tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-182063132011-12-14T19:23:55.798-08:00Bird fluAs the world is being scared by the so called Avian Flu (H5N1 virus), and tons of newsbulletins are thrown at us daily, ordinary people from Budapest to Boston don't get the answers to their basic questions: Is this threat real? Do I have to fear? What shall I do? This blog tries to collect the answers from all possible sources available on the net.Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.comBlogger621100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-42512650804859496272007-01-08T08:28:00.000-08:002007-01-08T08:43:30.869-08:00Take it with humour - contd.Hermann the German is in fact an American, living in Berlin, and he's got an outstanding sense of humor. He says that Germans have found a substitute (Ersatz) for the Birdflu, having noticed that "the troubling disappearance of last year’s potential bird flu epidemic". And "now, after months of sustained effort, a breakthrough was finally reached over the weekend: The Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-53664803568115083552007-01-04T07:20:00.000-08:002007-01-04T07:30:44.221-08:00The pandemic panic-mongers don't have a chicken leg to stand onThis sentence is from Michael Fumento's site. He is an author, journalist, photographer and attorney specializing in science and health issues.I reccomend to read his article on how Bloomberg News attempted to backlash on Avian Flu. Fumento is among the few who stands up against the pandemic panic-mongers, and, this time he shows how Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-62363772359578807472007-01-01T15:51:00.000-08:002007-01-01T16:03:16.865-08:00Scareproducers beware! The good news is that British scientists are said to be on the verge of producing a revolutionary flu vaccine ... that works against all major types of the disease. Described as the 'holy grail' of flu vaccines, it would protect against all strains of influenza A - the virus behind both bird flu and the nastiest outbreaks of winter flu. Just a couple of injections could Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-51491497128065645042006-12-31T12:04:00.000-08:002006-12-31T12:09:47.655-08:00Making moneyWho said that there's no money to be made with your scare of bird flu?Have a glance at this site, its full of offers and special offers, and you may order online! What a beautiful world!But, mainly, I just wanted to wish you a happy, (bird)flu-less New Year!Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-47037268447771846062006-12-27T16:07:00.000-08:002006-12-27T16:24:34.354-08:00FP: Tamiflu is worse than Bird FluI love this piece from Foreign Policy. Their clever editors are saying good bye to 2006 with a collection of "The Top Ten Stories You Missed in 2006". One of them concerns our topic. It says:In 2006, bird flu didn’t become the killer pandemic everyone feared. In fact, there were no confirmed deaths in developed countries from bird flu. But the alarm, stoked by Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-38242661021784588372006-12-27T15:37:00.000-08:002006-12-27T15:51:11.150-08:00Learn from the survivorsI'm nearing my sixth X and forget almost everything instantly. No wonder that I envy those who have a fine memory. One of them is William H. Sardo Jr., 94, who is one of the few survivors of the world's worst disaster, which killed 50 to 100 million people, and still remembers how it happened. He spoke to the reporters of The Washington Post. Here are some excerpts:At the Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-64271214234160915672006-12-27T05:41:00.000-08:002006-12-27T05:49:34.652-08:00Apocalypse PrologueWell, having found the video I posted earlier today (see below) I made a little search on Youtube for more posts on the topics. And see what I found.This is an intro to a - probably Chinese - videogame on the Apocalypse to be brought on us be the Avian Flu.Not too many have downloaded it up to now, and there was only one comment: "love the idea ... nice music too."Sure.Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-57418721456294134562006-12-27T03:49:00.000-08:002006-12-27T04:27:32.226-08:00I'm backI wonder if you noticed my absence for roughly six months. And I'm still alive :) though the Flu is still there, and as I read on BBC online the scare-production is till on and going. This flu, I learn, could kill 62 million people, experts have warned.Will this scaremongering never stop?They cite The Lancet, which says that the 1918 pandemic claimed 50 million lives, and experts predict Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1152533039137859072006-07-10T04:20:00.000-07:002006-08-02T10:42:20.290-07:00European Public View on Avian Flu The European Union has undertaken a Eurobarometer Poll about its citizens' awareness of the Avian Flu. They've just released e Special Report on their findings, which can be downloaded as a PDF document here. It is really very interesting. I copy here their conclusions, but I urge you to read the whole text. The study had three main objectives: to determine the Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1149864582677908692006-06-09T07:45:00.000-07:002006-06-09T07:59:56.893-07:00First Case in HungaryH5 virus confirmed in geese in Hungary The Hungarian authorities have informed the public and the European Commission of a confirmed outbreak of avian influenza in a domestic flock of geese in Bács-Kiskun, in the south of the country. The tests carried out so far have shown that is a H5 highly pathogenic strain, while it is still to be determined whether or not this is the Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1149764138524621822006-06-08T03:50:00.000-07:002006-06-08T04:14:55.590-07:00Biblical Answer to BirdfluThanks God universal (global?) sense of humor is alive and spreading.Here's the proof, I got from an unknown correspondent. Spread it, instead of the virus.Technorati Tags: Flu, Avian Flu, bird flu, prevention , vaccineBirdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1149165528559918512006-06-01T05:31:00.000-07:002006-06-08T04:17:26.620-07:00Poors Souls of IndonesiaA single vaccine can now protect poultry against two of the deadliest killers - bird flu and Newcastle disease. This is what I read on Enflu - which seems to be an ad-site - with very few usable information. They also have a piece of news saying that the sole survivor in a cluster of Indonesian relatives infected with bird flu lies in an open-air hospital room, chickens Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1147522809711645332006-05-13T05:12:00.000-07:002006-05-13T06:22:35.433-07:00Hungarian birdflu vaccine - deals with question marksI've been very busy during the last couple of months, with elections in Hungary, which totaly diverted atention from almost everything. I think this is an interesting aspect of my country's life: are we too provincial? I'm not sure. We have had very serious floods on our rivers - the Danuba and the Tisza - during the election campaign, Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1142982490442204002006-03-21T14:47:00.000-08:002006-03-21T15:27:10.873-08:00Shame on me!for not having written a single word for weeks in my blog, despite the fact that there have been some alarming developments. Nevertheless, I really hope that those few who visit my page now and then to get a bit of assurance regarding the truth which is that common sense is stronger than the Avian flu virus will have understood that my long silence was in fact a proof: there is no Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1140715154707379272006-02-23T08:36:00.000-08:002006-02-23T09:43:52.710-08:00Hungarians don't panicI received the above cartoon from an unknown correspondent by mail. It says: "This is absolutely not so funny!" Understand?!"On a different note:Most Hungarians don't panic despite the fact that the Avian Flu virus has been detected in some dead birds in the country. Népszabadság Online, the online edition of the country's leading political daily newspaper has been Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1140523618134364142006-02-21T03:55:00.000-08:002006-02-21T04:09:55.520-08:00Take it with humor!I received today these photos from an unknow, possibly Hungarian correspondent: they show a presumably homeless woman kissing and caressing some pigeons on the Kossuth Square, before the building of the Hungarian Parliament. Their message, I presume is this: birdflu may be hazardous to your health if you are crazy ... But, of course being crazy is a precondition for kissing Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1140013715074739312006-02-15T06:20:00.000-08:002006-02-15T06:35:41.096-08:00It has reached us!The Hungarian authorities have informed the European Commission of confirmed cases of the H5 avian influenza virus in 3 dead wild swans found in the county of Bács-Kiskun, in Southern Hungary. Samples from the dead birds are now being sent to the Community Reference Laboratory in Weybridge for further tests to determine whether this is the H5N1 strain. The Hungarian authorities Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1139666728092997412006-02-11T06:03:00.000-08:002006-02-11T06:06:34.350-08:00Bird flu reaches Italy and Greece The Italian health minister said that the virus had been found in wild swans in Sicily, and other cases were suspected elsewhere in the country - BBC reports.And Greek officials say a UK laboratory has confirmed the virus in three dead swans found in northern Greece.Technorati Tags: Flu, Avian Flu, bird flu, prevention , scam , panic Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1138896931647024772006-02-02T08:15:00.000-08:002006-02-02T08:18:03.776-08:00Bird flu vaccine works in miceScientists have produced a vaccine against deadly H5N1 strains of bird flu that has protected mice, using a genetic engineering technique that can be easily scaled up for stockpiling to prepare for a pandemic. (Reuters, CNN)Technorati Tags: Flu, Avian Flu, bird flu, prevention , scam , panic Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1138622470174406592006-01-30T03:58:00.000-08:002006-01-30T04:01:47.566-08:00Genetically engineered bird flu vaccine completely protects chickens from the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu?Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a genetically engineered bird flu vaccine that say completely protects chickens from the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.“This is a very potent vaccine. It took roughly about 30 days to make the vaccine from when we received the Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1138621896980853172006-01-30T03:47:00.000-08:002006-01-30T03:52:14.836-08:00Health warning: take avian flu scare stories with a pinch of salt (about 6g)This is form an article of The Times; and this is what I also think - only the author, Mr. Aaronovitch knows his trade better than I do. So, here is a quote (The flu pandemic, of course, requires nothing of us other than to be scared and demand vaccine. The other things require us to change.) and here you can read the Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1136478652672524492006-01-05T08:27:00.000-08:002006-01-05T08:36:44.596-08:00The spread After the latest two cases of death in Turkey we in Europe are reconsidering our attitude towards the threat. And though I'm still optimistic, it might be interesting for everyone to watch the spread of the deadly virus of Avian Flu. BBC has a new feature for this.By the way: have a happy new year!And here is the latest on the Turkish cases.Technorati Tags: Flu, Avian Flu, bird flu,Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1135869657485846902005-12-29T07:15:00.000-08:002005-12-29T07:21:47.316-08:00Data on Bird Flu cases and deatht - WHOEach case of death is one too much, nevertheless, if you look at the data published by the WHO, you will possibly calm down a bit: this year a total of 140 cases of Avian Flu have been reported to and recorded by the organisation, with the total number of deaths amounted to 73. The death rate is in fact very alarming: more than every second of those affectedBirdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1135255084547328212005-12-22T04:31:00.000-08:002005-12-22T04:44:54.866-08:00US FDA stops marketing "bogus" flu productsAccording to Reuters, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had warned nine companies to stop marketing "bogus" flu products. The products, including capsules that allegedly contain bacteria from dirt and other assorted immune system "boosters," all claim or claimed to help prevent or treat avian flu."FDA is not aware of any scientific evidence that Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1135102970518049832005-12-20T10:21:00.000-08:002005-12-22T04:30:00.126-08:00Shall we beleive?Scientists at a French pharmaceutical company say preliminary tests on a prototype of a pandemic flu vaccine look promising.Technorati Tags: Flu, Avian Flu, bird flu, prevention , scam , panic Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1135101160422318362005-12-20T09:45:00.000-08:002005-12-20T10:18:59.156-08:00This is not a new TsunamiI had a lot to do so I neglected this blog a bit; but it seems to me that not much has happened - of course there are at least a dozen new news items every day aimed at me and you with the purpose of intensifying the scare; but, thanks God, this bird flu doesn't look like a new Tsunami. On the other hand I found this article on Convergence Weekly: it is documenting what Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1134731942734426562005-12-16T02:59:00.000-08:002005-12-16T03:30:07.823-08:00The Bird Flu Pandemic: Panic and PreventionComment and analysis from Kingston, London, Budapest, Nairobi, New Delhi and Hong Kong from Worldpress.org.Its not brand new but its very interesting.Technorati Tags: Flu, cold, bird flu, prevention Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1134668076308279072005-12-15T09:33:00.000-08:002005-12-15T09:35:46.616-08:00FDA Warns Companies on Bird Flu Remedy ClaimsThe FDA sent warning letters to the nine companies saying they are presenting misleading and unproven claims. Claims made by the companies about their treatments include phrases like “prevents avian flu,” “a natural virus shield” and “kills the virus,” the FDA said.Technorati Tags: Flu, cold, bird flu, prevention Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1134482586139347642005-12-13T05:53:00.000-08:002005-12-13T06:07:35.496-08:00A survivor's reportI don't know how well this story from the BBC's Vietnam service is known.It had been published back in february, but it is very interesting and informative. A survivor of the Avian Flu, Nguyen Thanh Hung tells his story just after having been released from hospital where both he and his brother had been patients. Hung was back at home with his wife and children, but his Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1134300199596895972005-12-11T03:21:00.000-08:002005-12-13T05:22:14.910-08:00World Bank Aid Ready: Grants Available The World Bank has earmarked a US$1 billion global war chest for avian+flu.Technorati Tags: Flu, cold, bird flu, prevention Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1134299890704631892005-12-11T03:15:00.000-08:002005-12-13T05:24:30.936-08:00Row over wild birds' flu roleThere is little evidence to suggest migrating birds are spreading avian flu, a conservation group has said - says a story on BBC Online.Technorati Tags: Flu, avian flu, bird flu, prevention Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1134059232007307782005-12-08T08:25:00.000-08:002005-12-08T08:27:12.006-08:00The WHO on consuming poultryChicken and other poultry are safe to eat if cooked properly, according to a joint statement by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) issued to national food safety authorities. However, no birds from flocks with disease should enter the food chain.Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1133795666230168942005-12-05T07:07:00.000-08:002005-12-05T07:16:07.990-08:00Developing countries looking for an answerThis is a report from Voice of America; it is almost a month old, but as far as I know not much of has reached the press. It says that representatives of developing countries attended a world summit on birdflu and human influenza and said they were taking measures to combat bird flu to prevent the disease from spreading to humans. Hundreds of animal and Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1133475720268755492005-12-01T14:18:00.000-08:002005-12-02T07:25:31.956-08:00Are you ready for Avian Flu?Not I'm asking this question, but ZDNet, a forum for tech-freaks, and, yes, you are rigth, they are helping you to prepare (that is if you are someone employing lots of people who might not turn up at work, should suddenly a birdflu broke out. An organizational what to do list, or something like that. Cheer up!Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1133083973855496312005-11-27T01:21:00.000-08:002005-11-27T03:31:02.446-08:00What if it really happens?Gold, treasuries and drug stocks will inevitably profit - says an article dealing with the business side of Avian Flu in Business Week. It turns out that the losers would be businesses associated with heavy coming and going: travel, mass sport events, cinemas, theatres, shopping malls, big retail-centers, commuting, anything that draws large numbers of people. The Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1132682270987014082005-11-22T09:55:00.000-08:002005-11-22T10:04:58.013-08:00The Asian ResponseAsian Development Bank (ADB) has a regular update on what is going on in Asia to combat avian flu.Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1132528262742915952005-11-20T15:06:00.000-08:002005-12-01T14:13:13.833-08:00Cure!The best way to cure your scare is to divert your attention from this whole birdflu-hoax to something entirely different. I decided to help you to do exactly this. From now on I'll include here every now and then a piece from Google-Video to cheer you (and myself) up. So here we go!Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1132257352724705952005-11-17T11:51:00.000-08:002005-11-17T11:55:52.733-08:00US Investigation of Japanese Tamiflu-deaths. I reported on the Japanese deaths from Tamiflu. Now U.S. regulators are studying the deaths of 12 children in Japan who took Roche AG's flu-fighting drug Tamiflu, officials said on Thursday, but they said it was difficult to tell whether the drug played a role in any of the cases. Here is the full story from Reuters.Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1132181149225855712005-11-16T14:37:00.000-08:002005-11-16T14:45:49.226-08:00SmirkingChimp on PharmaprofitsThe drug industry's image problems are beginning to hurt pharmaceutical companies where it matters most - at the bottom line. Read the full story in the Business section of The NYT. You'll see what happens if profits shrink: factories have to be closed, people are sent on dole and when the pandemic comes, you will be helpless, because there will be no medicines .....Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1132179786741278802005-11-16T14:12:00.000-08:002005-11-16T14:30:28.573-08:00Panic, Politics and Profit - Tamiflu Kills?Well this Japanese article is stating exactly that. Tamiflu linked to deaths of 2 teens goes the headline of a Kyodo despatch dated 13.11., and says that two teenage boys who took the antiviral drug Tamiflu exhibited abnormal behavior thatled to their deaths, with one jumping in front of an oncoming truck last year and the other falling from the ninth Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1131977387850666462005-11-14T05:59:00.000-08:002005-12-02T07:24:12.210-08:00This is sick!I mean the fact itself that a major business weekly on its website is giving tips as to how to reshape one's investment portfolio in view of the coming birdflu pandemie. Read it - if you wish - here.Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1131903930107079192005-11-13T09:38:00.000-08:002005-11-14T07:31:03.596-08:00Drugs are expensive, and life is cheap.This is from a very intelligent article from The Guardian, which analysing the contradictions between the profit-hunger of the big pharmaceutical companies and the need of the poor (and also the not so poor countries.)The point aorund which it is revolving is, of course birdflu and the responses of the drug industry and some other players. Interestingly Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1131829622248152362005-11-12T13:00:00.000-08:002005-11-12T13:08:47.913-08:00Y2Flu? As you klnow, I'm collecting mostly pieces of information that come off the mainstream - which is generating fear concerning the "coming pandemie of birdflu". Well, I've found now one, which is absolutely off-mainstream, though it has been published on a very much mainstream site. Maybe the editors of big media don't beleive themselves what they're writing about? Anyway, here it goes: ...Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1131725470800130822005-11-11T08:06:00.000-08:002005-11-11T08:14:46.996-08:00Am I Spreading the Virus?BBC Magazine's editors have made me think about it: am I also spreading the birdflu virus of fear? Am I also risking the lives of those who come here and then dismiss the possibility of a pandemic of birdflu becaus I make them feel that this is just another hoax to make some people richer?I hope not.Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1131719867955044922005-11-11T06:33:00.000-08:002005-11-11T06:40:10.290-08:00What the Kiwis Think About it?I came accross this forum on a NZ-site. One of the participants is wondering what if birdflu, is just like Y2K and everyone makes this massive deal out of it and we go and buy baked beans and surgical masks and live in our bomb shelters and die anyway - or in the case of Y2K, nothing happens? We could do a George Bush and keep the enitre country on "orange alert" forBirdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1131646084861238422005-11-10T10:05:00.000-08:002005-11-13T09:50:11.130-08:00About Fear and the Bush Admin.Since I'm mostly concerned about the worldwide pandemic of fear that the avian flu scare is producing I cannot help including this article on "The New Fear". No comment.How fine that a not so silent minority still keeps its sense of (black) humor!Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1131645472427829642005-11-10T09:52:00.000-08:002005-11-10T09:59:05.383-08:00More on the economic impacts. (Who profits?)It is hard to calm down when you keep on reading articles like this dealing with the possible economic impacts of a worldwide pandemic of avian flu, which, as the writer says, could shut down travel, disrupt supply chains, overwhelm health care systems and devastate economies globally. USA Today cites an economist at the Centers for Disease Control and Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1131579619973021332005-11-09T15:34:00.000-08:002005-11-09T15:45:19.696-08:00How to Protect Yourself from avian fluSome seemingly useful practical advice from a Canadian source.Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1131579021414044442005-11-09T15:17:00.000-08:002005-12-05T08:36:16.286-08:00The flu has a price tag! - How nice!Pandemic could carry $950B cost: World Bank - reads a headline of the CanadianCBC News. Quoting an official of the World Bank they say that an birdflu pandemic could cost the world economy as much as $950 billion Cdn in lost growth. Health and government officials gathered in Geneva on Monday for the world's largest-ever conference on the disease, and Dr. DavidBirdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1131206040159126112005-11-05T07:44:00.000-08:002005-11-05T07:54:00.160-08:00Can Vaccines Make Money?A really 100 $ question, and the answer is worth billions. Read this in Forbes and you'll get a glimpse at the way big pharma is in fact thinking about your health. Or is it only a sole "analyst" (Geoffrey Porges from Sanford C. Bernstein, quoted by teh paper) who thinks that anti-flu vaccines and the like are profitable only on the short run, and on the long run the Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1131204950913760712005-11-05T07:13:00.000-08:002005-11-05T07:35:54.170-08:007.1 Billion for What?G.W. Bush, the president of the US has recently outlined a $7.1 billion plan to prepare for the danger of a pandemic influenza outbreak. He said he wanted to stockpile enough vaccine to protect 20 million Americans against the current strain of bird flu - which experts see a waste of money, or, rather a bonanza for the pharma industry. This string becomes even more clear if Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1130585689081981212005-10-29T04:20:00.000-07:002005-10-29T04:40:51.690-07:00Stay healthy! That's the best way of protecting yourself.This very long, but very interesting - and, of course, somewhat controversial - article from the Australian Indmedia site its Australian author explains us a lot of the basics of what going on in our bodies, how these bacteria, viruses, germs exist and coexist there and what are the drugs and vaccines good for. I think this is a good read:Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1130582827300898102005-10-29T03:36:00.000-07:002005-10-29T03:47:07.306-07:00Who profits? 5. (more to come).Its Roche: this piece from Times Online is not very new, I've also repoted on it earlier, but the details are important:- Roche, which is the world's only manufacturer of Tamiflu (remember: they got it from a company previously headed by the present US war minister, Rumsfeld), revealed that group sales had surged to more than £11.1 billion in the third quarter, Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1130543846483327412005-10-28T16:48:00.000-07:002005-10-29T03:59:32.336-07:00Who profits? (4. - more to come)This piece would need a bit more research, but it contains at least some very interesting leads as to who might profit from this - I suppose - more than somewhat orchestrated global pendemic of fearproduction: it states that Donald Rumsfeld, among others will profit, since he owns shares of the company that makes Tamiflu; and used to be the chairman of Gilead, the Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1130542489539808222005-10-28T16:24:00.000-07:002005-10-28T16:34:49.546-07:00Who profits? (3. - more to come)This is somewhat different: a new angle. President Bush is suggesting the enactment of Martial Law in the case of an avian flu outbreak. Martial Law could also be established, using the pretext of an outbreak of avian flu in foreign countries and its potential impacts on the US. In other words, the Military rather than the country's civilian health authorities Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1130339757757159982005-10-26T08:09:00.000-07:002005-10-26T14:50:42.750-07:00Who profits? (2 ... more to come)The funeral industry ... of course.Look at this, Down Under. EMERGENCY planning for a bird flu pandemic in Victoria has included talks with the funeral industry. Premier Steve Bracks said the Government was treating an outbreak as a "strong possibility" and contingency planning had addressed the issue of the mass storage of infected bodies. "We have to work on theBirdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1130170003292563612005-10-24T09:00:00.000-07:002005-10-24T09:06:43.296-07:00Q+A from WTO Following up a short summary of basic questions and answers from the BBC, this is a somewhat longer and much more sophisticated (I'd say complicated) series of Qs+As from the (officially at least) most relevant source, the WHO of the UN.Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1130141181948513062005-10-24T01:02:00.000-07:002005-10-24T01:10:21.906-07:00Who profits? (2) (More to come...)This is The Guardian with the latest on Roche, the Swiss pharma giant that acquired the license for Tamiflu and now stands to mae huge profits out of the ... scare.For the obsessively guarded, conservatively dressed and unflamboyant Oeri, Hoffman and Sacher families, avian flu could be good news. Over the next two years, the heirs of Fritz Hoffman, founders of Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1130107694370738912005-10-23T15:36:00.000-07:002005-10-23T15:48:14.373-07:00Who profits?One of the most frequently asked questions about this scare is: who's gonna profit from this all? Well, obviously the pharma companies - big and small. The whole sphere of 'health' businesses, the media, incl. the blogospehere. This piece from zmag.org (an important alternative source of knowledge and opinion) is a bloody serious satire; not very new, but all the more fresh. Have funBirdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1130106830805073562005-10-23T15:18:00.000-07:002005-10-23T15:33:50.810-07:00Good stuff for everyone who likes conspiration theoriesI've found a highly controversial piece, written by Leonard G. Horowitz, an American medic (said to be a D.M.D., M.A., M.P.H., and an "internationally known authority in the overlapping fields of public health, behavioral science, emerging diseases, and bioterrorism"), who thinks that"If avian flu becomes more than a threatened pandemic, it Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1130104535857222492005-10-23T14:52:00.000-07:002005-10-23T14:55:35.856-07:00And this is also from the BBC-site: a quick quideJust click and read.Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18206313.post-1130103495054683682005-10-23T14:29:00.000-07:002005-10-23T14:38:15.056-07:00Let me start with a very good Q and A series from the BBCQ: What is bird flu?Like humans and other species, birds are susceptible to flu.There are 15 types of bird, or avian, flu.The most contagious strains, which are usually fatal in birds, are H5 and H7.The type currently causing concern is the deadly strain H5N1.Even within the H5N1 type, variations are seen, and slightly different forms are Birdflu(g)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09966900067295660956noreply@blogger.com0