1957 flu virus and avian flu - MIHOP?

[Avalux]

I have my tinfoil firmly in place - consider this.

A lab (or several, as I've heard) erroneously sends out an Influenza A virus (H2N2) that hasn't circulated in the population for a very long time. No one who handles it knows what it is. Anyone under the age of 37 or 38 has absolutely no antibodies against it. This virus was a killer.

Flip to the current worry over the avian flu virus, which is also a form of Influenza A (H5N1). For this virus to become a pandemic, it must have the ability to spread from human to human - it doesn't so far. It is also a killer.

If H5N1 hooks up with H2N2 in a host and recombines to form a new virus - then it will have a high mortality rate and spread from human to human with little antibody resistance. Pandemic.

I'm sitting here starting to believe the vials of H2N2 were sent out purposefully - knowing the mechanism for an avian flu pandemic, this is all starting to terrify me.

[Racenut20]

1. I had that "Asian flu" back in 1957

my school was shut down for weeks in the fall.

[Last Lemming]

2. If it makes you feel any better

the only possible drug treatment is made by Roche (Tamiflu) No major changes in Roche stock price over last 12 months.

[Avalux]

3. Tamiflu

wouldn't be enough; treatment must be within first 48 hours and wouldn't prevent it. Unfortunate that's all we have.

[Last Lemming]

4. As a drug it's essentially worthless

but as a money maker in the event of a flu outbreak. . .now there's effectiveness.

What I meant was that nobody appears to have run the stock--in my quick, very dirty, and very nonWall Street attempt at research--of a company that might have a useful product for a pandemic.

[Avalux]

6. I see

good point. Hmmmm.

[mattclearing]

5. Could there be just a bit more research before donning the tinfoil?

Like some insight into the motivations of the lab for sending it out? Perhaps the reasoning that would go into a mihop attack of this sort?

I appreciate the tinfoil now and again, but I do think it's somewhat irresponsible to attribute something to it without at least a shred of a suggestion of wrongdoing.

[Bridget Burke]

7. Until a believeable "motivation" appears, people will talk.

We'd be glad to hear from the company responsible--& the government arm in charge of regulating this stuff.

The "mistake" was noted by a CANADIAN lab tech, by the way.

[Avalux]

8. I'm looking into it further

but I can't help but put on the tinfoil; especially when I know something about this kind of stuff. There are reasons why I am suspicious.

[mattclearing]

10. Cool.

I just feel like it makes us all look bad when people make unfounded accusations here.

We should at least have our shit partially together first.

[Celebration]

9. we need answers quickly

There is no way that sending this particular strain out was a "mistake." And, since the labs testing it (as I understand it) were only supposed to figure out the major type of flu, and not the particular type, there was a high likelihood that this would not have been found out at all, but for the Canadian lab's diligence. And, as I understand it, they tracked it down because it had escaped into the laboratory. I am very, very suspicious. But it will probably be yet another hushed up story, at least as to the details of what happened.

[Avalux]

11. UPDATE: Info on Meridian Biotech

Meridian Biotech Inc.'s subsidiary Viral Antigens Inc. (VAI) performs contract services for Biodefence and Emerging Infections (BEI) Resources.

BEI holds a bioterrorism grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Coincidence?

I would think a company working with the government on bioterrorism would be a bit more careful than "accidentally" allowing H2N2 to be added to a diagnostic kit sent all over the world.

more to come....

[Last Lemming]

12. Standing by for more

if you need any help with the medical aspect, shoot me a note

[screembloodymurder]

13. And you would be right.

world population must be reduced.