After reading about viruses in our Reading Classes, I decided to research a new virus that may cause the United States some trouble. Avian Flu (H5N1) is a deadly virus that may mutate to the point that our vaccinations may not be able to help. There is a large debate raging on whether or not it will have a catastrophic impact on Americans. I don’t think that there is much to worry about. Could a bird virus be that harmful to humans? What do you think? I believe scientist just want us to pay more money for vaccinations that we don’t need.
Here are a couple of websites where you can read more:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9630262/site/newsweek/
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/facts.htm
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39 comments:
Yes a virus can be that harmful 2 humans! Up to 100 million died from A bird virus in 1918 (H1N1). Your misinformation and ignorance of the subject doesn't bode well 4 the school system U are in. Try not going 2 main stream media and U will see just how deadly a virus can be.
Holliegh,
Thanks for replying. My class just started using blogger this year, with the hopes that other people will join into our conversations. I posted this lead just to make them create an argument against it. But, you replying to me is exactly what I want them to see. You validate what I have told them. Now that they are posting on the web, I’m not the only one who will read it and critique it. So, when they write they need to be developing more coherent thoughts and writing them in a manner so others will understand their message. Please feel free to visit our blogs more often. I appreciate it and I know the 48 students will love to here from someone else besides their “boring” teacher.
Unfortunately Mr Sullivan, I also don't agree with you. You don't want to turn your head the other way just because you think that scientists want to make you pay more for vaccines. If this is something that is going to kill millions of people, you don't want to take any unnecassary risks. The more research on this kind of stuff the better.
I agree with you and I disagree at the same time. I believe that it will be a major impact if it reaches the U.S.A. I disagree that scientists are just trying to make us pay more money.
I have to disagree with you and I hope many others do to. This virus, H1N1, is very serious I think. Even though only 79 people had died world wide, if you research it, the number of people that have or had been a victim of the virus died! Because the virus is mutating so much that by the time that it reaches to America, we won't be ready at all. I think that we need to be ready for the worst and that if you think that the doctors want you to just spend more on the vaccinations, well than you can be the first to die!
I don’t agree with you . Just because not many people die from it doesn’t mean you can stop worrying about it. If it was you with the virus you would worry about it, so why not worry about it when other people have it?
I personally think that we should not be as worried about this virus as some people may think. Yes, the virus is deadly, but considering there has only been 79 cases of the avian influenza world wide, I don't think we should overly stress this case. People who live and work around birds have more chances of getting infected with this virus. So far though, this virus as not been contagious and it still is not known to be contagious, so for those people who don’t quite think they are going to be living and breathing around birds, you most likely don’t need to worry about being infected with this deadly, very uncommon virus.
i'm sorry hugo but how can you say that it's going to make a major impact but you don't think that we should pay more money for research and vaccines to prevent it?????
I don’t think that it will become that deadly. But people can never be to safe. We should try and find a way to cure he virus. Science can test on birds.
I have to say that in a way I agree with you, but I also dont agree with you. We should be worried about this virus and take action so we are prepared. We shouldn't just wait and see what happens. I agree with you about the bird part..i mean how can a bird virus be that dangerous to people.
I have no Idea
i agree with everything you have to say but H5N1 has caused the largest number of detected cases of severe disease and death in humans and thats why we should be worried about this disease. Somebody in the world must find a cure for this madness. The influenza viruses is very deadly.
This is something that could be bad for the US. Virus can mutate and reproduce fast. We may not be able to find a vaccine fast enough before we start to get cases in the US.I think doctors should keep putting more money to find some thing to at least slow it down.
I just wrote a comment. He told me to
I think that the bird flu will kill a lot of people in the next few months or maybe in a year and I don’t think scientist just want us to pay more so they could have more money I think they are trying to do what is best for the whole world.
Mr. Sullivan when I first read your blog I thought the same way, I thought that it was kind of dumb that people were making a big fuss over a bird virus its not like a bird is going to just come and bite you! But now that I researched the topic I disagree with you, sure it’s a bird virus but there are many people who work with birds and may get the disease. There have only been a few people that have gotten the disease worldwide and unfortunately most of those people have died. The virus is also constantly changing so an antibiotic can’t be made and can possibly mutate and instead of going from bird to human it may later be able to go from human to human.So I do think that this could be a big problem for us.
I don't agree with your thoughts on the bird flu because if it may spread worldwide this will become a pandemic.We will not be ready with all the ignorant people not paying attention to this catastrophy.Many people will die if we don't solve this problem fast enough.
OK Miss Olivia, you didn't realize that even though 79 people have died from the virus, many of the people who got the virus died! Only few survived!
Mr. Sullivan, i think that the flu can cause alot of deaths. We should be prepared for what ever comes to the U.S, it cab be deadly.
I would have to disagree with you Mr. Sullivan. I think the scientist are trying to find something to help prevent the virus from killing a lot of people. I think the more the scientist research on this the better, and if you think that the scientist are doing this just to get us to pay more then I think you should be the first to get the virus in the U.S.A and see if the scientist were doing what you said or not.
I don’t agree with you. I think we should be as prepared as possible. We don’t really know what could happen. Just because only 79 people have died does not mean we should not worry about it.
I have to disagree with you Mr. Sullivan. I think that the virus is very deadly. H5N1 has infected only 79 people. Even though 79 people is small compared to 6.4 billion people only a few people survived. I also think that we should take more precautions to H5N1 and put more money into finding a cure to H5N1 so we can stop H5N1 because even more people die.
mr. sullivan what I was trying to say is that if the avian bird flu reaches america it might cause a major impact. I say that because there are many people living in the U.S. and it can turn everything into total chaos. When I said I disagree that scientists are trying to make us pay more was that they are not doing it to get money. They are doing it to find a cure. In the future if we can't find a cure than many more people will die. So far only 79 died.
Okay the government site that we linked to does say that many of the people who have been infected have died. But, very few people have been infected. Therefore, I do not think that there is much to worry about. The total number of cases worldwide is 200 at best. What a dismal amount of our total population. Shouldn't people have a bigger fear of cars than H5N1? Cars sure have killed a lot more people than the Avian Flu H5N1. People are paranoid about something that has done very little. West Nile has killed more people, and we're not freaking out about it.
I am sorry Mr. Sullivan but I will have to disagree with you. If the bird flu does reach America we wouldn’t be ready, we would have no vaccines because it changes so rapidly. We mustn’t just stand there and do nothing and wait until some thing happens we must get ready.
Mr. Sullivan, I know that 79 people is small but what if it gets bigger and bigger. You said that it is mutating to fast, what happens is we can;t stop it in time?
ok here is my opinion ur saying we should not worrry about a bird virus right.....ok my thoughts r if this is a bird virus then why is it affecting humans???BECAUSE ITS MUTATING!!!i mean if its affecting humans when its a bird flu wat should stop it from infecting dogs cats all pets that live in the home with us it can and plz correct me if im wrong at is stoppig it from getting in our cows and other sources of food...all im saying is this is a really important matter .....wow thats a lot of typing for me
Hello,
Please feel free to use my Blogsite, www.scottmcpherson.net, for ongoing coverage of avian flu (and other) emerging diseases. I try to write in such a way that expert and nonexpert alike can understand what is going on around the world.
Scott McPherson
i didn't read it all i got bored but i thank u 4 not usin that big of words!!!.....but viruses r very deadly!!
Yessir , I do agree with the virus can be VERY VERY VERY harmful.even if you try to cure you won't cure it 100%
virus's r deadly but the best part of the story is the small words
i dont understand it
I don't really get what you were talking about
i think i agree with the other people that are making comments
i agree with the other people
Maybe some of you do not understand that the point of this blog is for you to do some research and then add to the dialogue. Just agreeing with other people doesn't add anything to what is already being written. YOU HAVE TO READ THE ARTICLES, and then post a response!!!
I am glad to see that you are reading about bird flu and drawing conclusions from the information that you are reading. I, too, think that we should be concerned about the bird flu. Since there have been human cases reported in Thailand and Indonesia we know that it CAN be spread to humans. The virus is always changing and since it isn't a virus that usually affects humans there is no immunity to it in humans, making it particularly dangerous. Mr. Sullivan makes a valid point in saying that there are many known dangers in our world that may kill us, but history tells us that something like this also can become catastrophic.If we don't prepare now, there will not be time to respond when or if an outbreak happens.
The wondering of rather this virus will actually become a human threat is scary to think about. We know for a fact human cases have been reported and with all of the publicity on this virus, we also know the amount of vaccines that would be needed isn't available yet. The amount and quality of vaccines being made and if the virus will actually become a threat are things we, as citizens, currently have no control over. Does anyone have any ideas as to what we could do to change this?
Mr. Sullivan,
Tracking H5N1 presents a unique learning opportunity for your students. You can actually track the spread of the virus on a map using Google Earth and news reports, and also track the mutations as they occur -- retroactively -- by studying news reports and scientific publications.
The issue is not how many people have died from H5N1. The issue is that people HAVE died from H5N1. This does not happen! People ordinarily do not get sick, let alone die, from "bird flu." The fact that 300 (and probably many more) have been sick, and 200 have died (if not many more), gives the world a shudder.
This also presents a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the virus itself. Of all diseases that affect humankind, influenza is the fastest to spread and to mutate. Nothing moves faster than influenza. So when a new influenza strain comes along that starts infecting and killing people, and no immunity exists, it doesn't matter if 200 or 2,000 people have died. It is a worrisome event and all eyes focus on the regions producing the human cases.
This is precisely how 1918's pandemic got started. A bird flu jumped the species barrier and infected humans directly.
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