Chickens and hogs co-mingling...

[LynneP]

Yes and apparently they now have roof that the 1912 influenza epidemic that swept Europe resulting in millions of deaths was cause by an eastern European mutation- they even know the farm now, from excavation and lab testing.

 

[Clay In Iowa]

When I talk to my friend (Troy) he sounds like the grim reaper. He keeps telling me that IF H5N1 makes the jump to humans the 1915 epidemic will seem like the sniffles. The more people who keep hogs and poultry together the greater chance it will acquire the genes it needs to jump. It can currently infect humans but does so at very low levels. If it gets better at it...........

If it jumps the infectious disease experts estimate 500,000- 2,000,000 dead world wide. Primarily in underdeveloped countries. They keep those numbers pretty quite because as you can imagine it might cause a bit of concern.

 

[LynneP]

True and the vaccine research is still wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy behind the speed of mutation. So it goes. Such a simple solution on the surface, too, except that in poor countries education is less available and the need to eat (now) supercedes all future concerns about disease.

 

[Clay In Iowa]

For now the "Centers for Emerging Infectious Diseases", where Troy works, trains people from all over the word. Most are from Asia. They teach them to collect samples and how to prepare them for analysis. In addition they give them TONS of literature, posters hand outs, etc to give out every where they go. In some places it's working because the farmers have had their chickens and hogs culled and burned buy the government more than once. But in most areas you are 100% correct. Eating today is more important than what might happen.