Never mind the war...this looks like trouble

[Pyrrho]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,81179,00.html

Rapidly spreading pneumonia-like disease is resistant to drugs. Could it be an engineered disease?

Let's hope the authorities do what's necessary to contain this thing.

[shemp]

I should think that if it was a terrorist-engineered disease, they would have set it loose somewhere other than Guangdong province. But let's give ourselves over to wild speculation, unhindered by facts!

[Pyrrho]

Yeah, you're right, I probably shouldn't speculate. Might have been better to post a poll.

[corplinx]

Some new strain of influenza seems to emerge from asia every 20 or 40 years.

[kittynh]

well, I was told by someone (oh, great line for a skeptic) that many new strains of viruses start in China as so many people live in very close proximity with animals. I thought that sounded a little odd. Just drink your orange juice!

[fidiot]

Reminds me of Stephen King's "The Stand".

[Bluegill]

Originally posted by corplinx
Some new strain of influenza seems to emerge from asia every 20 or 40 years.

I think this is correct, except that it's actually numerous new strains that emerge each year. That's why the flu vaccines that get distributed each year are different--the immunize against the three or four most common or most communicable strains. That's also why the shot you get one year won't do much good the next year.

And Kittynh:

I think you are right, too. Most new strains of influenza originate in China, where they are transmitted from herd animals (I think, but I'm not sure, that pigs are the main breeding ground) to humans. I can't recall hearing an explanation for this.

(Disclaimer: I used to work at a public health office, but I don't have any medical training.)

[Reginald]

As I understand it its the way that ducks and fowl and pigs and humans interact that causes the problem.

New strains are passed from ducks to pigs, then the strain changes and is passed onto humans, theres no direct exchange between ducks and humans. Its this that keeps an almost constant flow of new Flus etc comming.