Niko
Editor, Senior Moderator
I post this only because it appeared on a news feed. Obviously this blogger is uniformed. I posted a comment. - Niko
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Bird Flu Fears Overblown?
Bernard Vallat, head of the World Animal Health Organization (there's a World Animal Health Organization?) said Thursday that the risk of the H5N1 bird flu virus, also known as Sars, mutating into an air-born virus, or another form easily transmissible from human to human was "overestimated" and that the virus is actually extremely stable. "We have never seen such a stable strain," he said.
In fact in China, there have only been 27 known cases of human bird flu infection. Given China's population of 1.3 billion and a million other ways to die from what ails you, I have to wonder why there was such hype, hype enough to empty streets and shut down businesses for weeks.
Just to put things in perspective, an amusing fact: many avid smokers in China believe that smoking can actually help prevent Sars, since none of the 27 were smokers. Side effect? More than a million Chinese die each year from smoking-related illnesses.
Saturday January 12, 2008 | comments (1)
http://worldnews.about.com/b/2008/01/12/bird-flu-fears-overblown.htm
World News
Comments
Jennifer's World News Blog
From Jennifer Brea,
Your Guide to World News.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!
Bird Flu Fears Overblown?
Bernard Vallat, head of the World Animal Health Organization (there's a World Animal Health Organization?) said Thursday that the risk of the H5N1 bird flu virus, also known as Sars, mutating into an air-born virus, or another form easily transmissible from human to human was "overestimated" and that the virus is actually extremely stable. "We have never seen such a stable strain," he said.
In fact in China, there have only been 27 known cases of human bird flu infection. Given China's population of 1.3 billion and a million other ways to die from what ails you, I have to wonder why there was such hype, hype enough to empty streets and shut down businesses for weeks.
Just to put things in perspective, an amusing fact: many avid smokers in China believe that smoking can actually help prevent Sars, since none of the 27 were smokers. Side effect? More than a million Chinese die each year from smoking-related illnesses.
Saturday January 12, 2008 | comments (1)
http://worldnews.about.com/b/2008/01/12/bird-flu-fears-overblown.htm
World News
Comments
- Should someone so uninformed even venture into such topics?
First of all, of course there is a “World Animal Health” organization, actually more than one.
Secondly, SARS and H5N1 are NOT the same virus.
I look forward to an update of your blog and/or retraction.
<cite>Comment by Niko — January 12, 2008 @ 5:45 pm</cite>
