Comments on: Science is Sexy: What is Swine (H1N1) Flu? How Does an Animal Disease Spread to a Human Host?

By: Take the Time

Take the Time — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:33:38 +0000

First intelligent response I have seen yet here…..thank you for using the brain God gave you! I really hope THAT is contagious! Tamiflu has shone not to be the great “cure” it has been marketed for…..a lot of problems have come from it.And it has only shown to reduce the symptoms by about 36 hours. Eat a clean diet with lots of fresh vegetables,increase your vitamin C intake considerably, lots of clean water, and, oh so VERY IMPORTANT, lots of sunshine to increase your vitamin D intake !! That is science……do your homework ! Take some responsibility for your own health !!

By: Dushan

Dushan — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:45:59 +0000

thank you for your article, i’ve had to do this school research and none had at least a basic biological description of the influenza. i’ve found this very helpful and hope that there are most like these!!!!

By: KZR707

KZR707 — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:42:00 +0000

Yah, im in Arizona right now near the Mexican border, not to exciting thinking about all the illegals comming up here to and bringing the disease even faster into the US. I am happy though that im headed back to Alaska in a week, far away from the amount of people here, though im not exactly thrilled to ride on a plane with potential swine flu infected passengers for hours.

By: Jimmy Rogers

Jimmy Rogers — Fri, 01 May 2009 22:38:14 +0000

Really? Come on dude, I know they’re out to get you, but soapboxing at the bottom of a week old article isn’t going to get you very far.

And the number is up to several hundred now…for those who were confused by this guy’s post.

By: Sgt13Echo

Sgt13Echo — Fri, 01 May 2009 22:27:04 +0000

Seriously, with 40,000 a year dying in car accidents, thousands dying from the common flu, millions from cancer we are supposed to worry about 30 people out of 300 million who got a flu that has not killed anyone.

I am so tired of the Media, Government trying to scar us about this and that…. LIVE FOR TODAY…. Don’t drink the kool aide and remember they will always try to keep us scared.

DON’T BE A SHEEP, THINK FOR YOURSELF!

By: Jimmy Rogers

Jimmy Rogers — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:55:55 +0000

Ok, I just got a little more info on Tamiflu today so I figured I’d share it. Tamiflu is fairly effective but is really an “early onset” drug. If you don’t receive it in a fairly small window of time, it is not very effective. Heard this from an ER nurse this afternoon.

By: Jon

Jon — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:37:00 +0000

Most of the deaths from the Spanish flu were from secondary infection such as strep which lead to pneumonia. The fact that in a world of 6 billion there are some few hundred cases outside of one country is scare mongering. Over 20,000 people die in the US from Flu each year. The only death so far has been a very young child who came here from Mexico.
Washing hands and keeping hands away from the face and moist areas is just good common sense.
Note of caution on Purel and other such sanitizers, they are extremely flammable and since the combustion source is Alcohol the flame can be invisible in daylight. Be careful using it around any flame source.

By: Victoria

Victoria — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:24:01 +0000

How Do You Actually Know If You Got Swine Flu Without Consulting Your Doctor?

By: Jimmy Rogers

Jimmy Rogers — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:56:37 +0000

Nope, they just treat the symptoms of influenza. The human immune system is what "cures" or defeats the virus. All we can do is try to help it and manage symptoms. This is usually how we deal with viruses. Vaccines are not a "cure" but a tool for the immune system to use. Edit: It seems that Tamiflu is actually an antiviral...it attacks the neuraminidase and traps the virus inside the cells (so it cannot propagate). http://www.coreynahman.com/Tamiflu.html http://reports.typepad.com/pandemic_plan/2006/03/what_is_tamiflu.html

By: Jimmy Rogers

Jimmy Rogers — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:54:32 +0000

Well your question really deserves that I go into some hardcore molecular genetics, but I’ll try to stay a little simpler for the moment.

Mutations only happen to one kind of biological material: genetic material. Either RNA or DNA in viruses. Specifically the nucleic acids in the viral genomes.

The genome determines what the virus is going to look like. The overall “shape” of the virus never changes because it is “highly conserved.” The sphere shape is the most efficient design so it stays that way. What actually mutates are the little proteins on the ends of the peplomeres (spines) outside the virus. They stick only to certain cells (human, pig, avian, etc). If they lose the ability to stick to a particular species of animal cell, they cannot cause infection. Hence “mutating too far.”

Also, the active parts of the virus, the parts that cause disease, usually by interfering with the cell’s processes or killing the cells, can undergo mutation (really the genes for those parts mutate and then create the new components). This can cause them to become more or less virulent.

Keep genetic dogma in mind: DNA/RNA genome (genes) –goes to–> RNA –goes to–> protein (the structure and function of the virus or organism).

By: Justin

Justin — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:50:25 +0000

You say we don’t have a cure, but aren’t Tamiflu and/or Relenza treatments that can cure it?

By: KevinMN

KevinMN — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:26:31 +0000

People say the swine flu can mutate in the pigs again and then come out and be much more deadly. What causes it to be more deadly if it mutates again? What/how does it mutate (I’m guessing it changes the geometrical makeup of the virus but how does that happen? if that’s correct?.

Also, you said “if they mutate TOO much they will not be able to infect certain hosts.”. What exactly does this mean? The more in-depth you go the better.

I really appreciate your time answering these questions, thanks.