Anybody else find it difficult to take bird flu seriously

[Callie]

giant pandas, that's who.

no! red pandas, much cuter and they have fluffy tails

 

[Japey]

As other people have pointed out, the flu outbreak that killed millions after WWI was most possible a form of avian flu. In some countries entire villages were wiped out.

Still funny...?

Everything is capable of killing people. Even laughter. But laughter is important. So I will continue laughing at bird flu until I have trouble opening my front door due to the bodies piling up.

 

[gurrier]

I know one of the doctors on Ireland's national task force for avian flu. It seems to terrify her.

It has a mortality rate of 50%
So far it appears to be equally efficacious at killing young healthy people as others.
Some people think some strains have already gained the ability to be transmitted from human to human. If this is so, it is a matter of when rather than if the pandemic starts.
The pandemic could wipe out 100's of millions within weeks.

So, I'd definitely take it seriously, although I'm not actually worried about it.

Oh and penguins are cool. The beaches around cape town are often covered in penguins - even in summer. Nothing beats the experience of sunbathing with an audience of baby penguins.

 

[Callie]

I know one of the doctors on Ireland's national task force for avian flu. It seems to terrify her.

She should be, being a bird arf!

 

[tobyjug]

So deadly that nobody has ever heard of it.

You may not have heard of it, if you had you would not use a smiley:-
http://www.cbwinfo.com/Biological/Pathogens/MBGV.html

Green Monkey disease,(Marburg virus Fever)

Symptoms and effects.

Onset of the disease is rapid with a blinding headache being the first symptom reported. The virus attacks the liver and exhausts the bloodstream of clotting factors. Clotting begins to occur in an uncontrolled manner and as a result of this, the small hemorrhages that occur as a consequence of wear and tear do not seal and bleeding occurs throught the body. There is bleeding from tissues where damage is common, such as the stomach, intestine, and gums. This gives rise to bloody diarrhea and vomiting of blood (hematemesis). The eyes often appear bloodshot. The loss of blood and fluids leads to lethargy, multiple organ failure, shock and death

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

No, gassing ducks isn't funny. But ducks are.

Are ducks actually funny?

I've never quite understood the cartoonist's fascination with ducks: Donald, Daffy, etc.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Yeah, ducks are funny - the waddle mostly, I think.

 

[Callie]

You may not have heard of it, if you had you would not use a smiley:-
http://www.cbwinfo.com/Biological/Pathogens/MBGV.html

Green Monkey disease,(Marburg virus Fever)

Symptoms and effects.

blah blah blah

whats your point? there are loads of nasty diseases out there with funny names.

 

[Callie]

Yeah, ducks are funny - the waddle mostly, I think.

ducks are EVIL! but not as evil as geese serrated beaks

 

[pilchardman]

Yeah, ducks are funny - the waddle mostly, I think.

The comedy noise. The gracefulness in water, for the poignant counterpoint to the comedy. And the funny name.

 

[pilchardman]

 

[tobyjug]

whats your point? there are loads of nasty diseases out there with funny names.

My point is just because they have a funny name does not mean they are a laughing matter. Green Monkey (Marburg) is a serious issue due to illegal "bushmeat" imports into Britain.

 

[bluestreak]

so look, basically should i be shitting myself about this?

cos i didn't shit myself when everyone else did about the global threat of ebola or SARS and neither of them seem to have figured much in my life, so perhaps i'm thinking this panic about sneezing chickens might be being whipped up by, say, global drug manufacturers desperate to get some peachy anti-viral contracts?

or am i missing a point and should be booking myself a place in one of those big bubble things?

 

[Callie]

None of that bluestreak, just dont laugh about diseases with funny names. heh he said green monkey *snicker*

 

[Callie]

Anyway Marburgs hardly something to get your knickers in a twist about unless you play with monkeys a lot.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Growing up as a kid, all I heard about was duck hunting.

http://oger.writhe.net/kid/duck_hunter_/

 

[tobyjug]

Anyway Marburgs hardly something to get your knickers in a twist about unless you play with monkeys a lot.

Illegal bushmeat imports mean Marburg and many other diseases ARE an issue in Britain. The next nasty disease imported in illegal meat may well not be foot and mouth.

 

[gurrier]

Illegal bushmeat imports mean Marburg and many other diseases ARE an issue in Britain. The next nasty disease imported in illegal meat may well not be foot and mouth.

Don't eat bushmeat so (don't eat people who eat bushmeat either).

 

[Callie]

dont have sex with them either, or the bushmeat....bush meat...sex geddit? arf!

 

[tobyjug]

Don't eat bushmeat so (don't eat people who eat bushmeat either).

The fact you do not eat bushmeat is no reason to be complacent.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

dont have sex with them either, or the bushmeat....bush meat...sex geddit? arf!

What: don't have sex with Bush?

 

[Callie]

yes that too. or monkeys, they dont like it

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

yes that too. or monkeys, they dont like it

No; it' just that they can get into trouble.

http://www.bismikaallahuma.org/Hadith/Exegesis/she-monkey.htm

 

[Callie]

poor she monkey, she was only having a bit of fun.

 

[miss minnie]

be very worried if bird flu affects the emu population. apart from creating a world-wide kleenex shortage australian deserts will be knee deep in snot.

 

[Callie]

I think it would be a bad thing for people to be very worried about bird flu because it could cause stress which could effect their health and weaken their immune systems. As I said earlier transmission from human to human hasnt been reported yet for definate and until it all kicks off why worry. We could spend our lives worrying about the next big thing to kill us and we'd lead sad and paranoid lives. We have all got to die someday.

Obviously people monitoring the bird flu and those involved in the health side of things will be more concerned because its their business to be but I think the rest of us can relax for now.

I feel sad for all the little birdies that are gonna get culled what about endangered species and the likes? I wonder how many will be extinct after this?

 

[gurrier]

The fact you do not eat bushmeat is no reason to be complacent.

I was talking to the people who don't have sex with monkeys. They can be complacent.

 

[catch]

Heard a couple of weeks ago about stockpiling of vaccines for "essential workers" on the Today programme. Healthcare, transport, financial services.....



FINANCIAL SERVICES??????

When the fuck did they become key workers? Will they start allocating them centrally located housing soon as well?

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Please tell me you're making that up.

(Incidentally, guess which low-paid group of public-sector professionals never makes it onto the "key workers" list?)

 

[catch]

Please tell me you're making that up.

No. I'm not making it up at all, unless it was some kind of sick dream. It was a little while ago, and in the morning so I was groggy, but it fucking woke me up.

(Incidentally, guess which low-paid group of public-sector professionals never makes it onto the "key workers" list?)

FE lecturers? Hospital Cleaners?