H1N1.. epidemic, pandemic??

This is another bolt to jolt us... the last jolt of this like was during the SARS outbreak, about 6 years ago. I remember canceling a trip to the Lion City that year. Fear was everywhere! This round, Malaysia still hasn't reported any case yet, hence maybe many of us might still feel it's not our problem. But it has arrived in Asia, identified in Hong Kong 4 days ago.

This a false sense of security. All it takes is just one case and all hell will break loose here too. Avian-swine-human.... if you think we humans are so connected, that privilege is also shared by the animal kingdom with us. All this mingling of the virus has created a super virus that can kill us. (See, even in the virus world, intermingling of viruses from different animals create stronger offspring... in the human world marriages within family members have been suspect of 'inferior' offsprings. One of the reasons for surnames for the Chinese is so that there is no such union. Very pantang for both of same surnames to marry!)

Anyway, back to the flu virus story. It's something like this.. pig flu virus and human flu virus meet. Result... a super mutated offspring which kills. Same thing happens to bird flu virus and human flu virus ...another super mutated offspring. Then these 'supers' intermingle with each other and we get another super duper flu virus... either way, we humans as well as the animals are screwed. But the thing is as long as the virus doesn't jump from humans to humans, it can still be contained. Cos the host dies, the infected also dies. And the virus 'dies' with them.

The problem starts when the super duper virus survives this jump and starts to hop from one human to another human, sometimes becoming stronger in the process, then we have a pandemic in the making. That was why the Spanish Flu could kill so many, estimated around 50-100 million. And also why when the Nipah virus struck the villages in Negeri Sembilan in 1999, while dangerous,did not turn into an epidemic or pandemic cos the virus died with the host and 'infected'. The Nipah virus originated from the fruit bats... then it infected the pigs, dogs, cats... probably with some mutation along the way too.. and then down the chain to the humans. But it did not jump from one homo sapien to another.

I don't know whether this is panic or opportunity - the gahmen announced that it will give 200 000 frontliners (docs, immigration officers, customs) flu jabs. Some drug company will be making a kill. My imagination ran a little wild the morning I read the piece of news. You know, in this world where greed seems to rule, what is to stop drug companies from starting epidemics or pandemics to make a killing (the $$$ kind)? Sounds kind of morbid and heartless, I know. I think I probably read too many thrillers! But it's a scary thought.

Meat producers, especially pork, on the other hand have been putting pressure for this swine flu to be renamed. After all it's a strain of a 'mixed-union' - bird-swine-human. So WHO has re-designated H1N1 to be known as a strain of Influenza A. Some countries, like Egypt have gone on a pig-cleansing zealousness. They're culling all the known pigs in the country. And it's creating tensions between the Muslims and the non-Muslims. I supposed the next time they have a dangerous bovine disease like the Mad Cow Disease, all cows should also be culled. I feel sorry for the animals.... Man disagree, and they become sacrificial pawns. There is this suspicion that back in 1918, during the Spanish Flu, we may have passed the virus to the pig.

Anyway, all these flu viruses.. they are relatives of each other, though not entirely same. Swine flu basically means there're more swine 'components' in them. Avian flu means more bird 'components'. But there is a strong likelihood that they've intermingled with each other. Scientists aren't too sure. There're no clear trails. This particular virulent strain that is tormenting the world now may not even have a swine component! These viruses are smart! They mutate, remember? 8(

World history is dotted with such pandemics. Russian Flu, Spanish Flu, Hong Kong Flu, SARS and now the Mexican Flu. Scary cos now that we, humans congregate in huge numbers in our creation called the city. Theoretically, a whole city of millions can be wiped out in weeks! Then we read about 1st wave, 2nd wave... lull before the storm kinda thing. Flu viruses also attack in waves. Add that to our kind of mobility now, it can really spread like wildfire. We should be careful.

And why should we be really worried about this most recent one?? Cos the subtype responsible for the Spanish Flu is the same one that is creating the current havoc - the H1N1. And there are some reports stating that our authorities say our flu vaccines also has protection for H1N1 but the thing is other countries have not made this claim. We seem to be the only country in the world in possession of this vaccine which can prevent this flu... don't tell me this is another Bolehland announcement by some want-to-score-points politician? How come there're no reports of such a vaccine being put in place as a prophylactic measure in those countries with cases now? The flu would not be so feared by now too! But WHO went into Pandemic Alert Level 5 ....that's one level below global pandemic. Fodder for thought.