BREAKING NEWS: NYC Mayor Bloomberg says CDC has confirmed swine flu

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: MSNBC

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Sunday that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that same strain of the human swine influenza that has killed people in Mexico has infected students of a high school.


Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30398682 /

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And it begins. Let's hope that it burns itself out quickly.

[stray cat]

1. so far cases in the US have supposedly been pretty mild

its unclear if it is more severe in Mexico or just the majority of cases are under that radar because they are fairly mild.

[Warpy]

3. Right, the first world isn't going to be hit hard

but the third world will likely be hit very hard.

Differences in sanitation, nutrition, and the lack of minimal health care could make this one tragic.

[spinbaby]

4. Flu mutates all the time

An fairly innocuous strain can turn deadly overnight. It's one of the things that makes it so hard to control.

[Baby Snooks]

6. True...

The virus may still be mutating. And may be mutating into a more deadly virus. It is a new virus. It apparently originated in Mexico. And has spread from there. The flu virus is a combinant virus. Meaning two or more strains combined. This combination has never been seen before.

If I recall correctly the Spanish Flu as I believe the flu that struck in 1918 was called was a very mild flu in the beginning in the Mediterranean countries where it first appeared - most likely brought in from Asia which is where most flu viruses originate. Then as it spread it mutated and turned into a very deadly strain. Some believe part of that virus was an avian strain.

That is what is so odd about this virus. It not only originated in spring instead of late summer or fall but originated in North America instead of Asia.

[Lena inRI]

7. "That is what is so odd about this virus. . ."

Baby Snooks, if you're saying this flu is odd for time of year and combinant nature, my thoughts go right into sinister directions. . .

9-11. . . .financial crisis September, 2008. . . .swine flu pandemic Spring 2009. . . .

knowing vials of equine encephalitis virus just went missing, why can't we question that this "new combinant flu virus" is sinister?

There, I said it first. Are you thinking this as well?

[Baby Snooks]

9. Trying not to....

It is odd in the sense of "out of the ordinary" but not necessarily indicative of a "planned pandemic" which I would assume would involve an avian strain. This is a swine strain. The strains are named for the predominant strain. Often there are two types involved. Three is "out of the ordinary." Why would they use an avian strain? It is the most deadly. It was the strain the produced the pandemic of 1918.

West Nile Virus by the way is an avian virus. Passed on to us by mosquitoes. People do wonder about that. Myself included. It apparently arrived here and in Europe on boats. Maybe the infected birds "hitched a ride." Or maybe someone put them on the boats in the cargo holds. Knowing they would fly off when the cargo holds were opened.

Most flu viruses appear in the late summer and early fall. This one appeared in the early spring. But flu viruses appear year round.

I tend to come down with flu in the summer months for some reason. Could be a late arrival or an early one.

[Baby Snooks]

2. And that's it?

Mexico announces confirmed cases in Mexico City and shuts down Mexico City.

The United States announces cases confirmed in New York City and that's it?

Maybe Bloomberg sees it as a solution to the budget problems and hopes it spreads quickly and kills as many as possible.

[defendandprotect]

5. Certainly takes America's mind off torture, doesn't it . . . ???

[BumRushDaShow]

8. Makes ya wanna go

But I'll wait and see...

[comtec]

10. I hate to be a downer... but seriously who cares?

Compared to the NORMAL flu, this is nothing.
The death tolls don't come close.
It's like bird flu, the number of people who ACTUALLY died is very small, as are the cases world wide.
The last numbers i saw were ... what 1400 cases WORLD WIDE? with - generously speaking) 110 deaths?
That's under 10%, Influenza, TB, and AIDS all have MUCH higher infection AND kill rates.

While I do find this disturbing, ALL the cases are coming FROM mexico city, Mexico.
I definitely find this all very suspicious, but still wonder why they are running around seaming so much?

I am worried, but only in that I always worry about these things.
My wife has diabetes, so the normal FLU is a possible killer for her.
I'm not going to worry that some people who flew to/from Mexico are sick (most are health/strong) as much as I'm going to worry that she catches it.

Thankfully we don't know anyone who went to Mexico recently.

However this definitely takes Mexico off my TTD list for a while....