In the continuing controversy over the 2011 experiments with an ‘mutant’ strain of avian flu (H5N1) virus — making it airborne and potentially contagious to humans — lead virus researcher … [Read full article]
Tag: Contagion
Genetically Altered Avian Flu Experiments Under Review by Biosecurity Board – Major Controversy Brewing
{Rotterdam, The Netherlands} [UPDATES: Jan. 22, 2012 / Dec. 21, 2011; see below] A genetically altered strain of H5N1 avian influenza A virus (also known as “bird flu”) is under … [Read full article]
Resistant TB Strains Spreading in Europe, More Antibiotic Resistant Germs Emerging Worldwide
An old disease is making a return with a vengeance. New strains of the tuberculosis bacterium are emerging that are resistant to more than one antibiotic drug, These Multidrug Resistant TB (MDR-TB) strains are spreading at an “alarming rate” in Eastern and Western Europe, according to a recent World Health Organization report. The organization is expected to endorse an action plan to stop the spread from becoming a pandemic which could kill tens of thousands and cost billions in treatment. Meanwhile, super-resistant strains of other kinds of microbes seem to be on the rise as well. Two additional examples of these emerging, antibiotic resistant bacteria are presented.
How Realistic is the Film 'Contagion'?.. Expert Weighs in on the Risks
The recent and popular film ‘Contagion’, directed by Steven Soderberg, paints a pretty bleak and horrific picture of a deadly virus’s spread around the globe in a matter of days. But how close to reality is such a scenario? In a recent NY Times op-ed, epidemiologist W. Ian Lipkin (a technical consultant on the film) weighs in on the authenticity of the threat depicted in the film, factors contributing to the rise of global contagions, and describes current plans and policies to deal with a major, contagious disease outbreak.