Tests Show That Deadly New Flu Could Spread Among People

An anonymous reader writes in with another news story about how the bird flu may wipe us out. "A new bird flu that has killed 36 people in China can spread from ferret to ferret through the air. A laboratory test showing airborne transmission of the H7N9 avian influenza virus between the animals has raised fears that the virus is poised to become a human pandemic. The H7N9 avian influenza virus emerged suddenly at the end of February and has infected 131 people. A few patients may have caught the virus from other infected people, but no evidence has emerged that H7N9 can readily transmit from human to human."

Comments

More ridiculous sensationalism

[Anonymous Coward]

The editor shamelessly says that the bird flu "may wipe us out", yet it has killed 36 out of 131 known cases -- hardly enough to wipe anything out -- and the quote in the actual summary says "no evidence has emerged that H7N9 can readily transmit from human to human."

Re:More ridiculous sensationalism

[AK Marc]

In the experiment, ferrets are together for hours with forced airflow under temperature and humidity conditions that favor viral transmission, she says. “I don’t think this is what happens in real life.”

She obviously doesn't take mass transit.

Re:More ridiculous sensationalism

[AK Marc]

It doesn't have 25% kill rate. Of those admitted to hospitals, it killed 25% The other million who got it just stayed home, knowing the flu isn't treatable. Much like the swine flu was overblown. I actually got the real swine flu (from a trip to So Cal). It wasn't that bad. I've had worse flus. I also got flu-based pneumonia from China once. Bacterial pneumonia can be treated. Viral flu can't. The issue is the people that get secondary infections and don't seek treatment. That was what lead to the swine flu initial fatality rates. All flus in the past 20 years have been initially 25% fatal or so, eventually returning to the historical flu levels of under 1%. 25% is 24.9% error.

Wait Until The Wolf Flu

[Scarletdown]

The flu to watch out for will be one discovered to be carried by wolves. You will know it by the symptoms of the wolves' eyes getting all weepy and the infected wolves whimpering and crying constantly. It will be quite ironic that the flu that will finally get us will be the Crying Wolf Flu that everyone will ignore due to so many alarmist warnings of other strains of flu over the years that ended up not being such a big worldwide threat after all.