Bird Flu Similar to Deadly 1918 Flu, Gene Study Finds

[Guest guest]

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/10/1005_051005_bird_flu.html

 

" Bird Flu " Similar to Deadly 1918 Flu, Gene Study Finds

Brian Handwerk

for National Geographic News

October 5, 2005

 

Scientists have reconstructed the genetic code of the deadly 1918

" Spanish flu, " which swept the globe and killed an estimated 20 to 40

million people. Among their findings: The 1918 virus strain developed

in birds and was similar to the " bird flu " that today has spurred

fears of another worldwide epidemic.

 

By studying the once deadly 1918 virus's genetic information,

scientists may become better able to predict future pandemics, or

widespread epidemics. It may also aid the development of new vaccines,

antiviral medicines, and other treatments to cope with flus.

 

" The purpose was to get at questions relating to the 1918 pandemic, "

said Jeffery Taubenberger, of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology

(AFIP) in Rockville, Maryland. Taubenberger co-authored one of several

related papers in this week's issues of the journals Nature and Science.

 

" How did this particular virus form and get into humans? How did a

pandemic start? " Taubenberger said. " Why was this particular virus so

virulent? And in a broader sense what can we learn from the lessons of

1918 that can help us in the future? "

 

Influenza viruses were unknown in 1918, so there was no way for

doctors or scientists to directly study the flu during or after the

outbreak.

 

But some institutions, like the AFIP, preserved tissue samples from

1918 flu victims. Those 87-year-old samples—and others from a victim

who was buried in, and preserved by, Alaskan permafrost—yielded tiny

fragments of genetic material that were used to piece together the

virus's genetic coding signature.

 

The final genes of the virus's genome sequence are being published

this week. Scientists used the completed, full viral sequence to

create a live virus with the eight viral genes of the Spanish flu,

named for an early, devastating outbreak in Spain.

 

Even if somehow released, that virus would be unlikely to cause a

pandemic like that of 1918, because humans have likely acquired some

immunity in the intervening decades. Nonetheless, it is currently

contained at Atlanta, Georgia's Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) under extremely strict security.

 

A Weapon Against the Next Pandemic?

 

Many experts warn that the world is overdue, and unprepared, for a

global influenza pandemic. The next outbreak could well be as deadly

as the Spanish flu, also known as H1N1, and potentially leave tens of

millions dead.

 

Currently experts can't determine exactly which viruses might spark

pandemics, though the Spanish flu data may help to identify which

strains bear close observation.

 

H5N1, a strain of avian influenza called the bird flu, is the most

likely candidate. The largely Southeast Asian disease is commonly

found in birds but also occurs in mammals like pigs, cats, and humans.

It has killed several dozen people, but as of yet it cannot be easily

transferred from person to person and so has not developed into a

pandemic outbreak.

 

Analysis of the 1918 strain revealed several mutations also found in

H5N1. The findings suggest that both strains share an ability to jump

directly to humans from other animals without having to first combine

with a flu strain already adapted to humans.

 

" The sequence evidence from 1918 suggests that the virus is from

completely avian origins, " said Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, a microbiologist

at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

 

Human immune systems would likely be caught off guard by a purely

avian virus to which they have no acquired immunity.

 

The century's other great pandemics, of 1957 and 1968, were sparked by

hybrid flu viruses—human flus that acquired some genes from an avian

source.

 

" This [finding] suggests that pandemics can form in more than one way,

which is an important point, " said the AFIP's Taubenberger. " We've

been identifying a series of mutations that we believe are important

in the way that an avian virus would adapt to become a human virus, "

Taubenberger added.

 

Though the evidence is compelling, only pre-1918 samples would allow

scientists to be 100 percent sure that no aspects of the Spanish flu

were previously present in contemporary human flu strains and that the

flu was of completely avian origin.

 

" What makes a virus able to go from an avian reservoir to humans? "

Mount Sanai's Garcia-Sastre asked. " That's important. Influenza is

mainly a virus of birds. There are many different strains in birds and

only a few affect humans. Pandemics occur when one of these jumps into

the human population and can affect people by propagating from person

to person. "

 

Deadly Virus May Save Lives

 

CDC officials are taking extreme care to safeguard the re-created 1918

virus, though it would not likely lead to a major pandemic if the

strain spread among the general population.

 

Tests have shown that mice that had been injected with current flu

vaccines were protected from the 1918 strain.

 

" We know that all documented pandemic episodes have involved the

emergence of a completely new strain, " Garcia-Sastre said. " That

happened in 1918, 1957, and in 1968. "

 

" There is also evidence that people who were 40 years or older in 1918

were spared, " he added. " One hypothesis to explain that is that

persons 40 years old or older were exposed to an H1 virus before and

had some immunity. "

 

Now, decades after its outbreak, the 1918 virus may be a weapon rather

than an opponent.

 

" I think we've been able to unmask the 1918 virus, and it's revealing

to us some of the secrets that will help us prepare for the next

pandemic, " said Julie Gerberding, Director of the CDC.

[Guest guest]

califpacific wrote:

 

>

>

> " Bird Flu " Similar to Deadly 1918 Flu, Gene Study Finds

> Brian Handwerk

> for National Geographic News

> October 5, 2005

>

> Scientists have reconstructed the genetic code of the deadly 1918

> " Spanish flu, " which swept the globe and killed an estimated 20 to 40

> million people. Among their findings: The 1918 virus strain developed

> in birds and was similar to the " bird flu " that today has spurred

> fears of another worldwide epidemic.

>

I never ceased to be amazed at the ridiculous lengths these guys go to

in order to make money for the big pharma. I beggers belief also, that

the unwashed masses are so gullible.It is wise to reseach the situation

in the world that led up to the spanish flu " outbreak " and to note

carefully the mass vaccination that was inflicted on young men at the

time , going to war.It was mainly young men that died of " spanish

flu " !!-note also the constant advertising of this " impending " pandemic,

why, they can't even predict the weather! But they can create an

epidemic ,either on purpose or due to the compromise of a well designed

immune system by constant jabs of poisonous substances.keep up the good

work boys! kim

Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.

[Guest guest]

There is a REAL epidemic of disabled children in America. 1 out of 6

children in America has some form of developmental disorder, Thousands of

lawsuits are pending against Pharma for injecting children with mercury.

This is the REAL epidemic. Dr Offit, Is the biggest vaccine pusher in

America.

" Dr. Offit notes the threat of ruinous litigation prevents U.S.

pharmaceutical

companies from creating new influenza vaccines.

That dire prospect was averted by

the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, signed into law in 1986,

which

protects companies from lawsuits not supported by scientific evidence.

Still, the program does not preclude all lawsuits. If U.S. manufacturers are

discouraged from creating new influenza vaccines, Dr. Offit warns, no one

will

be willing to step in and start building the necessary infrastructure --

which

can take three to five years -- to prevent a pandemic. "

How smart is that, Scare the heck out of Americans about about the deadly

flu, Then start pushing to save Pharma from lawsuits. Its so hard to be a

proud American.

Donna

 

 

On 10/13/05, search_gnosis <search_gnosis wrote:

>

> califpacific wrote:

>

> >

> >

> > " Bird Flu " Similar to Deadly 1918 Flu, Gene Study Finds

> > Brian Handwerk

> > for National Geographic News

> > October 5, 2005

> >

> > Scientists have reconstructed the genetic code of the deadly 1918

> > " Spanish flu, " which swept the globe and killed an estimated 20 to 40

> > million people. Among their findings: The 1918 virus strain developed

> > in birds and was similar to the " bird flu " that today has spurred

> > fears of another worldwide epidemic.

> >

> I never ceased to be amazed at the ridiculous lengths these guys go to

> in order to make money for the big pharma. I beggers belief also, that

> the unwashed masses are so gullible.It is wise to reseach the situation

> in the world that led up to the spanish flu " outbreak " and to note

> carefully the mass vaccination that was inflicted on young men at the

> time , going to war.It was mainly young men that died of " spanish

> flu " !!-note also the constant advertising of this " impending " pandemic,

> why, they can't even predict the weather! But they can create an

> epidemic ,either on purpose or due to the compromise of a well designed

> immune system by constant jabs of poisonous substances.keep up the good

> work boys! kim

> Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.

>

>

>