 Also in more laypersons terms see https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53218704 |
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Dutch Josh
Adviser Group Joined: May 01 2013 Location: Arnhem-Netherla Status: Offline Points: 95547 |
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EdwinSM-we most likely both agree that this is bad news. Healthcare already overstretched globally, then a new flu-virus (as more or less could be expected) on top of it. Good news is lots of borders still closed-the EU opened the border for China (NOT for the US and Brazil)-so, airlines running on tax payers money can fly this new flu virus around the globe in combination with Covid19. You get two virusses and it's all for free ! What an offer ! You can not say "no" to that ! |
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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
~Albert Einstein |
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roni3470
Adviser Group Joined: August 30 2006 Location: Colorado Status: Offline Points: 5390 |
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Again, why are they pegging this as a potential new threat? Technically any virus can mutate and turn into a pandemic. What is special about this one? |
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Newbie1A
Adviser Group Joined: January 26 2018 Location: Alberta Status: Offline Points: 11180 |
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Well... if you are a 'tinfoil hatter' … it's said 'they' must give warning to the commoners... maybe 'they' are priming us for this to be the 'next one'... |
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If it's to be - it's up to me!
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roni3470
Adviser Group Joined: August 30 2006 Location: Colorado Status: Offline Points: 5390 |
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anyone have any updates on this virus?? |
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NOW is the Season to Know
that Everything you Do is Sacred |
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Usk
V.I.P. Member Joined: January 26 2020 Location: Virginia Status: Offline Points: 7325 |
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Dr Fauci in an interview this week said it wasn’t anything for humans to worry about right now. They were keeping an eye on it but not likely to cause another pandemic in humans just pigs |
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roni3470
Adviser Group Joined: August 30 2006 Location: Colorado Status: Offline Points: 5390 |
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That is what I thought too but then the media blew it up! haha |
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NOW is the Season to Know
that Everything you Do is Sacred |
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CRS, DrPH
Expert Level Adviser Joined: January 20 2014 Location: Arizona Status: Offline Points: 26660 |
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This is the most worrisome aspect of the article. Many of the avian viruses like H5N1 are poorly adapted to grow in human airway tissue, which is why they haven't yet achieved pandemic potential (further mutations are needed to facilitate human-to-human transmission). The virus, which the researchers call G4 EA H1N1, can grow and multiply in the cells that line the human airways. |
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CRS, DrPH
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Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
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I might believe Fauci more than Trump, but that's not saying a lot. I would expect this to be downplayed, there is already enough to worry about. In actual fact, this is quite scary. Hopefully, social distancing, masks and hygene-obsession can halt it, if it starts to spread among humans. Oh I forgot - freedom to spread a deadly disease is constitutionally protected. Silly me! |
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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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Just because it won't affect humans is no reason to be complacent...... Pork is a main staple food for billions of people If all the pigs died........ Big trouble..... And the chance of mutation would go through the roof....... Another Big worry is the "Fall army worm"....... Watch what's happening with that....... |
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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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roni3470
Adviser Group Joined: August 30 2006 Location: Colorado Status: Offline Points: 5390 |
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Yes but to present another point...at any given time, any of the viruses out there COULD mutate and turn into something easily tranmittable among humans and become deadly. So stressing this one until it actually makes the jump is seemingly fear mongering. Just my opinion though! |
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NOW is the Season to Know
that Everything you Do is Sacred |
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roni3470
Adviser Group Joined: August 30 2006 Location: Colorado Status: Offline Points: 5390 |
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Oh and seriously...is anyone on this site ever complacent :) :) |
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NOW is the Season to Know
that Everything you Do is Sacred |
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carbon20
Moderator Joined: April 08 2006 Location: West Australia Status: Offline Points: 65816 |
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Agree entirely..... No point stressing about this virus when the world battling Covid19...... |
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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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