<Cough cough> Tell me about it. Who gives a shit about suicide bombers or missiles, when the same force that brought every empire in history to its knees, the deadly invisible armies of microparasites (the flu being the most wily and untamable of all), are out there just waiting to gitcha?

Here's an excerpt from our commentary on the subject at CRN's Responsible Nanotechnology blog...

For many reasons, including thronging urban populations and high rates of overseas travel, health and government officials fear that an imminent flu pandemic could kill many millions.

New diseases such as the avian flu continue to be a threat to the human race. Naturally occurring diseases could be more devastating than any pandemic in decades, and an engineered disease could conceivably wipe out most of the human race. It is becoming increasingly important to have a technology base that can detect new diseases even before symptoms appear, and create a cure in a matter of days.

Molecular manufacturing will enable such a rapid response. With complete genomes and proteomes for humans and for all known pathogens, plus cheap, highly parallel DNA and protein analysis and sufficient computer resources along with new MM-based monitoring and diagnostic tools, it will be possible to spot any new pathogen almost immediately and begin aggressive countermeasures.

crnano.typepad.com/crnblog/...opme.html

I keep getting skeptical when I read these things about the dangers about mutating viruses and the like.

I keep thinking about how back in the 80's there were people saying that AIDs would mutate to the point of being transmitted through the air within 5 years. Back when AIDs first came out the media made it seem like the Black Plaque on steroids.

But now cancer is still seen as the biggest threat to most people.

But I'm no scientist so what do I know.

There are a few things about N5H1 that make it more likely to mutate in a way that can be transmitted human to human than some of the viral scares in recent (modern) history. It is not, however, a guaranteed death sentence to the planet. Now, while I am concerned about a pandemic, I am not as concerned about the actual bug as I am about human tendency to panic. There are basic and simple things to do to prevent the spread of any Influenza, and relief organizations are preparing weekly to respond to a mass outbreak. As someone who is routinely updated on the evolution of the possibilities for such a pandemic as part of my work, I would encourage any reading this to do a fact-finding search of your own. Having a global panic might actually be worse than having a global pandemic... Please check the World Health Organization website, it's links and the Red Cross/Red Crescent links for H5N1 (Avian Influenza) as they are geared toward helping people assess risks and prepare properly.

Honestly, personally, I think we're due for a pandemic of some kind... I don't know yet if it will be "bird flu". The probability of mutation is different depending on which experts you ask or look to or believe. It IS possible, but education, not panic, is what will help us all.

(didn't mean to get up on a soaped-up high-hobby-horse, but I feel pretty damn strongly about this topic.)

In all honesty, I don't think it will hit our population as badly as it would 3rd world countries. Our at risk population would be the homeless, the infirm, the elderly, the immunosuppressed and the very young. As far as bird flu goes I think we should be more worried about the effect on the food supply. Chicken is by far the cheapest meat currently available, followed by turkey. Then when ppl are hungry because they can't afford meat, then we will have issues w/resisting the flu or comming through it unscathed.

There are potential pandemics we need to be far far more worried about than Bird Flu. One of which is MDR or multi-drug-resistant bacteria. The worst of these being Tuburculosis. The bacteria themselves can go dormant forming 'tublules' that can sit around for decades undesturbed and come to life when the ground is disturbed and the tubule lodges in a victims moist lungs. Another extremely dangerous one is staph arius. This one has recently infected a baby. It's been in the states for some time, most notibly as a noscomial <not sure if spelling is correct on that one> (or hospital environment generated) infection. The baby recovered but not before the bacteria ate a hole in one of his lungs. Another form of staph has started to become insisious in gyms. It is of the flesheating variety. It can kill w/in 24 hrs of infection. Bacteria are far more dangerous than viri, as viri are dependent on a host organism for survival. Therefore it is in the viri's intrest to keep the host alive as long as possible for replication. Bacteria doesn't need living cells for survival.

I was a bit disturbed watching a pbs documentary re trying to wipe out polio from India via oral innoculations, yet they didn't say they were going to clean up the open sewers. I have a hard time imangining that even if they successfully innoculate everyone that polio will be irradicated from India completly. I predict that they will think they are protected but the sewers will continue to breed and someone who didn't develop substantial anti-bodies from the innoculations will get it. This could produce a resistant strain. They really should clean up the sewers, but of course that will be an immensly costly and lenghty process.

I personally think one of the problems is relying on anti-biotics administered internally as well as externally. Physical scrubbing of a wound is the most important part, but since it hurts, we tend to skimp on it and apply anti-bacterial ointment on it instead. Wipe down gym mats or bring your own. Encourage your gvt to help irradicate MDR TB in 3rd World Countries.

I also think we need to be wary of pesticides and herbicides adulterating our food supply. I think they impar our resistance to disease. I also think extreme exposure to pesticides are the culprit in Brittain's Mad Cow, and the ingestion of organ meats (which is where pesticides are lodged in animals) is why humans got it. I dont' think they were infected w/anything, I think they were poisioned.

BTW. new here and just had to jump in and spout off.

*waves*
E