rumors... keep an eye or ear out...

[Cat]

A doctor treating a boy who died from Bird Flu came down with fever and was tested and treated as a "bird flu suspect". The doctor had been wearing a full-body "bunny suit" while treating the boy.

 

That much is in the story below... fact as reported by Reuters.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Indonesian doctor treated for suspected bird flu

 

30 Mar 2007 08:23:44 GMT

Source: Reuters

 

JAKARTA, March 30 (Reuters) - A doctor who had been treating a 15-year-old boy who died from bird flu is being treated in an isolation ward after developing symptoms of the disease, a hospital official said on Friday.

 

The doctor had treated the boy, from Indramayu in West Java, at a hospital in Bandung. The boy died on March 25 from the H5N1 virus, the official said.

 

"He is in an isolation room, doing fine. He has been suffering from a sore throat, fever and some respiratory problems. However, he wore a complete protection suit when dealing with a bird flu patient last week," Doctor Yusuf Hadi, the head of the bird flu department at Hasan Sadikin hospital in Bandung, said by telephone.

 

"Two or three days after having contact with the boy, he suffered from fever. But now, he is OK, he does not have fever anymore. He has been treated as a bird flu suspect together with a woman and two children."

 

Test results for the four were pending.

 

Indonesia announced five more deaths from bird flu this week, taking the confirmed human death toll from the H5N1 virus to 71, the highest in the world.

 

The virus is endemic among fowl in many parts of Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country. Human cases generally involve contact with infected birds.

 

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/JAK148571.htm

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

This is where the rumors begin:

 

 

*RUMORS* that have not been confirmed is that another doctor and several nurses have also been hospitalized with symptoms, and that, as a result, nurses in that hospital have gone on strike. The hospital is *SUPPOSEDLY* in chaos.

 

*RUMOR HAS IT* that this might be *MAYBE* the first confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission of Bird Flu.

 

 

As far as I've seen, this much info has not been published in English yet (and so, not confirmed), but there are people trying to make sense of a broken-English translation done from that language to ours on a translator service.

 

http://www.avianflutalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=16013

 

 

[Nett]

SCARY! But most all diseases in one form or another is transmittable to humans from animals.

[Cat]

Yes, that's what *has* already been confirmed over and over, Nett.

 

 

It is the human-to-human Bird Flu transmission that is feared. That would be the possible beginning of a world-wide pandemic.

 

[Jewlzm]

Yeah but even rumors can scare the snot out of you and make you hurry on your preps.

[PoGo]

The thing about rumors though...there's usually a smidgen of truth in it somewhere.

[Cat]

Something I read... supposedly in these countries where Bird Flu is a reality already, they don't *test* for Bird Flu unless they are told that the patient had direct contact with birds!

 

That means there could be other infections/deaths not being considered or reported as Bird Flu.

 

 

Still, truthfully, that hasn't been confirmed by more than forum talk.

 

 

 

[Snowmom]

Wow, this is still something to really think about, it is scary for sure.

 

If it is human to human, it could travel so very fast.

 

For sure get all the preps done you can.

 

[Vic303]

Don't forget though that any number of folks in the third world, MAY have contracted H5N1, gotten a bit sick like with any 'normal' flu, and recovered. If they didn't get sick enough to try to go to a clinic, then we will NEVER know they were sick with it. Unless ALL of Asia does a COMPLETE testing of the whole population to see who has antibodies to H5N1, we will not know the true extent of exposure. Remember all we are seeing are the folks who got SO sick that they sought medical advice (and in the third world where health care is not so widely dispersed and not so well equipped), these folks likely waited until death's door before seeking aid.

[Dee]

Good point Vic303!

[Mother]

That IS a good point Vic but it also means that if that were to be true, the death rate could be a WHOLE lot less than is thought. We are only hearing about those who are very sick and die with it.

 

It is not the nature of viruses to kill off their victims. After all, that would effectively put an end to the virus. They are telling us that wildlife can have it without dying from it, then it stands to reason that humans can too. That wouldn't stop it from being a very nasty pandemic if it did occur. None of us have an immunity to it yet, that we know of, and we could be a very sick nation if it does hit. All their predictions about forty percent being out of the work force could still be true, could cause as much disaster as they are predicting and we need to be prepared to fight the disease.

 

Does anyone else have the feeling I have, that this is some sort of man made disaster that is meant to 1) bolster the sales of drugs; 2) keep people in fear so they are more dependant on their governments than ever before; or 3) a way to reduce the overpopulation on earth? Okay so maybe my paranoia is showing but it keeps running around in my mind.

 

[Cat]

No, Mother, in *my* opinion, I think that's a bit "over the top". We'd have to assume an *awful* lot, and I just can't believe that. The Bird Flu virus is too unpredictable.

 

 

The most logical man-made disaster now would be unleashing the Smallpox virus, but that's traceable. With today's supposed "eradication", it's unknown how many of us older vaccinated people might still have the immunity. And a whole generation of our children, and *their* children, could be lost.

 

 

If I remember correctly, the "Spanish Flu" followed a lot of flu cases that occurred the year before it mutated into the deadly one. The question is, did it innoculate and protect people, or weaken their systems for the deadly one?

 

 

 

[Skagitgal]

I have read where it is a natural progression to have "3" pandemics a century. We had '57, '68. and...... It IS a rather natural circumstance among animals, birds, reptiles etc.......only now humans seem to be upset that THEY are the chosen target. Is it a Chinese experiment gone awry; or simply nature's way of relieving the pressure on the world's resources? Despite the whisperings of an "New World Order" takeover; I don't believe any one government is yet that capable. When you take a good look at the IDIOTS that run the world's powers, it's a wonder we are out of the caves!! Recorded history is full of natural population reducers; call them wars, pandemics, volcanos,earthquakes. It's as natural as spring shedding, and autumn leaf fall. It just happens.

[Nett]

I agree it "just happens" but the thing that bothers me is the way people have made themselves dependent up on society. "We cannot survive this unless we can innoculate the whole population" sort of thing>

[Skagitgal]

Nett, the way I understand the sequence..innoculations are rather useless. If a vaccine is made for #1 replication; [say you give the flu to me} and a vaccine is made from my virus....when I give the flu to my brother #2..for instance..it has changed replication sequence and the vaccine confers no immunity. Secondly, it has the ability NOT to change, so the vaccine may work on isolated clusters. I'm just repeating what I have read...there are many good flu sites available....here included. It's a doggone tricky enemy. Skagit.

[Nett]

I understand that, I guess that is where the fear of it being a man-made creature comes from. The fact that a virus that could be created to cause such destruction and unable to defend against

 

[Skagitgal]

Yeah. It seems, IMHO, that an Oriental country was trying to come up with a vaccine against this disease; and it got out of hand/ away from them due to sloppy procedure-or on purpose. Personally, I feel if a country were going to toss a disease into the 'melting pot', it would more likely be the new resistant strain of TB, or Smallpox. The saddest, most reprehensible part of all this....our govt.'s refusal to take a stand and warn the general public. If you really want a blow to your pride...try talking about the bird flu to someone who does not believe. I guess I have a fragile ego...S.

[Nett]

Nay it is just frustrating trying to talk to "ostriches"

[Skagitgal]

Amen, Amen, Amen.

[HSmom]

I disagree that a resistant strain of TB would be a 'good' disease to spread. TB is actually fairly difficult to catch. You don't get it from being coughed on once by an infected person. You don't get it from touching contaminated surfaces (doorknobs, grocery store carts, etc). You get it from repeated exposure in close quarters - family, homeless shelter, roommates, etc.

[Nett]

This is true but smallpox travels very fast and is VERY easily spread. Ask those in military bootcamp.

 

I watched to many young women end up with it other than the vaccine area(arm).

[Ferretma]

Originally Posted By: Cat

...*RUMOR HAS IT* that this might be *MAYBE* the first confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission of Bird Flu.
...

Hey Cat.

Just fyi. There have been a number of cases where H5N1 has been passed from human to human (H2H) and, in some cases, H2H2H. However, it hasn't been sustained, which is our worst fear.

One example of H2H that I recall is where a person rode with a H5N1 infected child in the ambulance and later became positive. IIRC, there are about 6-12 documented cases of similar incidents over the last few years. Here is a statement from WHO:

"...The highly pathogenic H5N1 virus is not easily transmissible between people, although there has been evidence of several clusters involving human to human transmission over the past three years, according to the WHO..."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070403/hl_nm/...lu_egypt_who_dc

[Kelly]

A friend of mine here in Alabama went for blood work today at a clinic or something anyway someone from the health dept. was there handing out papers about the bird flu. They said they had meds for it but wouldn't give it out until an epidemic hit.

[Darlene]

If that ain't a crock of blahblahblah, then I don't know what is.

[Vic303]

Originally Posted By: Kelly

A friend of mine here in Alabama went for blood work today at a clinic or something anyway someone from the health dept. was there handing out papers about the bird flu. They said they had meds for it but wouldn't give it out until an epidemic hit.

They're probably referring to the small stockpile they have of Tamiflu and amantadine. Best not to hand that stuff out willy-nilly for anything.

[Darlene]

Yes, but Vic, the Tamiflu and amantadine are not as effective as they once hoped it would be. I don't understand why they'd allude to a medicine to treat the bf, when there really is no med to accomplish that.