Swine flu round up - May 08, 2009
All Nature’s swine flu coverage is collected on our news special page. These regular updates on The Great Beyond round up the latest from other news sources around the globe.
The Canadian press is reporting a death in Alberta, which if confirmed would be the first H1N1 death outside of Mexico and the United States.
British researchers say they now have the full genetic code of H1N1.
“The pure sample of virus that we have isolated, together with its genetic fingerprint, will be important resources as scientific organisations join forces on the development of an effective vaccine,” says Maria Zambon, director of the Health Protection Agency’s Centre for Infections (BBC, Daily Telegraph). “The rapid assessment of this virus will ultimately help us to make future decisions regarding the health implications of swine flu.”
In America, people are apparently debating throwing ‘swine flu parties’ in the hope that they can gain immunity with the current mild version of H1N1 before some kind of super strain emerges.
“I think it’s totally nuts,” Anne Moscona, of Weill Cornell Medical College, told the NY Times. “I can’t believe people are really thinking of doing it. I understand the thinking, but I just fear we don’t know enough about how this virus would react in every individual.”
AP provides two interesting, if slightly contradictory, stories today: Flu overhyped? Some say officials 'cried swine' and Top flu expert warns of a swine flu-bird flu mix.
Meanwhile, in the ‘surely that’s too soon’ category, swine flu songs are becoming increasingly popular:
School pupil’s ‘Ode to Tamiflu’ becomes YouTube hit – Daily Telegraph
Swine flu has been sequenced. More out of curiosity than anything else, I wrote code to translate a key gene into a piece of ambient music – Stephan Zielinski
Mike Skinner of The Streets has posted a hilarious video online with swine flu as the subject. Entitled He’s Behind You, He’s Got Swine Flu, the video is a montage of zombie films and features Mike’s voice telling the story of a pig flu outbreak – Daily Mirror
Image: Getty
Comments
Let's hope that all the knowledge gained by molecular biologists over the past years has put us in a vastly different position than those who suffered in 1918. Personally I would rather see an "overhyped" response than one in which we were too slow to act. No one really knows how this situation will continue to develop.
Posted by: Isobel Maciver | May 8, 2009 08:51 PM
the swine flu come from the practice of steroid and other genetic manipulation in animals for the need to feed the massive population what is if is is what........???????????
Posted by: MICHAEL | May 10, 2009 10:25 AM
the nice picture with red nose remain me about 'patkai' one of the buddhist god.
I'm glad to hear that its genetic fingerprint really accurate and would be reproducible data's.
Posted by: tie | May 11, 2009 03:51 AM