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COMMENTS:
Voted : It's not a threat or scare, it's the truth
Because the potential for a widespread pandemic with millions of deaths is a potential reality. While it hasn't YET taken root here, the avian flu (H5N1) has infected millions of birds, chickens, etc resulting in the massive slaughter and destruction of these birds to prevent the spread further. It has also resulted in countries beginning massive programs to both vaccinate poultry and to shelter them from contact with outside fowl. For poor countries like Vietnam, the economic cost has been enormous.
The H5N1 flu virus is systemic in nature. When a human is infected, it does not just affect the respiratory system (lungs, etc), it infects multiple organs of the body including the brain. It is rather difficult to treat an infection which has attacked multiple organs. Death is the result.
The H5N1 virus has shown some mutation in recent years. While the cases of human infection so far have been caused by close contact with fowl, this may not remain the case. Some areas which are being ravaged by the H5N1 virus (such as Nigeria) are unable (an likely to remain unable) to contain the infection. This means that these areas will likely remain a reservoir for the virus increasing the amount of mutations.
The infamous 1918 worldwide flu pandemic which resulted in millions of deaths was a result of a mutation of a variant of the avian flu. While H5N1 might not be the one virus that becomes a global pandemic, one will certainly take that role. In today's world people can easily travel all over the world carrying the virus and spreading it before they even come down with symptoms. Unlike the 1918 flu pandemic which took months, the spread of a highly pathogenic virus could begin spreading in days - perhaps even hours. So, ignore the real threat of a deadly world-wide virus... It is only a very real threat. If not this one, another will take its place. We are well overdue for a global flu pandemic.
Voted : They want to be able to say they gave us warning
It could happen, or the flu mutations could be perfectly harmless. More people died from the last major pandemic than died from World War I. Now medicine is better but transportation and overcrowding are more common as well.
Voted : the politics of fear
yes it is a definite possibility - but then death is a possibility for each and every one of us at any moment.
what are we learning about this potential pandemic? are we learning anything useful - how to avoid it, how to minimize its impact, how to quarantine it, how to treat it and so on? or are we just learning to fear it? not the scientists, but we citizens.
it would be interesting to know how much damage fear of the plague caused to the european cultures of the middle ages, in addition to the damage caused by the plagues themselves.
Are we learning anything? how to avoid it, how to minimize its impact, how to quarantine it, how to treat it and so on?
Yes, if people pay attention. It is all out there. It is just the 30 second attention span culture that we live in that is to blame.
Voted : the politics of fear
Gotta keep the masses in line somehow...
To be honest I dont personally go along with the "scared people" theory of government. Scared people are unpredictable and vote in all kinds of silly people and ideas.
When it comes to social manipulation of the plebs I personally favour the "bread and circuses" model. If the people are not hungry and are not bored then you can get away with pretty much anything in my experience.
It works on my island paradise where I am President for life. We show TNA wrestling every night at 6.00 pm with repeats at 10.00 am the next day.
Voted : A blatent distraction from more pressing affairs!
This has always been a threat and is no more a threat now than 10-20 yrs ago. The media and governments have suddenly payed more attention to this one, even though it still relies on a highly specific completely random mutation. It is a very useful distraction from other actual realtime occurances that are currently occuring... like wars, the poverty level in the US etc, but it is much nicer for those in control if people are instead thinking of a disaster that may never happen.
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