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Healthy chickens can carry bird flu: Indonesian official
An Indonesian official has warned that a healthy chicken could be a carrier of the bird flu virus although it shows no symptoms of the illness, following a finding in West Java province, a report said Thursday.
Head of the West Java Animal Husbandry Office Rachmat Setiadi said the warning was made following the discovery of healthy chickens that tested positive with H5N1 virus from a serology test.
Currently, people are only made aware of the danger of bird flu when chickens die suddenly in their neighborhood, but Rachmat said healthy chickens could also be carriers. ...He said cases where healthy chickens were infected with bird flu had occurred not only in Bandung , but also in other cities and regencies.
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CIDRAP: Indonesia reports H5N1 in healthy chickens
...apparently healthy chickens showed evidence of H5N1 virus infection... Rachmat Setiadi, who heads the West Java Animal Husbandry Office, announced the findings 2 days ago after serologic testing of 20 chickens around the home of two people from Bandung who died of H5N1 infection at the end of September...
The Post reported that of Bandung's 26 cities and regencies, only two were free of H5N1 virus in poultry.
Though the Asian strain of H5N1 is usually lethal in chickens, there has been at least one other report of asymptomatic chickens testing positive for the virus. In February, researchers reported that they found H5N1 viruses in apparently healthy chickens in live-bird markets in southern China.
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February, 2006: Establishment of multiple sublineages of H5N1 influenza virus in Asia: Implications for pandemic control
Preparedness for a possible influenza pandemic caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza A subtype H5N1 has become a global priority. The spread of the virus to Europe and continued human infection in Southeast Asia have heightened pandemic concern. It remains unknown from where the pandemic strain may emerge; current attention is directed at Vietnam, Thailand, and, more recently, Indonesia and China. Here, we report that genetically and antigenically distinct sublineages of H5N1 virus have become established in poultry in different geographical regions of Southeast Asia, indicating the long-term endemicity of the virus, and the isolation of H5N1 virus from apparently healthy migratory birds in southern China. Our data show that H5N1 influenza virus, has continued to spread from its established source in southern China to other regions through transport of poultry and bird migration. The identification of regionally distinct sublineages contributes to the understanding of the mechanism for the perpetuation and spread of H5N1, providing information that is directly relevant to control of the source of infection in poultry. It points to the necessity of surveillance that is geographically broader than previously supposed and that includes H5N1 viruses of greater genetic and antigenic diversity.
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A recent serology test conducted on 20 chickens around the houses of victims in Bandung showed that the virus could also be transmitted by healthy chickens.
A study conducted by the Indonesian Environment Information Center (PILI) in Yogyakarta found that stray cats had caught the H5N1 virus through contact with infected poultry at traditional markets.
"We are positive that cats can have the virus, although it is yet to be proven that they can transmit the virus to other animals or humans," ...
Originally posted by drbennett
the fate of the world does not depend on indonesia or any one country.
U.N. bird flu coordinator David Nabarro said in Bangkok on Friday that people must not assume a pandemic would start in a particular country.
"In fact, the influenza pandemic could start anywhere because (of) the capability of moving across borders, carried perhaps by migrating birds or through trade," Nabarro told a press conference.
my opinion on the matter is simple and it comes down to individual accountability, each person is responsible for their own health,
for there to be a worldwide pandemic factors other than just a virus need to be considered,
it never hurts to cook the hell out of everything
Addressing Foodborne Threats to Health: Policies, Practices, and Global Coordination, Workshop Summary (2006)
Not all foodborne illness is caused by an infection, not all foodborne disease causes diarrhea, and not all foodborne disease is acute. The cause of foodborne disease is often undefined, and, in many cases, the pathogens that cause them are not detected by routine laboratory tests.
The true incidence of food contamination in the United States is unknown. Epidemiologists believe that many affected people do not seek medical attention; moreover foodborne illness is difficult to diagnose.
Originally posted by LordBucket
I'm no microbiologist (good thing too, since so many have had 'heart attacks' or 'committed suicide' in recent years) so correct me if I'm wrong, but...
>Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria
Yes. But that is the only distiction. So if a bacteriophage mutated/evolved such that it could infect things that weren't bacteria, it would no longer be a baacteriophage.
The fact that it only likes to infect bacteria shouldn't have any effect whatsoever on its ability to reassort genes and/or proteins with another virus.
>But as you say - the problem is with the proteins and their
>capacity to misfold, thus creating prions.
Mmm...I think you may be mixing up two unrelated things.
I was under the impression that the primary significance of viral proteins was they it determine the ability of a virus to enter cells.
IMO - drugs, chemical additives and processing technologies are FAR more likely to create virus-hitchhiking prions that cross species, genus and kingdom barriers than are bacteriophages.
Why?
Bacteriophages are, as we've agreed, viruses. And, everything I read everywhere is pretty consistent in suggesting that the pandemic potential in bird flu is that two viruses, one human and one avian, might intermingle. (Look up 'viral reassortment' on google.)
...might we also think about what might happen if we all throw these new bacteriophages (which are just viruses) into the mix?
Again...spraying these things on our food seems like a bad idea to me.
Depending on who you’re talking to, the rapidly emerging science of nanotechnology is either the next big thing or the next big thing to worry about. This art of making incredibly tiny structures and machines that perform amazing feats is leading to strange new materials, unimaginable medical treatments, and more. But perhaps the most surprising thing nanotechnology is leading to is your refrigerator. A new report describes both the peril and the promise that these new nanofoods hold.
It’s long been a central tenet of quantum physics that the laws of nature are quite different in the realm of the very, very tiny. Simply put, little things don’t behave like big things. (Any parent can tell you that!) Thus, for example, atoms and their components don’t obey the same laws that govern solar systems or galaxies. In fact, the behavior of an electron orbiting a nucleus is nothing like the behavior of a planet orbiting a start, and it’s this fact that’s responsible for both the potential and the potential trouble that nanotechnology represents.
Most of the attention nanotechnology has so far garnered has concerned its possible applications in traditionally tech-oriented areas like medicine, computing, and engineering. But a new report from the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies points out a use to which we should be paying attention: the growing role of nanotechnology in the food industry. ...Nanotechnology in Agriculture and Food Production: Anticipated Applications, looks at over 160 different food-related nanotech research projects currently underway and estimates the timeframes in which we can expect to see them appear on supermarket shelves. (They could be ready within five years.) The report examines the possible benefits and risks of each development and explores the potential need for environmental, health, and safety regulatory oversight. Among the things you may soon find on your fork:
• Foods that adjust their color, flavor, or nutrient content to accommodate each consumer’s needs.
• Foods wrapped in “smart” packages that detect spoilage or contamination.
• Canola oil that blocks cholesterol from entering the bloodstream.
• Materials that enhance the biological activity of nutritional supplements and additives.
• A new ingredient 100,000 times smaller than a grain of sand that makes milkshakes tastier and delivers their nutrition deep into individual cells.
• Chicken-feed additives that remove dangerous pathogens from the final poultry product.
Nanofoods
Phages: A New Way to Fight Bad Germs
Back in June I was amazed at this story in Wired about phages, bacteria-eating viruses that could be the answer to antibiotic resistance. The first treatment to use the therapy could be available this year.
"Half a century ago, antibiotics revolutionized medicine by turning many once-deadly infections like tuberculosis into minor
impediments. But overuse is rapidly rendering antibiotics ineffective, and scientists know they need a replacement fast. One of the most promising options is one that's been used in Eastern Europe and Russia for decades: bacteriophage therapy
Originally posted by drbennett
...just like with antibiotics, the microbes will adapt. In fact phages will heep speed this up. Screwing around with these things will cause problems. whether we use phages, chemicals or nano technology it is a bad idea.
Originally posted by drbennett
if industry starts altering them however, they are not naturaly occuring anymore and that is the problem
Originally posted by LordBucket
I hadn't realized that degree of genetic similarity was required for a protein exchange at that level. I wasn't conceptualizing viral exchanges the way I do macrocosmic 'breeding.'