Bird flu 'could mutate to cause deadly human pandemic'

[dipsydoodle]

The H5N1 bird flu virus could change into a form able to spread rapidly between humans, scientists have warned.

Researchers have identified five genetic changes that could allow the virus to start a deadly pandemic.

Writing in the journal Science, they say it would be theoretically possible for these changes to occur in nature.

A US agency has tried unsuccessfully to ban publication of parts of the research fearing it could be used by terrorists to create a bioweapon.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18534676

[Jumping John]

1. Have you ever seen the Tamiflu and Rumsfeld connection?

I think the USA was scammed by Rumsfailed and the Tamiflu vaccine when GW Bush was in office.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/medical/tamiflu.asp

[FiveGoodMen]

2. Again?

This same story pops up with depressing regularity.

[dipsydoodle]

3. Originally

The US government had tried to suppress publication. Looks like they failed.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

4. well, technically ANY flu can do the same thing

this is pure scare tactics...

sP

[Speck Tater]

5. Cockroaches could mutate into deadly flesh-eating carnivores.

Oak trees could mutate into rampaging tree monsters.

Household cats could mutate into zombie brain eating giant sabertooth cats.

The common cold could mutate into a nose-eating virus that also makes your ear lobes fall off.

[progressoid]

6. I think that's a movie on the Syfy channel. n/t

[Javaman]

7. Anyone who does even the least amount of research into the flu

knows full well it's just a matter of when not if.

Besides, does anyone realize that most of the deaths caused during the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic was caused by secondary infections?

Do you know that the SARS pandemic was just as serious as the 1918, but the difference today is: we have agencies in the world like the CDC that track such things and we also have antibiotics.

This is what is currently keeping a massive world wide outbreak at bay.

One day, I can guarantee you, we will see a drug resistant strain of flu. Technically we already have but it was man made.

Just give it time, man made something that nature will eventually will create.

[dipsydoodle]

8. secondary infections

and the absense then of penicillin which would've helped many.

[NickB79]

9. Add to that the growing problem of drug-resistant bacteria

And those secondary infections might be a bit harder to keep at bay than we thought.

[Javaman]

10. Exactly right. the over dosing and handing out of antibiotics makes the chances

of a drug resistant strain that much more likely.