The first laboratory confirmed case of human-to-human transmission of H5N1 bird flu

egobasher

There was some hullabaloo a while back when a poster said that it would probably happen, and a moderator said that it probably wouldn’t happen.

Say it ain’t so. It happened:

An Indonesian man who died after catching H5N1 bird flu from his 10-year-old son represents the first laboratory confirmed case of human-to-human transmission of the disease, World Health Organization officials said Friday.

The findings came as the UN agency, along with the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Indonesian government, concluded a three-day conference in Jakarta to review Indonesia's progress in fighting the disease, which has now killed 39 people there.

InFront

The World Health Organisation has said it believes limited human-to-human transmission of the bird flu virus did occur in an Indonesian family in May.

But it said that the incident did not signal a major change in the spread of the disease.

Its not really a big deal with regard to the spread of bird flu to humans

Wibbs

InFront wrote:

Its not really a big deal with regard to the spread of bird flu to humans

Agreed, but surely it is a big deal where a case of bird flu spread from human to human without the need for an avian vector.

Maybe I'm wrong and after all InFront, you'ld know, you're the quack(God I couldn't resist, apologies):D

GuanYin

egobasher wrote:

There was some hullabaloo a while back when a poster said that it would probably happen, and a moderator said that it probably wouldn’t happen.

Say it ain’t so. It happened:

An Indonesian man who died after catching H5N1 bird flu from his 10-year-old son represents the first laboratory confirmed case of human-to-human transmission of the disease, World Health Organization officials said Friday.

The findings came as the UN agency, along with the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Indonesian government, concluded a three-day conference in Jakarta to review Indonesia's progress in fighting the disease, which has now killed 39 people there.

That would have been me.

Firstly its not the first case of human to human transmission (unless this is referring to a lab confirmation of an incident that happened months ago). I believe there was a case previously where a brother spread it to another brother. I'm pretty sure that article has mis-quoted or mis-represented the report, probably by accident or maybe to rustle up some paper sales.

It could quite easily have transmitted through blood or body fluids as the father cared for the son. Its a very differnt thing from a human-to human flu virus causing an outbreak.

Live on happily knowing that one of those 65 meteorites on a colision course with the earth is more likely to kill you.

InFront

Exactly, while the danger of a pandemic isnt to be ignored entirely, it shouldnt be exaggerated and there are much more immediate dangers to our health.

I was at a wedding when Bird Flu was all the hype in the news and there were two women smoking cigarettes, lamenting what a danger bird flu was to human health...

GuanYin

InFront wrote:

Exactly, while the danger of a pandemic isnt to be ignored entirely, it shouldnt be exaggerated and there are much more immediate dangers to our health.

I was at a wedding when Bird Flu was all the hype in the news and there were two women smoking cigarettes going on, obviously knowledgable on the issue, about what a danger bird flu was to human health...

With the smoking ban those smokers are a dying breed.

YeAh!

InFront wrote:

Exactly, while the danger of a pandemic isnt to be ignored entirely, it shouldnt be exaggerated and there are much more immediate dangers to our health.

I was at a wedding when Bird Flu was all the hype in the news and there were two women smoking cigarettes, lamenting what a danger bird flu was to human health...

oh the irony

egobasher

InFront wrote:

Exactly, while the danger of a pandemic isnt to be ignored entirely, it shouldnt be exaggerated and there are much more immediate dangers to our health.

I agree. It is not the pandemic that I am addressing though; it is the fact that H5N1 was transmitted from one human to another human.

psi wrote:

That would have been me.

With the search function on boards not up to scratch at the moment, I cannot find your quote where you said that it would not happen (or highly unlikely).
It appears that you were wrong.

GuanYin

egobasher wrote:

With the search function on boards not up to scratch at the moment, I cannot find your quote where you said that it would not happen (or highly unlikely).
It appears that you were wrong.

Well if you don't know what I said, how can you claim I was wrong?

egobasher

psi wrote:

Well if you don't know what I said, how can you claim I was wrong?

I remember it distinctly that you said that human-to-human transmission of H5N1 would not occur or that it was highly unlikely. What struck me was that you were so adamant about it and you said it in a number of posts. I was impressed by your certainty. But now it appears that you were wrong.

Maybe you forgot that you said it.

Anywho …………. the alarm bells are not ringing as loudly by the media as when it was the hot topic of the day. There were only a few snippets on the web that mentioned this major milestone. They probably don’t want to cry “Wolf” too often.

GuanYin

egobasher wrote:

I remember it distinctly that you said that human-to-human transmission of H5N1 would not occur or that it was highly unlikely. What struck me was that you were so adamant about it and you said it in a number of posts. I was impressed by your certainty. But now it appears that you were wrong.

Human to human transmission had occured before we posted on that thread so you will find that what I said was not that.

What I said was the visurs would not mutate into a human-to-human transmissible strain. There is a marked difference between infecting yourself through the method the man you refer to was infected (he had close intimate contact with an infectee and was exposed to his secretions without any protection) and the disease mutating to human-to-human pathogen that is "designed" to spread and infect other humans.

Maybe you forgot that you said it.

More likely you didn't understand what I said.

Anywho …………. the alarm bells are not ringing as loudly by the media as when it was the hot topic of the day. There were only a few snippets on the web that mentioned this major milestone. They probably don’t want to cry “Wolf” too often.

Well thats all they ever do.

H5N1 has still not mutated into the next "plague" just like SARS didn't and just like the next disease probably won't.

egobasher

If

psi wrote:

Human to human transmission had occured before we posted on that thread so you will find that what I said was not that.

Then why did you say this in the original thread:

psi wrote:

That said, the chance of human-human bird flu transmission occuring is slim.

That was a rhetorical question by the way because I have the feeling that the difference in opinion will boil down to semantics.

GuanYin

egobasher wrote:

If


Then why did you say this in the original thread:



That was a rhetorical question by the way because I have the feeling that the difference in opinion will boil down to semantics.

As I explained, the difference between pouring a substance from one cup to another and the substance jumping across cups by itself is what is meant by the virusing becoming human to human transmissible. That definition was inherent in the argument.

If you do want to play semantics go ahead, but it just shows you up.

egobasher

psi wrote:

That definition was inherent in the argument.

Inherent to you maybe and makes one wonder what else was inherent in your posts on the topic.

You seem to be moving the goalposts buddy boy, so I'll take leave of this thread. You also possess a ‘certain demeanor’, which is not endearing to an engaging discussion.

GuanYin

egobasher wrote:

Inherent to you maybe and makes one wonder what else was inherent in your posts on the topic.

You seem to be moving the goalposts buddy boy, so I'll take leave of this thread. You also possess a ‘certain demeanor’, which is not endearing to an engaging discussion.

Fair enough boardy.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

I like psi's demeanor.

LovelyHurling

yes, but eggbasher has such a nice smile