Any reasonable chance that Swine Flu is man made?

[WindwagonSmith]

I'm just wondering....

 

I know everything has *a* chance of being true so I included the word 'reasonable' up there for the sticklers.

 

 

Thanks!

Edited April 27, 2009 by WindwagonSmith

[CharonY]

De novo in the lab? Reasonable? No. But if you mean that man-made conditions have increased the chances for its rise and spread, then yes.

[Mr Skeptic]

xkcd has this one covered

 

[WindwagonSmith]

Do you usually insult people who come on here with honest questions Mr. Skeptic?

[Daecon]

I don't think Swine 'flu is all that new.

 

Even in Shakespeare's time there were (as-then) unexplained swine deaths. It was mentioned in Macbeth, one of the Weird Sisters commented about how she'd been spending some time "killing swine".

 

It's probably the same thing, but just been dormant for ages.

[Phi for All]

Do you usually insult people who come on here with honest questions Mr. Skeptic?

Why do you find the post insulting? Doesn't a viral internet campaign satisfy at least some of the conditions of a "man-made" epidemic? Why so sensitive?

[Mr Skeptic]

Do you usually insult people who come on here with honest questions Mr. Skeptic?

 

My apologies. The first I heard of swine flu was from that comic, about quickly spreading rumors, and within the hour I saw your thread. I'll see about having something less clueless to say.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swine_influenza

 

It seems unlikely from the wiki article's information, that the current swine flu would be manmade. For one thing, why would someone go to the trouble of making a virus to kill pigs. For another, a few strains of flu seem to have mutated to accept a new host, and this is more likely to be what happened here.

[WindwagonSmith]

For one thing, why would someone go to the trouble of making a virus to kill pigs.

 

Um...apparently it's killing more than pigs.

 

I doubt we'd be discussing it otherwise.

 

 

 

 

 

From what I can tell...no one knows where it came from yet.

 

 

I posted my question because I thought the topic was interesting

and a conversation with about the mutation and spread of disease would be informative.

 

If anybody wants to discuss that I'm all ears (or eyes as the case may be).

 

 

The CDC has confirmed that American cases were found to be made up of genetic

elements from four different flu viruses – North American swine influenza, North American

avian influenza, human influenza, and swine influenza virus typically found in Asia and Europe

– "an unusually mongrelised mix of genetic sequences."[67] Pigs have been shown to act as

a potential "mixing vessel" in which reassortment can occur between flu viruses of several

species.[68][69] This new strain appears to be a result of reassortment of human influenza

and swine influenza viruses, presumably due to superinfection in an individual human.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_swine_flu_outbreak#Genetics_and_effects

 

 

 

Thanks for the responses.

Edited April 28, 2009 by WindwagonSmith

[iNow]

It's incredibly unlikely that this is "man-made."

 

 

almHc5TWVJU

 

 

http://enviroknow.com/thesource/2009/04/26/transcript-of-todays-press-briefing-on-swine-flu/

Q

Secretary Napolitano, I believe Japan and South Korea have both now announced that they’re going to begin testing on passengers coming in from the U.S. Why is the U.S. not doing that with passengers coming in from Mexico? And then also, do you have any indications — I know it’s still very early yet — but

any indications that perhaps this might have been caused by bioterrorism, this new strain of flu?

 

 

SECRETARY NAPOLITANO:

I’ll let John answer the second part. With respect to that, we’re doing, as I said, passive surveillance now. Right now we don’t think the facts warrant a more active testing or screening of passengers coming in from Mexico, although obviously we are letting air carriers and our employees at the gates on those flights make sure that they are asking people if they’re sick; and if they’re sick, that they shouldn’t board the plane — you know, that sort of thing, passively.

 

But again, this is a changing dynamic that we may increase or decrease that as the facts change over the next 24, 48, 72 hours.

 

 

DR. BESSER:

Yes, the question about the strain that we’re seeing here, we analyzed that strain and are continuing to do further analysis of that strain and we expect to see the emergence of new flu strains. That’s something that we are continually watching for to ensure that we’re ready should a strain emerge that there’s not immunity and protection in the community for it.

This strain is

not unlike other new strains

that have emerged.

It’s an assortment — it’s got genetic components from a number of sources, including human, swine, and avian sources. And that’s something that you see with new strains.

 

And so

there’s nothing that we have seen in our work that would suggest anything but a naturally occurring event.

 

 

Q

But from a security perspective, nothing to rule it out either — the possibility of bioterrorism?

 

 

MR. BRENNAN

: We are looking at all different aspects here, but as the doctor said,

there is no evidence whatsoever

that we have seen. But clearly, in order to make sure that we’re doing everything possible, we’re looking at all potential explanations here — but

no evidence whatsoever on the bioterrorism

–

[WindwagonSmith]

Thanks.

[cameron marical]

Does any one here know any information about swine flue in scientific form? I want to find out more informaition about its molecular setup, but it seems that everything i can find is presented for the layman.

 

Thank you.

[iNow]

The wiki entry is pretty robust:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swine_influenza

 

If that's not what you're after, start poking around the References which are listed.

[cameron marical]

Thanks, quite what i was looking for.