Bad news from down south:
A new flu strain that has killed up to 68 people in Mexico could become a pandemic, the World Health Organization warned on Saturday, as health experts tried to track the disease’s spread.
Hospitals tested patients with flu symptoms for the never-before-seen virus, which has also infected eight people in the United States. No further deaths had come to light since Friday afternoon, but officials warned the person-to-person infections meant there was a risk of a major outbreak.
“It has pandemic potential because it is infecting people,” WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said in Geneva…
Mexico has shut schools, cinemas and museums and canceled public events in its sprawling, overcrowded capital of 20 million people to try to prevent further infections. Weekend soccer matches were played in empty stadiums and people on the street wore face masks.
The strain of flu has spread fast between people and infected some individuals who had no contact with one another.
Now can we seal the border?
Hey, I thought they were talk’in about Pigs learning to fly.
Because a “Swine Flew.”
F4Jock/
One more comment like that and you will have seriously have abused your right to live.
I thought it was rather “punny.”
xairboss,
Since you live in Lexington, and I went to school there. Here you go:
A termite walks into a bar and asks “Is the bar tender, here?”
A dyslexic walks into a bra.
A three legged dog walks into a saloon and says “I’m looking for the man who shot my paw.”
I’ll be here all night, tip your waitresses….
Best,
Jake
Jake,
Did you hear the one about the dyslexic devil-worshiper who sold his soul to Santa?
Jake, did you go to VMI? Played in a golf scramble yesterday with lots of VMI staff and grads. The winning foursome was composed of all VMI types, including the B Ball coach.
xairboss,
Indeed, I am graduate of the finest school in Lexington.
RAH Virginia Mil !
Someday I’ve got to get myself the t-shirt that says “VMI, the older I get, the tougher it was.”
Best,
Jake
BS ME
Sometimes just BS
XAirBoss/
You know what the rules say about what to do about uncontrolled, unrepentant “punsters” don’t you? PUNishment…
VX,
Are you going to send him to the punitentary?
I wonder if he drives a puntiac?
Best,
Jake
I’ll be here all night…
Man,
That’s 2/3rd of a pun. PU…..
With all the pork coming from Congress, does this mean they are now an endangered species? We can only hope!
“It has pandemic potential because it is infecting people[.]”
Um, since when did the mere possibility of infection indicate a pandemic?
…And, yes, this would be a good reason to get back to border security.
…I’m sure you meant “another” good reason.
Casey,
The problem in Mexico is that the Government has only enough Tamiflu vaccine for about 1 in 20 people. Since it is a government in name only, it is quite likely that whatever stores of vaccine are on hand will shortly be seized by the various drug cartels, and then sold to the highest bidders.
Think about the potential of hundreds of thousands of dead in Mexico, with Drug Cartels running the show and ending up being in charge of the nation that is the 2nd largest supplier of oil to the United States.
Think about our porous borders as tens of thousands, if not millions, of panic-driven Mexicans flood our southwest in hopes of medicine and treatment, causing a collapse of our own medical resources.
Now think about a President who understands that every crisis is an opportunity, and who uses the fear of a pandemic to declare martial law.
There are already identified cases of swine flu in NYC. Given our society’s proclivity for travel across borders, states, etc, how long before we reach a critical mass?
The last pandemic of influenza left at lest 20 million dead, and that’s without the ability to spread through mass transportation networks.
I’m not afraid yet, but I am definately concerned about the situation.
How sad it is that I am actually more concerned about my own government’s potential reaction than I am of the potential threat from the disease?
It has pandemic potential because it’s infecting _healthy young men_ similar to the outbreak of the Spanish Flu. Normally non-pandemic flus simply attack the old and very young (ie those with weak immune systems).
Another oddity about this one is that it has genetic markers from about 4 different sources.
Very very odd…. it has some people wondering what might be cooking in someone’s backyard bio-warfare lab.
As a resident of New Mexico (who works in the hospital and has school-aged children), I can tell you this is a very very serious concern for me.
And the Mexico City International Airport still remains open for business…
To be picky, Tamiflu is an anti-viral, not a vaccine.