Deadly Flu for you?
Why in the world do we still have samples of a deadly flu that was supposedly eliminated over forty years ago?……. It killled over 50 million people in the 1950’s….. …..And, in such quantities that they able to send them to almost every lab (over 4,000 in all) around the world (18 countries including the U.S.)!……. By a simple paperwork foul-up?……. There has to be more to this story than my favorite people (the “News Media”) are telling us……
The lab that did this just put anyone born after 1968 in grave danger in a matter of minutes……. Luckily, (maybe I hope) we have smart enough people on the receiving-end to identify and destory it as ordered……
We don’t have to worry about terrorist’s “doin’ us in”…… It looks like we are more than capable of doing it ourselves!…… Where is good old “Common Sense” when you need it…… I guess it has the flu!………
April 14th, 2005 at 11:48 am
Scientific American had an article some months back about scientists trying to obtain samples of the virus responsible for the horrible 1918 “Spanish” flu outbreak. IIRC, they obtained an intact sample of the virus from the lungs of someone who had been buried in a very cold climate.
As far as why… presumably you’d want to study it to aid in battling future epidemics from viruses that might share similar characteristics.
April 14th, 2005 at 7:40 pm
Another reason to keep deadly viruses around is bio-weapons research.
Both weapons, and antidotes. The idea is if we don’t make it someone else will.
April 21st, 2005 at 4:16 pm
And Lebanon has the last bottle outside of the U.S.A. They want to know if they should destroy it or send it back.
April 21st, 2005 at 8:43 pm
Who are they asking and why?…. The last report I heard on this was that all the labs had been instructed to destory the samples….. Do they want compensation if they destroy it?….. You think they may be holding on to it as “leverage”?…. A little flu of this kind could go along way if bargained with correctly…..
Sounds like we could have another world crisis on our hands, as if we need any more….
April 22nd, 2005 at 4:27 pm
Would we or others believe it if they said they destroyed it? I think they are just being politicaly careful being in one of the hot spots of the world. I’m sure they dont want to catch the flu. The flu doesnt make plitical distictions. But what a dumb thing to say, ” do you want us to destroy it or send it back?” “Oh, just send it back in an envelope or something.” Some resposible type sould go over there and pick it up and avoid a crisis.
April 23rd, 2005 at 7:33 pm
Can I get an “Amen” on that?……. How about sending the person in charge of the lab that sent the samples out in the first place?…….. Maybe they would be a little more careful the next time………
Probably not…….. What a world we live in!……. And, it seems as if it gets harder to stay alive every day……..