I was browsing some of the blogs this morning, and although I had already heard about the swine flu outbreak in Mexico, I was surprised to see news of it exploding like mad all over.
Drudge is slapping more swine links around than Jimmy D…

Wait for what is coming next……………

……… wait for it.

Seven Percent Solution on April 27, 2009 at 3:40 AM
I’m confused. What are you talking about?

Mommypundit on April 27, 2009 at 5:54 AM

We don’t have to wait long……….

…….. don’t we?

Could we be looking a bio-terrorist attack here?

Dr. Charles G. Waugh on April 26, 2009 at 10:26 PM

Yes, it could

Introducing a virus into the Mexican population, which is very poor and with low hygiene practice is an excellent way, if not the ideal way to vecter a disease into the United States, because of the huge migration of illegals into every state in the US, often into food service, cleaning, agriculture etc

An interesting sort of biological crap shoot would be to increase bird flu exposure into pig raising areas in Mexico with the hopes of a lucky hit (bird + swine). Flus are created in the laboratory of crowded populations, not in test tubes. The swine + bird flu combo is an unusual occurence

I’ve removed the names, but this was an internal memo that was being sent today, the link is to a public site though.

Just got off the conference call with the Office of Emergency Management. There are currently 3 confirmed cases of swine flu in Texas, all in Health Region 8 (a map of the regions is below). Additionally, there are suspected cases in Region 1, Region 6, and Region 11. Region 11 includes Corpus Christi, but the suspected cases are all in Cameron County (3 possible cases). All reported cases in Texas are considered mild. Officials are not seeing any increased statewide demand for hospital services at this point, but there is lots of concern.

It is believed that all the Mexican states that border Texas have confirmed cases of swine flu – 19 of the 32 Mexican states have confirmed cases.

There are 41 confirmed swine flu cases nationwide, with most in New York (28) and California (7). Kansas and Ohio also have confirmed cases. There is no vaccine for the swine flu. but antivirals can help control the impact of the virus (I don’t fully understand how the antivirals work against the flu, and whether they can help prevent it or just mute its impact). Texas considers this a Level 2 or 3 epidemic, on a scale of 1 to 5 – kind of like the hurricane scale.

http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/regions/state.shtm

I found this by accident yesterday. At the closed and almost secret Security and Prosperity Partnership meetings between Bush and leaders from Canada and Mexico, where they hammered out the deal for the so-called “NAFTA highway” through Mexico, the US and Canada, Lou Dobbs reported back in 2006 that “business interests” forced the US to agree to keep the borders open at all times, even during–specifically– A SWINE FLU PANDEMIC!

“… SPP documents urging the free flow of goods and people across borders, and a wish list from business interests that borders remain open during a swine flu pandemic.”

LIBERTYCAPPRESS.COM

You “don’t rely on media OR government to educate or help”?

You’re the person who asked if you should throw out the pork in your freezer.

By all means, please ignore the CDC’s attempts to educate and help you.

Dave Rywall on April 27, 2009 at 3:22 PM

Strawman-nobody is saying ignore the government but sometimes you have to think for yourself too.

I thought that is what you “question authority” types were about.

Of course, thinking, in general, appears to be a foreign concept to you.

right2bright on April 27, 2009 at 5:03 PM

You forgot Global Warming.
The greatest threat that has ever existed!
/sarc

No.

Loxodonta on April 27, 2009 at 3:22 PM

Ummmmmm…..I was being rhetorical, read:

right2bright on April 27, 2009 at 8:52 AM

Every year for dozens of years we have had:
Flu epidemics that threaten the human race.
Weather disasters that threaten the human race
Social unrest that threaten the human race
Food poisoning that threaten the human race
Food shortages that threaten the human race
Global warming now that threaten the human race
Swine, Asian, bird, killer bees, that will threaten the human race

The fact is, every so often the human race is “threatened” by something that we can’t control…the papers are the “GODS” of science and they spew out their black magic, their voodoo, to all that don’t believe…

What you want is TARGETED distribution; you want vaccines to go to folks who are vulnerable. And the free market works really well for that. That’s why so many folks go to Kroger and Wal-mart for their flu shots.

Uh-huh. You don’t have a kid, do you?

I’ve got a card on my desk right now from the school system. It says (paraphrased for identity purposes):

I want to remind you that the following items are still needed to complete your child’s registration: 2nd MMR, 4th Polio… Immunization clinics are being offered at three of the Elementary schools. Please note, no child will be denied immunizations due to the inability to pay.

And that’s how you eliminate polio.

Don’t we have a flu epidemic every year?

right2bright on April 27, 2009 at 2:40 PM

No. Common flu affects 5-20% of the population every year, but only causes death in a fraction of a percent of cases, usually 40-50,000 deaths per year. And those deaths are of already weakened people due to other diseases or advanced age.

The Mexican Flu is killing otherwise healthy young adults, with a death rate of about 6% so far in Mexico, but no deaths in any developed country with advanced health care.

If it does go pandemic and affect 5-20% of world population, Mexican Flu could have a devastating effect on second and third world countries and the world economy.

Or, it might not go pandemic, or might not be as deadly as now seems. Too early to tell yet.

Most of us aren’t as hysterical over media driven hype and don’t rely on media OR government to educate or help, unlike some. So, while we appreciate the up to date stats, we reserve the right to use our own brains rather than get caught up in the emotional manipulation. we will leave that to the left…after all, you are so good at it. It got Obama elected, right?

Mommypundit on April 27, 2009 at 3:09 PM
———

You “don’t rely on media OR government to educate or help”?

You’re the person who asked if you should throw out the pork in your freezer.

By all means, please ignore the CDC’s attempts to educate and help you.

What a hilarious/frightening compilation of misinformation these posts are.

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu

I thought you guys were on top of things.

Dave Rywall on April 27, 2009 at 3:00 P

Not so much a compilation of misinformation, dear one, as it is a collection of musings…

Most of us aren’t as hysterical over media driven hype and don’t rely on media OR government to educate or help, unlike some. So, while we appreciate the up to date stats, we reserve the right to use our own brains rather than get caught up in the emotional manipulation. we will leave that to the left…after all, you are so good at it. It got Obama elected, right?

Firebird on April 25, 2009 at 3:13 PM

Obviously none of them care since they stripped the preparedness from the stimulus bill.

What a bunch of flaming a..holes they are – and cheap skates to boot.

AprilOrit on April 27, 2009 at 12:43 PM
———-
Who wanted the funding out? Let’s see now.

Go ask Vitter(R) and Collins(R), Specter(R) and the rest of the GOP about it.

You need to pay a little more attention to facts.

Firebird on April 25, 2009 at 3:13 PM

Obviously none of them care since they stripped the preparedness from the stimulus bill.

What a bunch of flaming assholes they are – and cheap skates to boot.

AprilOrit on April 27, 2009 at 12:43 PM
———-
Who wanted the funding out? Let’s see now.

Go ask Vitter(R) and Collins(R), Specter(R) and the rest of the GOP about it.

You need to pay a little more attention to facts.

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu

I thought you guys were on top of things.

Sure, private industry developed a vaccine for polio and smallpox. Who paid for the development?

And government is the *only* reliable tool for distribution of a vaccine, and universal distribution is the only way to turn a vaccine into disease eradication.

Mal Carne on April 27, 2009 at 1:12 PM

People who bought drugs paid for most of the research.

You’re saying you’d rather vaccines be shipped via the post office than via UPS or Fedex? Universal distribution isn’t how you wipe out a disease, anyway. That’s how you encourage resistance to vaccines. What you want is TARGETED distribution; you want vaccines to go to folks who are vulnerable. And the free market works really well for that. That’s why so many folks go to Kroger and Wal-mart for their flu shots.

But “universal distribution” does sound like a government plan. Spend millions making vaccines with a limited shelf life, and send them to places that aren’t seeing cases of swine flu.

We don’t need greedy bastages like them controlling (and inventing! the gaul!) the medicines we so desperately need.

spmat on April 27, 2009 at 1:10 PM

I mostly agree with you.
But tell me how many companies in the USA now make vaccines compared to 20 years ago?
Why did the problem with that British vaccine company cause such a headache a while back? Surely if there were enough vaccines companies we wouldn’t have had a problem with supplies.

Mal Carne on April 27, 2009 at 1:12 PM

If govt gets involved in stuff like this, it should be to protect PATENT LAWS & to enforce the MONOPOLY laws so that ‘greedy companies’ don’t own everything.
The govt should make it somewhat friendly to actually OPEN a business, no matter what it is.
Bcs they haven’t, the only ‘people’ who can afford to start a ‘business’ are multi-national corporations.
That’s what a good job the govt has done!
Whether people like it or not, $$ talks, not compassion.
That is what gets ‘stuff’ invented.