Bird Flu – Want the Good News or the Bad News?

A report from the Yonhap New Agency recently told us about of the latest outbreak of the Avian Influenza virus in South Korea.

 

Apparently, The strain of avian influenza that broke out in South Korea this year, is a type that has not caused any human infections, as opposed to the various other strains found in Southeast Asia.

 

The strain of bird flu that has swept the country for the past five weeks is different from those found in Indonesia and Vietnam, where the disease has been transmitted to humans, resulting in many human deaths, according to an intermediary report by the National Veterinary Research Quarantine Service.

The report also said that this year’s outbreak was different from the strains that occurred in 2003 and 2006 in South Korea.

 

Surely this is very good news for us all.

 

Yes and no.

 

The most frightening part of the report is the casual mention of the fact that ” this year’s outbreak was different from the strains that occurred in 2003 and 2006 in South Korea.”

 

Apparently, we should now expect new mutations of this killer virus on a regular bases!

 

The rate of the mutation of the various strains of the Avian Influenza virus is rapidly growing, with new and different strains of the virus popping up at a faster rate all over the place.

 

The fact that the current mutation in South Korea has not caused any human infections does not mean that the next mutated strain of the virus would also be as kind to us as the current strain.

 

So even though we can be thankful for the South Korean throw of the “mutation dice”, yet we should realise that every harmless mutation, increases the chances of a really bad strain of the virus appearing the next time.

 

Credits:

 

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr 

 

www.birflubreakingnews.com  

 

 

Of Word-Jacking and the Birdflu President

It seems very likely that the next US president will encounter the BirdFlu Pandemic in America during the next four years.

 

Read on.

 

 

It is now almost certain that the US of A will sleep walk in to another nightmare lasting at least a further four years.

All because Bill Clinton “did not have sex with that woman”?

How does that take any thing away from one of the most successful women of our time?

What did she do?

 

I mean, other than not letting any event in her personal or public life bring her down.

 

what did she do?

 

I know. She is not black. That must be it.

So America elects another novice who is still waiiting for the President of Canada to speak to him.

Like Bush he will, I am told, have the best people to guide him.  

 

These “best people” will be guiding the new President through a most crucial time for the world.

 

At a time when China and Russia are rapidly moving in to a cold war posture, not to mention the problems in Iran in Pakistan (hope he will NOT bomb Pakistan) and in the caves in Afghanistan!

This is hardly the time to take chances.

I had recently written a post about WORD-JACKING by Bush and by Obama.

It has now been turned in to a video on the UTube by some one who apparently can also see through the all pervasive fog of National guilt and political opportunism.

Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4tzfpSUzQ8

 

Never thought that after the disasters of the last eight years, I would be supporting a Republican candidate for the post of the next president!

BIRD FLU – Wild Birds or the “Factory Poultry Farms”?

BIRD FLU –  Wild Birds or the “Factory Poultry Farms”? 

 

The role of migratory birds and of poultry trade in the dispersal of highly pathogenic H5N1 is still the topic of intense and controversial debate.

 

On one side we have the mighty poultry farming sector, applying all kinds of pressure to absolve the “factory farms” from any blame for the increasing number of outbreaks of the H5N1 and other viruses.

 

From the Poultry farming sector’s point of view it is the wild birds, that bring the virus from the bird flu afflicted countries and infect the domestic poultry.

 

On the other side, we have equally passionate arguments from those who believe that it is the “factory farms” think Barnard Matthews, that are to blame for creating the un-natural conditions that result in the growth of the viruses.

 

Below is a “discussion” from the Virology Journal,  in a “provisional PDF document”:

 

http://www.virologyj.com/content/pdf/1743-422x-5-57.pdf

 

What it is saying is that they are still talking about this and not ready to say one way or another!

 

Then there is an article from PETA, :

 

PETA warns of deadly link between Factory-Farm Filth and Bird Flu

 

Here is the article:

http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/other/200805079360.htm

The growing Danger from the Zoonoses.

Zoonoses are defined by the WHO as “Diseases and infections which are naturally transmitted between vertebrate animals and man”.

 

In an article in the scientific American today, David Biello says that the best way to beat bird flu and other zoonotic diseases, he says, is to keep humans and wildlife healthy.

 

A zoonotic agent may be a bacterium, virus, fungus, parasite, or other communicable agent.

Zoonoses cover a broad and growing range of diseases and they can be transmitted by bacterium, virus, fungus, parasite, or a number of other (also growing) agents.

A recent study shows that these zoonoses such as H5N1 bird flu, West Nile and Ebola now account for as much as 58 percent of human pathogens and the number is growing fast.

 

In just the past five years, WHO has identified more than 1,000 epidemics stemming from such pathogens.

 

“There are more flu infections in more countries than ever before,” said veterinarian William Karesh, head of the Field Veterinary Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), during a WSC Conferance in New York City last week.

 

These diseases are hard to stop because they are not only spread by wild animals, mosquitoes and the like but, even more commonly, by billions of livestock animals, such as chickens, ducks and geese raised for food in vast factory farms.

 

Zoonotic outbreaks are triggered by a range of factors, including man-made changes to natural habitats that bring humans into contact with wildlife as well as airplanes and other forms of transport that allow “speedy, long-range dissemination of any disease agent,” says veterinarian Arnon Shimshoni of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

 

“There is an artificial distinction between the health of wildlife, livestock and people,” Karesh said. Sickness in one of these groups, can mean sickness in all.

Credits:

 

www.birdflubreakingnews.com

 

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/zoonoses/

 

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=how-to-clip-bird-flus-wings

Combodia Fights the Bird Flu virus

Here are three video news bulletins from the Apsara News Cambodia, telling us about the efforts of the Government of Cambodia, Border authorities, in their fight against the H5N1 virus.

Interesting.

 Video 1. 

 http://www.probetv.com/view_video.php?viewkey=55c253d0e60dbfa71672

Video 2.

http://www.probetv.com/view_video.php?viewkey=773755d2857aacadb1cb&page=&viewtype=&category=

Video 3.

http://www.probetv.com/view_video.php?viewkey=211726dcce4c0e971e21&page=&viewtype=&category=

Bird-Flu-Free Zones to be set up in Pakistan

Do you remember the time, when there were Smoking and No Smoking sections in all of the flights?

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This meant that of the, ten rows of seats in the Business Class of an aircraft, the first few were Non Smoking and the remaining seats immediately behind those seats, were Smoking seats, or vice verse.

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No body seemed to have mentioned the above arrangement to the smoke from the cigarettes however.

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The smoke would naturally waft along the entire section of the business class.

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Pakistan is one of the few places on the planet, where smoking is still pretty much allowed in most places.

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May be that is why the Government of Pakistan has come up with a brilliant plan to fight the Bird Flu virus in that country.

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The powers that be in Pakistan (not sure if any one knows who they are at this time) have decided that they are to create Bird-flu-Free-Zones in the country.

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These Bird-Flu-Free -Zones will be areas of Pakistan,  where the Bird Flu virus will be banned.

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I guess that means that the rest of Pakistan will be free to have the H5N1 virus roam around at will!

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Exactly how this Moses like separation of natural elements is to be managed is not very clear.

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However, here are excerpts from a report from The News: 

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The Government of Pakistan is considering setting up ‘bird flu free zones’ and ‘poultry disease free units’ containing all bio-security measures in order to control the avian influenza .

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The sources said that all possible steps would be taken at the proposed zones to prevent the virus and diseases.

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The main focus will be on disposal of birds, restriction of wild birds and visitors, disinfection of vehicles, proper vaccination techniques, use of anti-viral spray and maintenance of health environment.

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Moreover, the sources said that there were (currently) no rules and regulations for registration of poultry farms though in the past there was some procedure wherein the Agriculture Development Bank used to grant loans for setting up farms with requirement to produce feasibility report.

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However, if the number of birds (at a poultry farm) was 100,000 or over, then a feasibility report as well as induction of a doctor was deemed necessary.

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Director Poultry Production and Research Sindh (PPRS), Dr Ali Akbar Soomro said that they have trained 16 ‘master trainers’, who have been provided necessary kits to conduct regular surveillance of poultry farms, he told The News.

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Moreover, the institute has set up three laboratories in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur respectively, while seven teams are engaged in creating awareness against the diseases across the province.

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They are working in 14 districts and do not have staff in the newly-created nine more districts of the province, Soomro said.

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However, their areas of concerns are commercial layer farms, commercial broiler farms, backyard poultry and pet birds, where they are stressing for adopting preventive measures. Dr Ali Akbar Soomro added.

Barack Obama takes that “3 AM” Call (Electing Bird Flu President USA)

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Many believe that in addition to all the domestic, economic and diplomatic disasters facing the next US President, there could well be an added disaster of the Bird Flu pandemic looming just over the horizon.

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So we have been taking a look at the candidates for the job of the President of America and the way we all feel about them during the election process.

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It was last week, when that dreaded 3AM (BIG PROBLEM) call came to the phone sitting on Barack Obama’s desk.

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The time of the call may not have been exactly 3 AM, but that is not the point here.

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Barack Obama was asked about a report that a senior official had given back-channel reassurances to Canada soft-pedaling Mr. Obama’s tough talk on Nafta.

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CTV, a Canadian television network, had reported that an Obama official had called the Canadian ambassador in Washington to play down the significance of Mr. Obama’s criticism of Nafta.

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There was was a firm reaction from Obama, as befits a Commander-In-Chief-in-Waiting.

With his usual look of sincerity and absolute honesty, he denied that any such conversation had taken place.

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“It did not happen.” He said.

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When WKYC-TV in Ohio asked Mr. Obama about the CTV report, he said: “I don’t have to clarify it. The Canadian Embassy already clarified it by saying the story was not true. And our office has said the story was not. And so I think it’s important for viewers to understand that it was not true.” When pressed, he said, “It did not happen.”

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Obama’s campaign mobilized as well to strongly refute the above mentioned report of any back-channel reassurances to Canada.

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“At no point did anyone in our campaign convey to anyone that there had been any backing away from Obama’s position on Nafta,” a campaign spokesman, Bill Burton, said Monday.

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That is of course, how a strong Comander-In-Chief-in-Waiting and his campaign should act, immediately and decisively.

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The only thing is, that the denials by Obama and his campaign were er… less than the truth.

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On Monday,a memorandum surfaced, obtained by The Associated Press, showing that Austan D. Goolsbee, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago  who is Mr. Obama’s senior economic policy adviser, met officials last month at the Canadian consulate in Chicago.

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According to the writer of the memorandum, Joseph De Mora, a political and economic affairs consular officer, Professor Goolsbee assured them that Mr. Obama’s protectionist stand on the trail was “more reflective of political maneuvering than policy.”

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It also said the professor had assured the Canadians that Mr. Obama’s language “should be viewed as more about political positioning than a clear articulation of policy plans.”

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So that was how Senator Barack Obama, the Commander-In-Chief-in-Waiting responded to his first Big Problem “3 AM” call.

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Source: The New York Times

Bird-Flu Olympic Games in Beijing?

Other than inviting the His Holiness the Dalai Lama to officiate the ceremony, China would do almost any thing to ensure the success of the Olympic Games to be held in Beijing later this year.

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The Olympic Games are to be the showcase of the new soon to be a superpower.

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Nothing must be allowed to stand in the way of the spectacular events and ceremonies planned by the Chinese Government for duration of the games.

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There is one little thing however, that has been causing increasing concern for the rulers of China.

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It is of course the Bird Flu virus, which seems have returned to China, its country of origin, and is randomly manifesting it self in various parts of the country, over the last year or so.

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There have been human victims of the deadly virus in China and the BirdFlu has also been found in wild birds and domestic poultry in China.

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According to the authorities in the southern Chinese special administrative region (Hong Kong) there are now reports of yet another bird, a dead oriental magpie robin, suspected to have died of the H5 bird flu virus. –                    -The dead bird was collected near the management center in Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve on Friday, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said, adding that the case was subject to further confirmatory tests.

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At the same time, there have been rumors of a young girl who had apparently succumbed to the Bird Flu virus in Hong Kong.

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A local newspaper reported yesterday that the three-year-old girl ‘s death was probably caused by the deadly H5N1 strain of virus, triggering worries of possible outbreak of human-to-human bird flu pandemic.

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According to the Centre for Health Protection, the younger girl came down with fever, cough, runny nose and vomiting on Feb. 29 and consulted a private doctor on the same day. She sought medical treatment from Tuen Mun Hospital on March 1, but her condition deteriorated and she died that evening.

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Dr. Thomas Tsang the controller of the Centre for Health Protection of Hong Kong said that the six-year-old girl was admitted to Tuen Mun Hospital on March 2 and her three- year-old sister, who also suffered from flu-like illness symptoms, died on March 1.

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Dr. Tsang said the girl’s death was a rare occurrence and a post-mortem will be conducted yesterday.

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That is what I am worried about.

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With the Beijing Olympic Games only months away, would the Chinese authorities admit to any human fatalities resulting from the Bird Flu virus in China?

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Censorship in China is the norm rather than an exception, could it be that the Chinese Government would try and hush up any such cases and not report them to the WHO?

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I mean the Chines do not want the Beijing Olympic Games to be known as the Bird Flu Olympics do they?

Sources:

Macau Daily Times

China.org

birdflubreakingnews

“OBAMA SPEAK” Electing Bird Flu President USA

Many believe that in addition to all the domestic, economic and diplomatic disasters facing the next US President, there could well be an added disaster of the Bird Flu pandemic looming just over the horizon.

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So we have been taking a look at the candidates for the job of the President of America and the way we all feel about them during the election process.

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One of the most interesting things to have come to light recently is the “Obama Speak” for lying to the nation, about his proclamations about NAFTA.

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What did his man tell the Canadians?

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“It is more politics than policy”

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Now that is what I call eloquent!

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Normally that would be OK. We all know how politicians are!

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However, when some one like Obama, who has nothing else to show for but his “honesty”, shows him self to be less than honest, then it really, really hurts. 

Animals To Humans Infectious Diseases Map

From the BBC, a map of the world, showing risk levels of emerging diseases transmitted from wildlife.

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The researchers say the majority of hotspots are located in lower-latitude developing nations.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/sci_nat_enl_1203600692/html/1.stm

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Electing the Bird Flu President USA

It is clear to us all that the next President of the USA is likely to encounter all kinds of serious problems.

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Many believe that in addition to all the domestic, economic and diplomatic disasters facing the next US Presidet, there could well be an added disaster of the Bird Flu pandemic looming just over the horizon.

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So we have been taking a look at the candidates for the job of the President of America and the way we all feel about them during the election process.

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During the last few months one thing has become very clear about the way the Americans elect their President.

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The US election 08 clearly tells us that in America, no matter how qualified a woman is, she has very little chance of getting the top job, against a man who wants the same job.

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It is much more important for the Americans to see how the woman looks, sounds or pleases them in some other way, than it is to see if she is the best qualified for the job.

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We can all deny this but if we are really honest about it, we would all have to admit this as a fact.

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It is like getting a male pilot with only one year training to fly a jumbo jet, because he is a man and “he inspires us”, as opposed to a woman who has flown jumbo jets for decades and has weathered all kinds of storms, but “we do not like her”.

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But then that is how George W was elected.

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Was he not the guy you could have a drink with?

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Of course the fact that GW had no idea about running a country, was no problem as he could always “surround himself with the best”!

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We deserve what we get and should not moan about it after the fact.

Is Anjalina Paslain from India, infected with the Bird Flu Virus?

Is Anjalina Paslain, the 21 year old girl from Shillong, infected with the Bird Flu Virus?

National Institute of Communicable Diseases in Delhi is “not ruling out the possibility of bird flu”

Via The Times of India

SHILLONG: A girl suspected to be suffering from bird flu was admitted at Shillong Civil Hospital on Thursday sending Meghalaya health department into a tizzy. State Director of Health Services Dr K H Lakiang said the 21-year-old girl, Anjalina Paslain was admitted with fever and rashes and had been kept in the isolation ward.

The girl, who hails from Sipung in the Jaintia Hills district was first admitted at the local health center, after which she was taken to a private hospital in Shillong, which during the day referred her to the government civil hospital.

Dr Lakiang said: “The blood and stool samples have been collected and will be sent for tests for bird flu virus to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases in Delhi on Friday,” he said.

“Nothing can be said as of now,” he said, while not ruling out the possibility of bird flu.

District Surveillance Officer (Integrated Diseases Surveillance Cell) Dr M Basaiawmoit and other senior officials of the health department also did not rule out the possibility, but said nothing could be confirmed till the test results were received.

Sources:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Suspected_bird-flu_case_in_Meghalaya/articleshow/2802452.cms

www.birdflubreakingnews.com

US Government Pandemic Warning to US Citizens abroad

If the WHO declares a pandemic, Americans who are overseas should be prepared to remain in country for an extended period.

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You should avoid non-essential travel beyond your home and workplace and you should limit activities that could expose you to others who may be ill.

reat blog from the blogs section of –                                                                      –                                                              –

Based on varying conditions abroad, Americans should prepare contingency plans and emergency supplies (non-perishable food, potable water or water-purification supplies, medication, etc.) for the possibility of remaining in country for at least two and up to twelve weeks.

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Visit www.pandemicflu.gov to see examples of comprehensive planning checklists for individuals, businesses, schools, and other groups.

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During a pandemic, people should practice social distancing measures such as teleworking, limiting face-to-face meetings, avoiding crowds, and maintaining a distance of six (6) feet or more from other people.

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“whoever wrote this has never been to China. Probably only in Tibet, Xinjiang, or Inner Mongolia could one possibly get more than 6 feet away from another human being…

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Source:           GlobalizeThis.  A great blog

from the blogs section of www.birdflubreakingnews.com

         

Why are the Crows Dying of H5N1 in Bangladesh?

Up to now, Crows from all over the world have shown them selves to be immune to the H5N1 virus.

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At least there have never been a large number of crows found sick with, or dying from the Bird Flu virus, even in the countries like Indonesia and Vietnam, where the Bird Flu virus has been around for years.

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But that was before the recent and continuing mass deaths of crows in all parts of Bangladesh.

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The local parks in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh are littered with the corpses of crows, reportedly victims of the H5N1 virus.

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Could this be a new mutated strain of the H5N1 virus, that is lethal for the normally hardy crows? 

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If that was not bad enough, now we hear that there are mass deaths of crows reported in Pakistan as well! 

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Of Sunni, Shia, black Americans & US Election08 (Electing BirdFlu President Part 2)

The Sunnis of Iraq will only vote for a Sunny candidate.

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Not because of proven ability. Just because he is a Sunny.

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The Shia of Iraq will vote only for a Shia candidate.

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Not because of proven ability. Just because he is a Shia.

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The black Americans will only vote for the black candidate.

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Not because of proven ability. Just because he is black.

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The election08 has uncovered the real racial divide that exists in America.

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So how would this effect America and the rest of the world over the next four or even eight years?

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Well, let us look back to the election in the year 2000.  

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When good old W was elected for the first time, every one in the entire world was flabbergasted, that a person with no experience with the nations of the world, who had given in to drugs and alcohol in his “week moments”, (but he was now born again and so was all better) was elected in to the most powerful job in the world.

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It was said W would have the best advisers in the world, so he did not really have to have any experience of his own.

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And more importantly, he said that he was a “uniter” and not a divider.

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The Americans swallowed it all.

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As a result there is conflict every where you look and millions around the world have paid with their lives.

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The USA is more divided than it has ever been in recent history.

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So did we learn a lesson?  

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Oh no, not Americans.

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Now we want to elect another “UNITER” who will have the best advisers and so it does not matter that he has no real experience of global politics (or even much of local politics).

–                                                                                                           –                             

Surely no one can pull the same stunt again?

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Oh yes he can!

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The only problem is that this time the stakes are much higher than they were back in 2000 or even in 2004.

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There is a global war, world wide crash of the Dolloar, credit crunch, National health care disaster, BirdFlu and a lot more.

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This is a time for effective action and not fire side discussions, in a smoking jacket and a pipe, making thoughtfull comments on things can be.

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So will the Americans wake up to the crisis facing us all?

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Well, Americans have an amazing talent for self destruction.

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So, here is what is likely to happen.

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The I-so-want-to believe lot in the Democratic party will try and purge their collective guilt of life long prejudice (kept totally repressed in the subconscious) by voting for a man just because he is black!

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The black Americans will vote for the black candidate, not because he has proven abilities in face of real problems and crisis, but just because he is black.

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The republicans will NOT do that.

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A large number of the Democrats will also NOT vote for the black candidate.

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That is because there is a real racial Divide in America.

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I know that hurts, but that is the truth. (we are on our way to a color blind, no prejudices society, but we are not there yet.)

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So as a result the Republicans will be back in power again, this time apparently  with an agenda to be in Iraq for a hundred years!

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And there will be no one to blame for all this will there?

Electing the Bird Flu President of America

Even the most sceptical of virus watchers now admit that the slow and steady march of the Bird Flu virus, from east to the west, is likely to reach the USA during the next four years.

Therefore, even if the next President is just a one term President, he or she is likely to face a time during his/her Presidncy, when the bird flu pandemic is raging through America.

So, we are in the process of electing the Bird Flu President of America.

The new President will face an on-going global war, a possible property crash and even a recession on the first day in the office.

With all that on the plate, will the new President spend the energy and the resources needed to be able to address the now almost inevitable pandemic that is likely to visits the USA during his/her Presidency?

So who would be the best candidate as the Bird Flu President of the United States of America?

I am afraid that my original favourite Democratic candidates were Joe Biden and Mike Gravel. (even though I knew that both of them had almost no chance of getting elected.)

 

One of the most interesting events of the last few days included Ted Kennedy jumping in to the muddy political waters of California, to pull Barrack Obama out to the front of the Presidential race.

 

Then there was Rudy Giulian the Mayor of America, who decided to give up his chance for the big job and  jump in to the raging fires of the Presidential politics, to pull Senator John McCain to the top of the polls.

Every one, without exception, seems to be attacking Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton however, who until very recently was the Democratic front runner.

May be it is because of the attacks on her from all sides, that I am now in her corner.

I believe that her no nonsense business like attitude to the problems that life has thrown at her, is exactly what we need to get us through the very difficult times ahead.

Not sure what the Super Tuesday will bring, but I hope that even if there are obstacles placed in her way, Hillary Clinton will carry on fighting and will be finally elected as the Bird Flu President.

BIRD FLU VIDEO

With all the doom and gloom about the increasing spread of the Bird Flu virus, here is a funny video related to the dreaded subject:

http://revver.com/video/650116/doreen-bird-flu/

Now a Human Victim of Bird Flu in India?

VIA Statesman News Service

BALURGHAT. Jan, 31: Panic broke out at Mangalpur More, Jogomaya Para in Balurghat today, over the illness of a 17-year-old girl.

The victim, Ms Priyanka Malakar has been admitted to the Balurghat Hospital with breathing trouble, high fever and rashes all over her body her body.

Neighbours fear that the girl has fallen a victim to Bird Flu but the doctors are still not certain about it.

Admitting the matter, the CMOH, South Dinajpur Mr BB Mahapatra said that the symptoms were similar to human flu and measles.

 “Nothing can be said for certain at this point. We are sending her blood samples for tests to Bhopal. She would be under observation till the test results reach us,” the CMOH, said.
Doctors treating the victim refused to comment on the matter, which has stoked further imagination and rumour.

The CMOH’s version has not been able to convince the Mangalpur residents, who suspect the girl has been contaminated with avian flu.

“Since we stay close to the victim’s house, people are avoiding us,” lamented Priyanka’s next door neighbours Mrs Swagata Saha and Mrs Bandana Guha.

The neighbours alleged that the culling teams engaged by the district administration had not visited their area although almost every house in that area had some chickens or ducks.

The South Dinajpur district magistrate Mr Swapan Chatterjee, said that he had not been informed of the development. He was also unhappy to learn that culling teams were yet to visit the Jogomaya Para area. The DM assured to look into the matter.

Mini Lakes Of Egg Yolk as Bird Flu Panic Grows.

In a clear display of panic, hundreds of thousands of Eggs are being destroyed in the state of West Bengal in India, creating mini lakes of rapidly decaying egg yolk, in hastily dug ditches.

Meanwhile India’s worst outbreak of bird flu spread as health authorities battled to stop it reaching the densely populated city of Kolkata amid heavy rain that hampered culling efforts.

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Authorities reported the disease had affected two more districts, bringing the number hit by avian flu to 12 out of West Bengal state’s total of 19.The fear of the H5N1 virus is spreading to other parts of India as well.–                                                                                                                                               –                                                                                   –

In neighbouring Bangladesh from where the Indian outbreak is believed to have spread, health teams slaughtered a large number of birds in a border area amid a worsening bird flu situation across the country.

Some 2,646 chickens, ducks and pigeons were culled and 1,140 eggs destroyed in Bangladesh’s southern Patuakhali district, about 160 km south of capital Dhaka Thursday night after detection of avian influenza.

There are also reports of a large number of Crows dying of the H5N1 virus in Patuakhali in southern Bangladesh.

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The deadly bird flu virus has also killed 30 chickens in Thailand, marking the second outbreak of bird flu in 10 months, livestock officials said yesterday.

This is the second outbreak of bird flu in Thailand since March 18, 2007.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) today confirmed that a 34-year-old man from Vietnam has died of H5N1 avian influenza.

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While in Indonesia, a 30-year-old man has died of bird flu, the health ministry said Thursday, bringing the toll to 98 in the nation worst hit by the H5N1 virus.

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In the UK, a sixth swan from a bird sanctuary has tested positive for avian flu, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) confirmed.The news comes after restrictions on the movement of poultry or other captive birds in the Wild Bird Monitoring Area around Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset, England were lifted at 3pm on Friday.-                                                                                                                                                    –The Bird Flu Virus has spread to 15 countries since the beginning of this year!

Spread of Bird Flu in to Bihar could be really bad news.

The State Government of Bihar today ordered culling of chickens in six panchayat areas in Katihar district, adjacent to affected Malda district of West Bengal, “as a preventive measure”, a day after imposing a blanket ban on entry of poultry from the neighbouring state.

Earlier, contrary to the claims of the West Bengal govt that bird flu has been contained, the deadly virus on Wednesday was detected in samples of dead chicken in Cooch Behar district.

The state of Bihar is under-developed even when compared to most of the other regions of India.

The poverty and lack of education, specially within the large Muslim population in Bihar makes it an ideal target for the killer virus.

Basic Hygiene and common sense give way to tradition and religious practices in this part of India

I have always believed that the number of the human victims of the bird flu are directly related to the custom of Halal, where the poultry is killed by making a cut in the throat of the bird and letting the blood flow out while the bird is held up side down by its feet.

Bihar like the State of West Bengal, is host to millions of refugees from the neighbouring country of Bangladesh, where H5N1 is thought to be endemic now.

So if bird flu in Bengal is bad, it could be a lot worse in Bihar.

2008 the year of the Flu Pandemic?

I have been following the H5N1 virus for a while now.

Since the year 2003, the bird flu virus repeatedly seems to appeare out of no where, for no visible reason, mostly in a remote (from the point of view of the west) country in the far east and then, after a short period of local panic, the virus disappears, again for no provable reason.

We have gotten used to this peak-a-boo game, with the deadliest of potential dangers to mankind to such an extent, that there are “journalists” taking bets against the chance of a pandemic-in-our-time.

There are others who think that bird flu is a social network tool and have regular get together shindings and a jolly good knees-up.

This year is different however.

The year started with the H5N1 virus ruling the roost, so to speak, in 10 countries just in the first 15 days of the year!

This time the outbreaks of the virus seem to be spreading much faster over a much wider area.

Portugal, Dominica, Israel, Benin, Vietnam, China, West Bengal in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar have all been hit by outbreaks.

On Wednesday, a fourth swan died of the H5N1 virus in the Abbotsbury reserve in Dorset, southern England.

So can this be the year that the dreaded pandemic visits mankind once again?

With the US Presidential election in full swing, will any one pay attention to what could be a vast shadow creeping silently over all of us?

Come to think of it, did any of the Presidential Candidates mention bird flu in any of the debates?

Is it even politically correct to mention the bird flu virus these days?

I mean would the color of the poultry and the birds (other than the totally white British swans) come into play?

Bird Flu Good news at last!

There has been a new step forward in the development of an effective vaccine against H5N1, the bird flu virus that’s also dangerous to humans.

By adding an agent that stimulates the immune system, it appears that the existing vaccine is effective against various strains of the bird flu virus.

Uncertainty has been the biggest problem in developing an effective vaccine against the variant of H5N1 that’s dangerous to humans.

Uncertainty about which strain of the virus it is, and uncertainty over which type of bird flu could develop into a flu virus that might cause a worldwide epidemic. That made it almost impossible to develop a preventative vaccine.

But with the discovery made by the British pharmaceutical company Glaxo Smith Klein, uncertainty over the virus strain has become less significant.

Breakthrough

The improved vaccine has been tested by Viro-Clinics, part of the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam.

According to virologist Ab Osterhaus, there are several reasons to speak of a breakthrough:

“The vaccine protects against different variants of the H5N1 virus, including new strains.” According to the virologist, that’s unique.“We have always had to react after the event, but now we can produce a vaccine that offers protection against new and forthcoming variants of the same virus.”What’s more, tests have shown that by adding the agent, a lot less vaccine is required. And that’s very important during a worldwide flu epidemic, when huge quantities of vaccine are needed.

The agent is a so-called adjuvant that is added to a medicine to strengthen its effectiveness.

In this case, the substance stimulates the immune system and improves the response to the vaccine.

The Erasmus Medical Centre tested the agent on people and on ferrets which, like people, suffer from flu viruses.

 Osterhaus explained the results: “The humans appeared to have a relatively broad immune response.

The ferrets were first vaccinated, then exposed to H5N1, and there too we witnessed a demonstrably broad protection against the virus.”

Sources:

http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/080103-bird-flu-vaccinewww.birdflubreakingnews.com 

Kill the Birds & Save the World

Here is a blood thirsty little game for you for the new year, from Galaxy Graphics.

You have to kill the birds (chickens actually) and stop the Bird Flu traveling from Thailand to the UK, via China and Turkey! 

Here is the link to the game:

http://www.galaxygraphics.co.uk/games/birdflu.php

Enjoy:)

Bird Flu from the Mother-In-Law

A tourist sparked a bird flu panic at the New Year celebrations at one of the hotels in Abu Dhabi.

According to a statement released by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), “The visitor caused a state of panic and confusion as he told the management of the hotel that he suffered from avian influenza,”.

The tourist claimed that the Bird Flu infection was transmitted to him from his mother-in-law.

Warning hotel employees from coming near him, the visitor, who came to the country few days back, said he needed urgent medical attention.

But then, to make matters worse, he refused to be examined by a doctor from a private hospital who was called in for help by the hotel management, saying that he did not wish to transmit the disease to anyone.

The hotel authorities then called the police who contacted the National Committee for Emergency Response to Bird flu, headed by the EAD.Specialist physicians from the Department of Preventive Medicine rushed to the hotel, accompanied by a team of experts. Entry and exit to the hotel were blocked by the authorities.

At the end of clinical tests, the man was found to be intoxicated and not suffering from any form of disease and certainly not suffering from avian influenza!

Finally, results of tests and clinical examinations proved that the man was just intoxicated.

Almost an hour later, public was allowed to enter the hotel. However, the floor the man stayed was kept isolated.

Source:

http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/General/10178695.html

Year of the Rat will soon be upon us

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2008 is a Year of the Rat, which begins on February 7, 2008 and ends on January 25, 2009.

First in the cycle of 12 Animal signs, Rat Year begins the sequence and recurs every twelfth year.

Year of the Rat  February 7, 2008 – January 25, 2009

With the current year leaving us with a legacy of an increasing number of bird flu victims from a growing list of Nations.

Let us hope that there will be no plagues of any kind in the soon to be upon us year of the Rat!          

A Happy new years to every one 🙂

Portugese Hunters lose out to Bird-Flu.

Thousands of partridges which were being stocked in preparation for shooting by Portuguese hunters, will now be killed due to an out break of H5de, a subtype of the bird flu virus.

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According to Carlos Agrela Pinheiro, the director general of Veterinary affairs, the H5de strain of the virus was found in the towns of Lourinha and Mafra.

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In a statement, the the Portugese Ministry of Agriculture said that the two locations where the H5de virus had been found are used for breeding of partridges for the purpose of hunting.

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The H5de virus is not usually dangerous for humans.

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The poor partridges on the other hand, lose out either way.

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If they are healthy, they get shot by the hunters.

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If they get the bird flu, then they get killed any way.

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Ah well….

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Source:

http://www.prensalatina.com.mx/Article.asp?ID=%7B1BA1C569-DD9D-4BE8-B409-82F5CE487FB3%7D&language=ES

free Tamiflu for all visitors to Indonesia?

You have to hand it to the Indonesians for their chutzpah, in launching the new Visit Indonesia 2008 tourism campaign, at the same time as we hear about at least five Indonesians apparently infected with the deadly bird flu virus.

The campaign slogan, inaugurated by Indonesian Tourism Minister Jero Wacik last week, is also plastered on Indonesia’s flag carrier Garuda planes, Website and on its promotional TV ads, with a tag line: “Celebrating 100 years of a nation’s awakening”.

Some have suggested that the new slogan should be “free Tamiflu for all visitors to Indonesia” instead!

The country is embarking on the campaign to revive its flagging tourism industry which recorded a drop of about four million foreign tourist arrivals, in 2006.

Some of the reasons for the drop in tourism are:

Indonesia’s has not been in the good books of its Gods and the country has had to go through multiple disasters one after the other.

There was the devastating 2004 year-end tsunami, followed by severe flooding and there have been several volcanic eruptions since then.

Also, due to numerous air crashes, some involves its national carrier Garuda, air travel, which is a necessity for residents of the country’s far-flung islands, saftey has also become an issue.

To top it all, the European Union has banned Indonesian air carriers flying over the EU airspace!.

Then there have been a series of bombings by Islamic-based extremist group which operates under the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) organization in the Southeast Asian region has kept tourists further at bay.

A Jakarta court has just opened the trial of Abu Dujana, who is being charged with plotting terrorist activities, including in possession of explosives.

He is being blamed for the 2002 Bali bombings, which resulted in the death of 202 people, mostly Australian tourists.

However, the most worrying problem for the potential visitors to Indonesia is of course the Bird Flu virus, which has killed more people in Indonesia to date, than any where else in the world.

Siti Supari, the controversial Indonesian Health Minister has not made things easy for her country, by taking on the WHO and other global agencies by refusing to let the world scientific community have the tssue samples, from the Indonesian victims of theBird Flu virus.

The government’s apparent poor handling of the on-going bird flu health scare which undoubtedly will be on the mind of tourists visiting the country.

May be they should offer free Tamiflu to all tourists to Indonesia, just in case.

Source:

http://www.eturbonews.com/470/indonesia-launches-2008-tourism-campaign-howls-protest