What they fear is H5N1

[edhopper]

The reason the CDC and the medical community is being so vigorous in dealing with H1N1 is that it is highly contagious and could mutate into a H5N1 type virus.
For a historical perspective, read up on the 1918 influenza pandemic. That virus was very similar to H5N1 and was devastating, killing some people in days. It killed 50 to 100 million people worldwide! The single deadliest event in the 20th Century (more than WWII).
That is the reason for the aggressive response. It is not another little flu bug.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Uhh...

the reason for the aggressive response is that H1N1 has already killed thousands and will kill thousands more.

Is H1N1 anymore likely to mutate to H5N1 than the seasonal flu?

[damntexdem]

6. Both involve strains of H1N1.

The current H1N1 might mutate to become as deadly as the 1918 flu.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. Hmm,

Is this before of after Mayan zombies return in 2012 to kidnap our white wimmin and destroy us all?

[edhopper]

11. So he death of 100 million people

less than 100 years ago from a decease that is is absolutely no immunity from is silly to you?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. Is the inevitable deaths of 7 billions people...

at the hands of Mayan zombies in three years just a joke to you? You probably laugh at flash freezing tornados caused by global warming too, don't you?

[edhopper]

18. Amazing that you equate the very real threat of a worldwide pandemic

which the global medical community sees as a very real inevitability, with a silly Mayan superstition.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

19. You just wait until those zombies get you.

Then you'll be sorry.

[Renew Deal]

23. I know you're trying to be funny, but it's not working.

There is a significant difference between end times prophecies and the flu.

[edhopper]

9. I think you are right.

Some of my reading points to a H5N1 mutating into the H1N1 of 1918.
In that case the concern is greater for this H1N1.

[Sherman A1]

2. That is Avain flu if I recall?

or do I have it wrong on my numbers?

[kestrel91316]

5. H5N1 is indeed the nasty avian flu that we dodged over the past couple of years.

[mikelgb]

3. I'd just like to point out that you have the perfect avatar for your rhetoric.

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. Aw, fer..................

Ouch! A piece of the sky just fell and hit my head.

[edhopper]

7. Please don't respond out of ignorance.

The threat of a 1918 type pandemic is very real.
Do you also laugh at people who wish to confront Climate Change?

[TheCowsCameHome]

20. OK, so what's your answer to the threat?

and don't respond out of ignorance.

[edhopper]

35. Widespread vaccination and monitoring of the outbreak.

Just what they are doing.

[TheCowsCameHome]

41. Fine. That's what's being done. No need to panic.

Worrying solves nothing.

[Bonobo]

31. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Warpy]

10. The death rate for this H1N1 might be similar to the 1918 H1N1

if we didn't have things like intensive care, ventilators, and antibiotics to take care of many secondary bacterial pneumonias. Prompt administration of antiviral drugs is also cutting mortality.

If our medical system were to revert to 1918 levels, likely we'd see the 2.5% mortality rate they experienced.

Mexican mortality rates approached this not because there is no advanced medical care available, but because so many people prefer to use non scientific care like curanderas until it's too late. Since the word went out that this flu is a killer, preferences for care have shifted and mortality has declined slightly.

As for the H5N1 virus, the very thing that makes it lethal also makes its person to person transmission extremely inefficient. The virus lodges in the lower respiratory tract where it isn't spread by sneezing or coughing the way upper respiratory tract viruses are.

[edhopper]

13. True, but i believe the 1918 strain

was also airborne, making it so deadly.

[Warpy]

16. H1N1 now is airborne, which is why it's spreading rapidly

H5N1 is not airborne. Big difference.

[edhopper]

21. But the 1918 influenza virus was both airborne

and deadly. That is the big threat.

[Warpy]

26. Please read my whole post above.

I have already addressed that completely.

[S_E_Fudd]

22. That is simply not the case...

The H1N1 is no dealier than a seasonal strain. You see more deaths because there are more infections from a novel virus few have immunity too (though that is not even sure yet). But the mortality rate is no higher than seasonal flu and in fact may be lower, and the virulence is far below what occurred in 1918, a strain that easily infected the lungs...

It is attacking different populations differently. The young are more susceptible, while the elderly (those over 60) are partially immune from previous pandemic strains.

This flu is straining the health care system, but it is not at catastrophic levels, and is actually showing signs of subsiding. As more vaccine comes online that rate will drop even more dramatically

[edhopper]

28. That's my point

The government, reacting as it did can keep it contained and hopefully stop it befor it mutates into something very deadly.
This was not an overreaction.

[S_E_Fudd]

30. Nothing has been done to keep it from mutating...

It is infecting millions of people...

It isn't mutating because of the pathology of the virus not becaue of anything the government has done...

[edhopper]

34. I said they are trying to contain it before it mutates.

The less prevalent it is the less chance of mutation. Big deference with what you thought I said.

[LakeSamish706]

12. Does the fact that H1N1 is being found in animals also make it worse?

Seems I heard that when it crosses over to animals and back to humans it gets more difficult to treat and therefor more deadly.

[smalll]

14. They REALLY need to come up with some better names for these things.

At the least, with "H1N1" you can always pronounce it "hinny." H5N1, on the other hand, is hopeless. Couldn't they go alphabetically through names, as they do with hurricanes? Flu Alberto, Flu Beryl, Flu Charlie, etc. etc.

[stray cat]

17. Hemaglutin type 1 Neurominidase type 1 based on the make up of the virus

[FarCenter]

24. If this flu had been as deadly as 1918, we'd be out of luck

The vaccine is too late, and the medical systems would be overwhelmed by critical cases. There would not be enough ICUs and ventilators to care for the patients, who would be dying in the hallways.

Hopefully they are tracking the spread of this flu carefully to get better information on how flu spreads.

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. Hopefully they are tracking the spread of this flu carefully to get better information on how flu sp

They are... it is amazing because I have seen the spread maps, like every friday they get updated.

:-)

[The Backlash Cometh]

32. I understand they're not tracking it anymore.

[upi402]

37. My kid's school is. When a kid calls in sick....

they ask about symptoms, note them, and tell parents if they're possibly swine flu symptoms. Then they recommend a Dr trip.

Don't know if it's county or state policy tho.

[The Backlash Cometh]

39. I mean the CDC.

If this things mutates, it would be helpful to follow where it happens. If for nothing else, to find the mixing vessel. Or figure out how it happened.

I already know. People with access to large volumes of people, will work through it, and I truly believe that when people are reporting that they have fevers that last for weeks, that they're contagious during that period.

[seabeyond]

25. so we arent all gonna die with this one. it is the next one we are all gonna die. nt

[edhopper]

29. See post #28

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[upi402]

36. Thanks for the post. I keep suspecting big pharma scaring up profits

and the corporate media distracting us from real issues with another con job of fear.

[PHIMG]

38. Yes so i guess they'll crack down on the industrial feed operations that

breed this stuff right? oh wait. no they won't.

[undergroundpanther]

40. I had the swine flu

and it wasn't the big deal people made it out to be,for me. I had dry coughing, wheezing in my lungs that was loud enough to wake me up at night a few times.. and the blood tinged mucus,(it was gross) a mild headache,the runs 2 times,no nausea(thankfully).I felt tired,and had no fever.It was a four day deal, by day 5 it was gone.I did get tested,and I got the strange little bendy plastic swab thing stuck deep down in my throat,the results came back in a week. two days ago my doctor called and told me I had tested positive for the swine flu.So I guess I don't need the shot now.I caught it from one of my roommates,we all got it so I guess we all are immune now?.