H1N1 Swine Flu Field of Research

H1N1 Swine Flu - H1N1 virus was originally referred to as "swine flu" because laboratory testing showed that many of the genes in the virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs (swine) in North America. But further study has shown that the 2009 H1N1 is very different from what normally circulates in North American pigs. It has two genes from flu viruses that normally circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia and bird (avian) genes and human genes. Scientists call this a "quadruple reassortant" virus.

Will an apple a day keep the Dr. away?

Pine57 posted a photo:

Japan is in a national panic! TV channels have little time to report other news as at least 15 to 20 minutes of a 30 minute broadcast are devoted to flu related stories.

Despite desperate early efforts to board all planes coming from countries where the new H1N1 influenza (formerly known as Swine Flu) has been diagnosed and scanning the passengars for temperatures; efforts to ask people to self-quarantine for 10 days upon arrival back into Japan; and in some cases quarantining suspected cases until test results could be verified, the new flu broke out in the Kobe area less than a week ago. Within only a few days the reported cases jumped to 283 by Thursday, making Japan have the 4th largest number of cases in the world.

Surgical masks sold out at pharmacies quickly and bootleg Tamiflu has been reported to be sold over the internet at prices inflated as much as 4 times the cost.

When a new flu case in Shiga Prefecture of a college student living alone was confirmed after a visit to Kobe, all schools from nursery school to high school in his town closed for a week in something of an overkill effort to stem the spread.

Now within the last day the Tokyo area cities are making announcements of new cases and the train lines that confirmed cases traveled on are being reported in the news.

No flu cases have been reported in my local area yet but the public address system has been making announcements that anyone visiting patients at the local general hospital should wear a mask.

I'd like to poo-poo all the fuss but I'm one of those people with low immunity, travel on sardine packed rush hour trains, and teach at a college so this could be deadly for me or my students.

Sick world of swine influenza virus

Chud Tsankov Illustrations posted a photo:

Sick Planet Earth Wearing An Ice Pack, A Thermometer Stuck In His Mouth, Symbolizing Pollution Or The Flu

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