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4 Indonesians die of bird flu; toll climbs to 119
content edited due to low-life scum suing bloggers for alleged copyright infringement
These people seem to be as dense as our congress critters. Stop sleeping with the chickens already! If you don't you're gonna die!
Geez...
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Not "again," ... still.
ReplyDeleteLack of education is really what's killing these people...
ReplyDeleteThat is true of the common folk, what is the excuse of the their government for not educating the masses?
ReplyDeleteAre you REALLY interested in the answer, Selous Scout? 'Cos it's long, involved and requires a fair mental capacity and knowledge of epidemiology to understand.
ReplyDeleteYou MIGHT be pushing it.
What is your point?
ReplyDeleteIf you are in possession of enlightening information, please share.
If you are being critical, be aware that I will not provide a venue for trolls to post their vitriol.
Well?
Very well.
ReplyDeletePut simply, the Indonesian government HAS complied with ALL the recommendations of the WHO in relation to the containment of this disease. It has, however, encountered significant problems in educating virtually illiterate villagers, as suggested by 'HermitJim'.
These people are not the simpletons you suggest. They do not 'sleep with chickens' though the chickens do have access to their sleeping quarters during the day. It's the way they live. That doesn't make them dumb, just uneducated. Just like some in America.
The virus A(H5N1) - Wiki gives a good overview, no need to repeat it here - is continuing to rise in the wild bird population but is actually DECREASING in the farmed population through the use of vaccine - something being done by your 'dense' villagers in Indonesia.
If you REALLY want to worry about something, start paying attention to the H3N2 virus - Swine 'flu - as this is now starting to show indications of avian 'flu RNA segments. If that mutates into something we humans can acquire what we've seen thus far is just a walk in the park. I think I'd avoid pork, were I you. For a few years anyway.
It's interesting to note that the most likely route for transmission of A(H5N1) to the American mainland will be through WILD BIRDS moving from China - Alaska - on down south. Shooting and eating wild fowl may be something you'd like to reconsider in the coming months and years.
In conclusion, making negative comments about a particular society or group of individuals within that society is to miss the point entirely. We don't live in a bubble. We either do what we can to get people to make sensible choices or we all suffer the consequences.
Good luck.
How's life in Saigon? What is your profession there?
ReplyDeleteYou seem well informed, and I can see why. While Vietnam has had its bouts with bird flu, it seems to be better at controlling the outbreaks.
Letting chickens wander through your living quarters is not the best decision that one can make. Making a choice to change these conditions rests with the people. It is up to their governments to recognize the risks and educate the “ignorant” masses.
Will they change their lifestyle if they are educated in its health risks? I don't know.
What I do know is that this country poses the greatest risk of having a virus mutate because of the living conditions of its people. The threat to the rest of the world is not to be discounted.
Life in Sai Gon is surprisingly good, thank you. I, like many of my generation, assumed the Vietnamese to be somewhat repressed. Frankly, in reality, my homeland of Great Britain has far more effective forms of repression. The Vietnamese are a smart and fun people. Trust me on this.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm a doctor :-)
As you note, to you and I letting chickens wander through our living space is madness. To a villager in remote SE Asia, it's a lifestyle. You won't change things until you educate the people AND improve their living environment. That's unlikely to happen in my lifetime. So you do the next best thing, you inoculate their chickens. For free. Which is what's being done, though it looks like they missed some.
Indonesia's not too bad, and Viet Nam is rigorous in following the WHO policies (and VERY harsh on people who fail to follow government policy on culling and vaccination). I'd worry about China. Who the hell knows what's happening there. And one thing's for certain, we'll be the last to know. They have neither the reporting structure nor the disease control measures necessary to identify and stop a major outbreak.
The virus is beatable if you have a strong immune system, but the young, old or unhealthy are unlikely to survive a pandemic. Tamiflu MAY help if you've caught it, but a pandemic strain of H5N1 will likely mutate faster than we can keep up with.
Get healthy and stay healthy is the best advice I can offer. Like I said, good luck.
This is more in reply to your handle/identity "selous scout" than the post. How did you come by it?
ReplyDeleteSelous Scouts T Shirts
When I first got into survivalism at age nineteen, I bought every magazine out there that had even a glimmer of survival information.
ReplyDeleteSoldier Of Fortune magazine caught my eye at that time, and one of the conflicts they were covering was the insurgency in Rhodesia.
The Selous Scouts accomplishments were one of the stories that were covered. At that time I became greatly appreciative of the activities and accomplishments of this elite group of soldiers.
Fast forward to the internet activity of blogging, so many years later. I wanted a online persona that matched my attitude toward survival.
While I can’t elevate myself to the level of the scouts, I admired them and their accomplishments and so took the name in honor of their legacy.