The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: rustyme on April 25, 2009, 12:39:42 pm
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http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_04_24/en/index.html
the above link is for the World Health Organization's site. It tells of an outbreak of pig flu in Mexico. On the news just now 12.30 Sat 25th, they said so far 68 people have died of it , and they have closed schools and large public buildings and events. People are advised to wear masks and avoid all contact with others. It has already spread further north . The W.H.O. seem very worried about this becoming a pandemic , so it may be best if people with pigs take care of who enters their property . In this world of instant travel you can't be sure where anybody was yesterday !!!!! This isn't intended to scare anybody ... just to inform, so all can take the correct steps , ie stock up on disinfectant etc...
cheers
Russ
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Thank for that rusty, bit scary that it can be pasted from human to human not just pigs, especially as you say with the travel people do. Same with the blue tongue i heard about it long before it came over here, had major discussions with the neighbours about it coming over to Britain they never thought it would cross the channel, i was worrying about nothing! It did!! :-\ :-\
Have you heard anything of this African horse sickness, last i heard it had made it to Spain, not heard anything since.
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Jesus, I get chickens...then along comes brid flu. Then I get pigs ........and along comes pig flu. If anyone would like the threat of a global pandemic started by a specific breed of animal...just let me know...i'll buy them and they'll surely get some sort of damn flu!!
Morgan
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yep Spain was the last I heard of AHS, that is another nasty one . The thing with the pig flu that really made me sit up and listen was the fact that I was talking to someone only last weekend who had just flown back from a holiday in the USA . They had flown back from New York, and while out there they had flown down and visited Mexico and Texas !!!!! and where they were staying in NY there were many mexicans working in the hotels and the food trade !!!! So that just goes to show how even somewhere as out of the way as where I am, can end up involved in something from the other side of the pond . Chances are all will be fine , but it makes you wonder???? On top of that Thursday onwards I went down with what I thought was a late cold , but feels more like a touch of flu .....shakes, shivers, slight temp etc.... You never can tell what you have or where you got it these days , fingers crossed though ...lol . No, I am not worried in the least ... but it does make you THINK "what if " ?????
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8016909.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/25/nyregion/25sick.html?_r=1&partner=MOREOVERNEWS&ei=5040
cheers
Russ
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hey Morgan ,
why don't you try keeping politicians ???? wouldn't that solve the worlds problems in one fowl (hehehe) swoop !!! What would it be called ?? Politician Pox, sounds about right ....... ::)
cheers
Russ
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From what I heard on the farming programme it appears to be a mutation with pig, chicken and I think human dna in it. (How the heck they can find dna in a virus too small to appear to the naked eye is beyond me).
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DNA was a virus once. if my biology is up to date which its not you only get RNA in virus they splice themselves into the DNA of the host and repreduce. So the virus thats been through a human will have traces of the last carrier in it. same with Aids you can test to see if the two people have the same type. the more differences the further away was the contact.
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Thats fascinating. When I did biology DNA hadnt even been invented.
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http://www.pighealth.com/influenza.htm
http://cdc.gov/
the above are just a couple more links related to swine flu...
cheers
Russ
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Rustyme, Politician Pox already exists, and according to the world health organisation, it has reached epedemic proportions worldwide...there are many symptoms, the most obvious being, what should come from the rear end spews forth from the mouth. Those contaminated with Politician Pox also have a fondness for kissing babies, and shaking hands furiously. Be wary, as those with the disease are often taking money from your pocket with their free hand. Old school medical thinking felt that the best way to control the disease was to ferry the infected around in fast luxury cars to prevent them coming into contact with ordinary mortals (sometimes it is even necessary to whisk them through traffic under police escort for fear of cross contamination) ;D
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;D ;D ;D ;D ;D yes, many a true word spoken in jest !!! ::) one good thing if you keep politicians is you can at least claim for two lots of housing each !!!!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/susanwatts/2009/04/experts_concerned_about_potent.html
the latest news is that the number of dead has gone upto 81 in Mexico now. As far as I can make out, only 20 are confirmed swine flu deaths so far. With lots of luck it will all fade out over the next week or so . However, it now seems that this has been building with little being done for a few weeks now. It is a very hard thing to do though , speak to soon and you are panicking the population, leave it too late and you are burying them !!!! The steps taken from now on will help to stop it spreading any further ....but how many people have traveled the world, in the last few weeks, after visiting Mexico ? I know I spoke to one , and they had just left a shop with another 10 people in ,and there were two delivery vans there, so the drivers were then going on to more shops all over the place, and the day before they had been in Tesco's in Carmarthen...so at least a couple of hundred possible contacts there....and then they all go home and that number multiplies by 3 , 4 or 5 times . Then they go to work or school or uni ......and then of course back to the supermarket again ....you can see how easy it is to spread from one or two , to thousands in just a day or two. All that could have happened before we even heard about it !!!! Anyway , my symptoms seem to have cleared up now , I hate getting flu of any kind , as I had Hong Kong flu in '68 . I was really bad with it too . To ill to move to hospital at the time. I seem to get a version of asian flu every few years since then , so I must be susceptable to it ....I haven't had it for some time now soooooo ::)
cheers
Russ
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God Rustyme, You're living proof that you just can't kill a bad thing!!! ;D ;D
If it keeps spreading i'm getting a rocking chair....i'm gonna sit on the porch rocking back and forth with my shotgun in my lap!! ;D
It reminds me a little of the mad cow outbreak..."Two cows were standing in a field, one turns to the other and says, 'Jeez, I'm really worried about this whole mad cow thing', the other cow just laughs and says, 'I don't give a crap, i'm a chicken' ..... as Bazil Brush said 'boom, boom!'
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lol... yeah .. just waiting for ebola or haemorrhagic fever to do the rounds now.....when I was a kid of 4 or 5 I lived with my nan and grandad for weeks on end sometimes , well he had had TB for years . When I had my bcg it gave the wrong response and I was taken off to hospital . Lots of x-rays and the discovery of a very large shadow on my lungs I spent the next 10 years going for 6 monthly tests and x-rays with no decision as to what it was ? Every time I have had an accident and need an x-ray , the doctors all do the same thing ...stand there looking at the shadow...lol along with looking in amazement at all the broken bones....I think I should change my name to Captain Scarlet ... ::) ::) ::) mind you .. those mysterons are everywhere these days ....
cheers
Russ
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I feel a bit the same sausagesandcash - I got chickens and then along came Bird Flu and the day I collect my first ever pigs I switch on the news to discover Swine Fever in Mexico.
Do you fancy going into business together intensively farming politicians? What would their 5 Freedoms be I wonder?
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I really don't think anyone would be bothered too much about their welfare or treatment!! At least if we farmed them we could limit their excrement to a confined space. We could start by trapping them at airports as they get off planes (from a junket abroad)...if anyone asked what was going on we could just say 'politician flew', through our face masks!! ;D Oh the pleasant thoughts
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OK I'm off to buy some masks!! ;D
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Do they make as nice bacon as pigs?? if so I'm in. ;D ;D ;D :pig:
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A bit chewy and sticks in the throat I would imagine!
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http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090426/tuk-deadly-flu-spreads-across-the-globe-dba1618.html
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090426/tuk-uk-monitoring-swine-flu-outbreak-6323e80.html
Just more updates.
Politicians 5 freedoms;
1) freedom to make their own rules, that apply to them only and remove them from all possibility of any conviction in court, when caught with their hands well and truly in the cookie jar....
2) freedom to set their own wage limit (no limit !!) and when caught with their hands in the cookie jar ,to then set new limits that pay even more money !!!!
3) freedom to give the UK away without ever asking the people they are meant to serve , and set up a government (EU) that pays even more than they are getting now !!!
4) suggestions ???????
5) suggestions ???????
cheers
Russ
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Oh Emma,
I really do like politicians.
However, I couldn't possibly eat a whole one!!
Morgan
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http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090427/tuk-swine-flu-certain-to-reach-britain-dba1618.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/just-how-big-a-threat-will-this-flu-outbreak-be-1674472.html
More updates.
The numbers of deaths , although increasing , seem small at the moment ! However the number of countries with infected people is increasing slowly , while the border between Mexico and America remains as busy as ever (it is said to be the busiest border in the world ).
cheers
Russ
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Hi Morgan, Heehee, still got images of politicians walking aimlesslee around a field, complete in suite and with brief case!! ;D ;D
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Human case confirmed in Spain!! My family flew back 1.30am this morning. HELP!! What should i be doing? going to search defra now. They all seem fine no flu symptoms at all, really worried now. :'( :'( :'(
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Try not to worry too much !! Chances are that they are fine . It would be best though , to avoid actual contact with them if possible . I know this is hard to do with relatives , even harder if they live in the same house. Explain what is going on and try to instill the need to use tissues when sneezing or coughing , to wash hands etc . If all else fails , buy an AK47 and shoot anyone that gets within 50 yards of you ..... ::) ::) ::) No really though , if anyone begins to show any signs of symptoms phone NHS direct and explain the situation , they should be able to advise any necessary actions. The main thing though is don't worry .......
cheers
Russ
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Please find below a statement from Defra in relation to the Swine Flu outbreak in Mexico.
Please feel free to forward the message to whoever you wish
This is a public health matter and our colleagues in the dept of health and health protection agency are in the lead. But we wanted to reassure you that Defra is - of course - providing them with support. As is usual practice we are working across Government on lines to take. We wanted to share with you the veterinary lines.
This email is being sent to key pig and avian stakeholders given your mutual interest in A type flu viruses which can infect animals and humans.Please feel free to draw on this email in communications to your stakeholders.
The CVO has stated:
There is continual surveillance of pigs in this country and there is currently no evidence of this variant of the disease. Swine Influenza cannot be transmitted by eating pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is perfectly safe.
"Existing EU rules which prevent imports of all live pigs and pigmeat from Mexico into the EU will continue to be upheld."
We have also prepared some Q&A material which you may want to draw upon- see below. We will continue to keep you and other industry stakeholders informed of any developments which are likely to be of interest to you. You will wish to note that - as is usual practice - veterinary colleagues will during the coming week do an assessment of the risk for the UK. Finally, a reminder that you can find information about swine influenza on the animal disease pages of Defra's website.
Q&A material
Why is this called swine influenza ?
The virus associated with the human cases in Mexico and USA have characteristics from a number of influenza viruses found in pigs, birds and humans.
There are no reports of the virus which is currently causing disease in humans being found in pigs (although the situation in Mexico is uncertain)
There are no reports of an increase in influenza in pigs occurring in the US/Mexico or elsewhere in the world.
Therefore, although parts of this virus may have originated in pigs, it now appears to be transmitting from human to human direct.
There is no evidence that pigs are currently involved in this human disease although further work is needed.
What are the rules about imports of pigs and pigment into the EU?
EU rules do not permit the importation of live pigs from either the US or Mexico
EU rules do not permit the import of pig meat from Mexico, but pigmeat products can be imported from the US.
However, even if pigs are involved with this virus, the risk to humans from pigmeat is considered by the US CDC to be negligible
EU rules do not allow the personal import of meat or meat products from either the US or Mexico.
Can people catch swine flu from eating pork?
No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. You cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products.
Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe.
Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills the swine flu virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.
regards
Alison Reeves
Deputy Director for Exotic Disease Policy - new threats and responses
Food and Farming Group
Area 5A
Nobel House, 17 Smith Sq London,
SW1P 3JR
Tel - 020 7238 6081
Give Disease the Boot - please visit our web site at
<http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/default.htm>
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I wonder if there wasn't a recession on would we still be hearing about such things ? Out of the millions in Mexico (around 108) this is hardly a big deal, more people are being run over. Perhaps to put things in perspective we need headlines such as "Cancer epidemic sweeps the UK" or "Heart disease out of control, all people must stay in a hospital for the rest of their lives".
Now I must and set-up the exclusion zone around my farm, they sell fajitas in the village ........
Cheers
Gavin
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A bit difficult to avoid contact as my 6 year old son and my sisters 2 year old and my mother, they all live with me. Must say the AK47 sounds a good idea at the moment, after driving all the way to pick them up then back again arriving home at 4.30 this morning (them sleeping all the way) then having my other two dropped back home at 7 this morning got a sever lack of sleep and now a little bit worried about the swine flu. ??? ???
There are no reports of the virus which is currently causing disease in humans being found in pigs (although the situation in Mexico is uncertain)
There are no reports of an increase in influenza in pigs occurring in the US/Mexico or elsewhere in the world.
Therefore, although parts of this virus may have originated in pigs, it now appears to be transmitting from human to human direct.
There is no evidence that pigs are currently involved in this human disease although further work is needed.
Thanks for that Mr Pig searched defra and I'm sure the advice on there is really useful but the brain turned off on the second line, will now start worrying about the kids not so much the pigs but with the NHS and the sort they wont be shot on contact!! They will complain with the slightest sniffle so will definitely be the first to know if anything slightly amiss with them.
Feeling much carmer now, going to find a quiet corner to hid in for a bit. :) :) :pig:
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Am I missing something? just looked on DEFRA website and there is no latest info regarding this outbreak, I assumed I would not have to search the site for it and that it would be on the homepage? am I being thick? :pig:
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Thought it was just the brain had turned off on me, not doing to well today, just about understood what Mr Pig posted. ??? ???
I NEED SLEEP. :pig:
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I think there isn't really much Defra can put on their site about swine flu as there seems little chance of it spreading among pigs in the UK , as there is no direct contact with pigs from infected areas. The threat of it infecting humans is however a different matter . Would this be making the news if there wasn't a recession ....yes....At the moment the numbers of deaths are very small ,but the ability for those numbers to grow is huge. This is a very similar thing to the flu of 1918 in which millions died thats MILLIONS , 50 million is a number mentioned, which I think in anybodies view is a very large number of people . As for cancer and heart trouble , well there are millions of pounds spent on both and lots of advertising is done to help combat both . However , neither cancer nor heart trouble can be caught via airbourne infection , this flu can . That is the difference.
Anybody who has children, brings them up telling them to go careful when crossing the road, and it would be idiotic not to teach them and inform them of the dangers of cars . If the press and the government were to say nothing about a flu that could spread and kill large numbers wouldn't they be just as idiotic and negligent ? Think back to 2003 and the SARS incident, publicity, and worldwide government action , prevented a death toll that could have been many times worse.
I had Hong Kong flu back in 1968 , and I nearly died with it . I therefore take these rogue flu threats very serious. I don't walk round panicking about them , but I want to be informed as much as possible about what is going on in the world. Back in 1918 it took 6 months for the flu virus to spread around the world and kill 50 million people . Today a similar virus could take less than 24 hours to spread to the same extent . Maybe if someone hasn't had a life threatening bout of flu , they aren't bothered about it , well as with all news, they don't need to read it !!!!
cheers
Russ
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The trouble is, its difficult to know when to take these things seriously and when to ignore the scare mongering in the press! of course we should all take serious threats seriously, but its not always that simple, I'm sure you take it on board more as you've experienced a serious flu before. I just assumed (naively) that Defra would have it as a headline on the homepage. I wouldn't know who to believe ??? but agree as to how quickly this could spread, very worrying.
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Id like to vote rusty for prime minister, re AK47.......................neil ;D ;D
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Yes Dixie ,
you are right ...there is much scare mongering in the press and it IS very difficult to know how much to listen to and how much to ignore !!.
Defra are mainly there for animal and agricultural matters , so although they will mention something like this , and give advice on precautions, it isn't within their remit , as it were, unless pigs were to show signs of the flu ???
At the moment the numbers of deaths being very small , on a world wide scale , it remains something to watch and be aware of . However if things were to get much worse, then those that have been watching, will be in a position to act accordingly, and with knowledge of what they are up against, and of what to do to help prevent spreading, or even catching the flu virus . If it all fades away , then that is great and no harm done ( apart from the people that have sadly already died ) .
cheers
Russ
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I'll second that Neil, maybe we can get a post in his cabinet??? hee hee, it did make me laugh.
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cheers Neil ,
not sure how it would look on the manifesto though ???? As for a position in the cabinet , yes ... but whatever you do ....DON'T SNEEZE !!!!! ::) ;D
Gavin ,
I wasn't having a dig or being stroppy in my reply !!! It just reads a bit that way .. ::) ;D If I was, I would have the AK47 out and ready !!!!
cheers
Russ
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russ to lead insurgent resistant group. like che wotsit from cuba, without a beret.
if we all formed a self sufficient state, excluding all outside contact we would not need politicians, or defra. definitely not the media.
just good honest toil for good honest grub.
we'd probabley argue over where it was though.
and i would miss choclate.
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http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090427/tuk-avoid-us-and-mexico-britons-told-6323e80.html
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090427/video/vuk-swine-flu-explained-symptoms-eating-49bfa63.html
nothing to get too worried about yet still ...but I have now taken delivery of the AK47 and lots of ammo !!!!! The biological warfare suit fits well , but you do tend to get a bit warm in it !!!! Just finished putting up the razor wire fence now , and have already dug the pit for disposal of any dead bodies....The postman looked a bit rough this morning so I shouted at him as he approached " are you well ?" " just a spot of flu ?" was his reply .... Well flu or not , he can sure run fast !!!!! I let loose 6 arrows at him , I nearly got him !!! Funny thing was , he was delivering the AK47 .... ::) ::) ;D
cheers
Russ
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I hope nobody is getting too panicky. Bear in mind that the modern media like nothing better than a scare story. Twenty-four-hour news is one of the great curses of the 21st century. Everything is skewed by the media's desperation to fill the hours. Remember bird flu?
Having said that, this is serious and everyone should take the usual precautions, disinfect and make sure they know who is visiting their farm/smallholding/croft. . . the kind of thing we should all be probably doing in any case. Just don't panic. Defra and Seerad will have advice when its appropriate.
If Rusty's PM, can I be sports minister? I'd like tickets for the Cup final.
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No offence Russ. Things need to be taken with a pinch of salt, it's hard to tell fact from fiction with all the "behind the scenes" manipulation of the media that goes on. I've already had people asking me if I have to put down my herd of pigs !
Cheers
Gavin
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Advise please, living in france expecting friends from canada halifax on wednesday being that they have outbreaks of swine flu and I have pigs is it okay for them to come here? Not panicking just want to be sensible and would really appreciate some advice.
Thanks
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hello chickens,
having guests from a country which has confirmed cases of swine flu , is I think a matter of personal choice (at the moment !!). The danger (if there is one ?) isn't to your pigs !!! it is to you and your family. The swine flu isn't very bad for the pigs (from what I can make out it is quite mild to them ) , it is however, to be treated with caution, at the least ,for humans . There have been no deaths from the flu , apart from in Mexico . It would seem that the people concerned (WHO , CDC etc.) will know in a short time wether it will pass freely enough from person to person , to cause a pandemic and if it will be a deadly one such as the 1918 one or even the 1957 one or the 1968 one. The Eu's health commissioner Andorra Vassiliou ,has advised people to reassess their travel plans and avoid traveling to Mexico or the USA unless it is very important .
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090427/tuk-avoid-us-and-mexico-britons-told-6323e80.html
I hope that helps a bit .....
cheers
Russ
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Hi Russ
Thanks for getting back so quickly, do you think the french will allow them in actually they are flying to england tomorrow night (they have been in halifax) and then getting the boat to france on wednesday.
Thanks
Chickens
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as far as I know Chickens , there is no ban or halt on people traveling from either the USA or Mexico , to anywhere in Europe, just the advice not to travel TOO either country .Wether this will change in the next few hours or days I have no idea. The EU foreign ministers brought forward their meeting, scheduled originally for tomorrow, due to the increase in confirmed cases throughout Mexico , USA , New Zealand , Spain and possible cases in a few other countries including the UK . I would think that the next 24-48 hours will make the severity of the sitution much clearer for everyone . Hopefully the number of deaths will not increase by too many and the spread will ease or maybe even stop . This doesn't , however , look likely .
cheers
Russ
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WHO PANDEMIC ALERT PHASES
Phase 1: No viruses circulating among animals causing infections in humans
Phase 2: Animal influenza virus causes infection in humans, and is considered potential pandemic threat
Phase 3: Influenza causes sporadic cases in people, but no significant human-to-human transmission
Phase 4: Verified human-to-human transmission able to cause community-level outbreaks. Significant increase in risk of a pandemic
Phase 5: Human-to-human transmission in at least two countries. Strong signal pandemic imminent
Phase 6: Virus spreads to another country in a different region. Global pandemic under way
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Thanks Russ for the updates, rather worrying to say the least. We have been looking after our friends children and now they are worried for their parents who are in halifax in canada. Lets hope for everyone's sake this is limited.
Chickens
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no problems chickens you are welcome ,
yes I hope that it fades away, but at the moment it doesn't look that way. . Things are still very unclear really . For example what are the details of the people that have died so far ? were they all in the 25-50 age group ? were they all fit and healthy ? what were their housing and employment details ? . All these things can make a huge difference in the equation !! especially as there have been no deaths ouside of Mexico so far !! However , the people at WHO and CDC the HPA and the EU Health commission know more than I do and they are very concerned and WHO have put the Pandemic threat level upto Phase 4 now , the highest it has been since the system was conceived.
cheers
Russ
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Time to stock up on tins of food!! .......and ammo ;D
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Do we know what the incubation period is for example if I ask my friends to wait until they collect their children (so to be safe for everyone) what timing would I be asking them? Or is it pointless really because the man we sit next to on the bus could have the flu and us not know?
Chickens
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Lets not loose the run of ourselves chickens....now if they were coming from Mexico....well maybe
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Okay Morgan thanks you are right and thanks again for advice everyone
chickens
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yes ...chances of them coming into contact with any of the infected people in Canada must be pretty remote. The incubation period is abot 7-10 days though ( I think?). However , the death rate in Mexico seems to be slowing and there are no deaths recorded anywhere else , so it may, repeat MAY, be that there is not too much to worry about . Taking normal precautions and being maybe a little more careful or should I say thoughtfull ? should see things through ok . The next week will show how far and freely it has spread , and also how virulent it is . Therein lies the problem !! , act normal while waiting the week for more information and then everything turns out fine !!! act normal while waiting the week for more information and then everything turns out NOT fine at all !!! I would say , again , just go careful , wash hands often , use tissues and throw away in a proper bin , don't sneeze or cough into someone cover your self . Avoid going to places where there are lots of people , such as airports , train stations etc. People who have just normal flu should do this anyway, but there are many selfish people who say "oh it is only flu , I am going to just carry on " , well for them it may be JUST normal flu , and they can get through it ok . However there are many people for who flu isn't JUST flu . Some 20,000 people die of flu every year !!! So at the moment it would seem that just taking normal precautions would be the best thing to do . (Just make sure the AK47 is handy though !!!) ::) ;D ;D
cheers
Russ
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Can it be passed from humans to pigs?
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I haven't seen anything in particular about it going from human to pig but, as it is a mix of American swine flu , European and Asian swine flu American bird flu and human flu , it is really incorrect to call it either pig flu or swine flu !!! but I should think it would pass as easily to pigs as it does to humans .I know that it is quite common for pig farmers to get pig flu from pigs ( just not this particular one ) and no doubt the farmers give their pigs flu too. The danger with this flu though is it's ability to hit the fit humans between 25-45 ish . It makes their very effective immune system attack the hosts body . Older or younger people have a less strong immune system that is incapable of killing the host , therefore they survive. The flu in pigs is fairly mild ,from what I have read so far . There is even doubt that it even came from pigs .. it may well have come from birds or even a human !!! The virulence and death rate are very hard to work out . Mexico being classed almost as a third world country , as far as the health system goes , it is therefore very difficult to say if the 150 deaths so far , are part of say 2,000 people who have the virus , or maybe they are part of 2,000,000 . If from the 2,000 then it is a very dangerous virus with a high death rate. If from the 2,000,000 then it is only a very mild form of virus and we will basically shrug it off. Time is the only way of finding out , and seeing how many die from known infected numbers. All we can hope is the number of deaths is very small and the number of infected very high . That means it is a very mild form ...fingers crossed
cheers
Russ
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I was just wondering whether an infected person could infect some pigs and then the virus gets spread very quickly through the pigs being moved e.t.c.
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yes I should think that would be very possible , but it would spread much much faster from human to human . Human catches virus goes to supermarket , infects possibly dozens maybe even hundreds. Human goes to football match , how many then ?????? then each of those infected by first human does the same infecting many more . How many of those jump in a plane and go to Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Greece, Australia, USA, even back to Mexico !!! talk about a Mexican wave .....
cheers
Russ
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Hi all back again and feeling less fuzzy headed than before. ???(if thats possible for me :D :D) Thank you for all the advice, it can be so frustrating being the only one in the family who actually has these concerns regarding the stock, or human/stock cross contamination. It's great to have found a site where the people are willing to offer useful advice on your problem/worries other than "put them in the freezer, problem solved". So thank you all. ;D ;D
As for pigs getting it as rusty says theres every possibility they can get it, but going on the lack of info on defra and what Mr Pig posted;
There are no reports of an increase in influenza in pigs occurring in the US/Mexico or elsewhere in the world.
Therefore, although parts of this virus may have originated in pigs, it now appears to be transmitting from human to human direct.
i would take it that as long as we all make sure we know who is visting and use the correct precautions then there shouldn't be to many concerns. I'm not allowing the family/vistors anywhere near the pigs (they've just come back from holiday), following all the usual cleaning and disinfecting, and keeping a close eye for any that look under the weather. Not much diffrent from usual.
Hows the cold rusty you said you were feeling unwell a few days ago? :notwell: :notwell:
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the cold is gone now ... thank god..lol . I heard on the news earlier that Egypt are culling ALL pigs . I thought that a bit strange and over the top to say the least. It is human to human that is causing the spread NOT pig to human . Although at present all cases are related to Mexico directly . However the school in New York that has confirmed cases, has said that there are hundreds of pupils showing signs of flu . Not all of these went to Mexico , therefore that means if they become confirmed that they are the first human to human spread ouside of Mexico . That will then mean that the WHO will raise their warning level to phase 5 . The first person to die of it outside of Mexico was a little girl of 23 months , she was a Mexican who had gone to Texas for treatment of the flu .
cheers
Russ
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my friends arrive tonight from halifax and although they have not been out and about much they have obviously used the airlines etc - should i be keeping them away from my animals then? just the pigs or all animals? should i just not worry? Sorry i am being a pain again
chickens
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Hello Chickens ,
not a pain at all , just being careful . I would say try to keep all contact with visitors at an absolute minimum. Obviously if you need a vet to see an animal then they would have to have contact. But other than that it would be sensible to keep everyone away from your stock if at all possible. I know it hasn't spread all over yet and may not, but if contact it kept to nil , then your animals will remain safe . It is a very hard thing to achieve though as you will have contact with your visitors and you will then have contact with your stock !!!! I would ask your visitors if they have any symptoms at all and then act accordingly . The flu is a mix of swine/pig flu human flu and bird flu , so it is quite possible for your pigs to catch it and any poultry too . I have no idea about cattle or sheep , goats etc. , but the only thing you can do is reduce any risk as much as possible . There is very little information about animal contamination with the flu , so it is up to everyone with animals to make their own arrangements , ie . keep contact with visitors to nil , and keep up with cleaning of pens and sheds , and keep to hand and use dissinfectant as per reccomended precautions against desease spread . Don't worry though ... be concerned yes !, but not worried .
cheers
Russ
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I heard on the news earlier that Egypt are culling ALL pigs . I thought that a bit strange and over the top to say the least. It is human to human that is causing the spread NOT pig to human .
Thats what got me a little worried, not that i don't care about my family but they let you know if they are ill (and they DO let you know) then the doctors make them better. Not so with the pigs it may look fine fit and healthy but shot just on connection. I lost animals in the foot and mouth like this due to a farm a few miles away having it. They wont put the kids down (how ever much you beg ;D ;D) thankful they are all fine so far not a sniffle but still keeping a eye on them only been home 3 days, fingers crossed or I'll be in panic mode again. :-\ :-\ :D :pig:
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incubation time is 1-4 days , by all accounts , so only another day or so and you should be ok Emma........don't panic ... don't panic....they don't like it up'em Mr Mainwearing ....... ::) ;D ;D ;D
cheers
Russ
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I sneezed,then had a sudden urge to roll around in the mud and then have a nap in the straw. Should I be worried? ;D
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NO ... your just a pervert ..... ::) ;D ;D ;D
cheers
Russ
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PANIC, Mrree's has got it! :o :o :o
hold on thought you were in the pool with a laptop and glass of wine waiting for some sheep!!!? ??? ;D ;D
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Ive had a cold over the last week. Its amazing how you feel worse when you hear the news.
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WHO raises pandemic warning level to phase 5 .....
cheers
Russ
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Government is releasing anti viral injections - enough to cover 80% of population.
Woohoo hard luck to the 20% >:( >:(
Is this getting serious ? or do you think just hype ?
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The W.H.O has said 'it really is all of humanity that is under threat '....
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If they made this much fuss about the number of people killed by cars every day, cars would no longer exist.
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Cars don't kill people....bad drivers do.....he he he
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Here is a good link to learn about how the last major pandemic affected individuals and society. It is US centric but might be useful for review.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/influenza/
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sausage and cash - oh so true....
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Is this getting serious ? or do you think just hype ?
This is really a very difficult question to answer, even people at WHO, CDC,HPA etc can't give a difinitive answer. Flu , any flu , is very unstable and is in a constant state of change. Swine flu is no exception. The reason that this flu has caused such alarm is that it is a new flu ,and as such people have no immunity to it . Where problem occurs in explaing the dangers of this flu is that it isn't killing millions , that it isn't spreading like wild fire YET . As explained by WHO , the 1918 flu pandemic first appeared in the spring of 1918, it spread slowly (times and travel were different then ) at first , and was a mild flu , somwhat like swine flu is now really !! The summer came and the flu dissappered , but then in the autumn it returned !!!!!and over the next few months it killed 50,000,000 thats 50 million people. It was truly horrendous. This is where the people at WHO etc . are finding it very hard to say what IS going to happen . It may stay mild , it may dissappear , it may mutate and become just another flu doing the rounds , or it may explode and cause havoc !!!! All they can say is that it has ALL of the required traits to be a killer of huge numbers of people . Normal flu kills 250-500,000 every year worldwide , 12-15,000 in the UK alone. So flu isn't just flu at all , it IS a KILLER !! This one can be just another flu ? or, it can be a mass murderer. So they can only say it could do this or it could do that , at the moment . All the people at WHO , CDC etc are trying to say is, be aware of this , take all precautions you can , we are watching and investigating as much as we can , governments should be ready for what can possibly happen , and in this modern age of communication , we will all see soon enough what will happen . They have stressed again and again not to panic , and on the whole , the press have kept fairly calm ish ::).
All anyone can do is hope that it does turn into JUST ANOTHER FLU !!! , and take care . I had Hong Kong flu as a kid and it wasn't nice at all. Luckily I came through it , but 2 million didn't .
cheers
Russ
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http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_098685
the above link is for the download page of the leaflet about Swine flu from the UK government.
cheers
Russ
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Funny how no-ones talking about the economic crisis anymore....bit of an old magicians trick that!! Gordon Brown must be thanking his lucky stars!
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It's confirmed.... I have been diagnosed with Pig Flu..... the doctor gave me some oinkment to rub on my chest. ;D
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yes .. thats right , likewise in the USA .....the American government were worried about too many Mexicans crossing the border into the US in the present downturn/depression , as the Mexican economy crashed, and now they are talking about possibly closing the border....handy eh ? but that is going down the conspiracy theory route !!!! We all know that nothing like that ever happens ... don't we ? :o ::) ;D
cheers
Russ
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so we can blame him again can we. he'll do anything to bring on a bit of a crisis to make it look like he got us through it.
I think I may create a jeyes fluid barrier round the homestead. 5 day quarantine on all incoming objects. ( might make our milk a bit cheesy). If nothing else people will hopefully start to cover their mouths when coughing, and not spit in public.
seriously, I just hope with a bit of common sense and good practise the threat can be contained and the virus will become less of a threat. why do we always have to be living with the impending doom that the media creates?
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stick a hundred chucks in a small shed what do you end up with lots of dead birds. same with people there are two many of us so nature needs to kill us off a bit.
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MrRee - did you come out in rashers? ;D
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I beleive he did. He had a temperature. Doctor said he was Bacon hot!
Sorry, that was a pork quality joke :pig: :D
Dave
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I don't know if anyone has already said this as I haven't read all the pages, buy my OH has just come in from a pig health meeting with a pig expert vet. She said that if the swine flu takes off in the UK we shold be keeping people away from our pigs as it will make them pretty poorly for a couple of weeks or so.
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it will make them pretty poorly for a couple of weeks or so.
- the pigs or the people? ::)
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It will may the pigs poorly....but you probably won't be around to see them get better!! lol (laughing in the face of a crisis)
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http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_087733
interesting reading ????????? :o :o ::) ::)
cheers
Russ
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Summary ...those with influence, or a large bag of money will probably get healthcare...those without won't ;D
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I read in the paper(with disgust) that the 2 people from Polmont who have been diagnosed with Swine Flu have apparantly hired Max Clifford. They must intend to "cash in" on what most people would be too terrified to deal with. How sad is this world when money and fame is more important than anything else???? They deserve as much suffering as the disease can inflict.
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some disgusting video of the treatment some people were handing out to pigs in Egypt is on the bbc news site. The pigs are being 'destroyed' due to the swine flu spread, but it is the treatment that they were subjected to as they were being unloaded from a lorry that was disgusting . No mention at all was made of this by any of the reporters . Some of the pigs were picked up by their legs and thrown into pens . It is clearly visable in the video . It is bad enough that these poor animals are being killed for no reason , but they could have done without this treatment by these people .
Russ
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I read somewhere that we cant actually catch this from the pigs because it has already mutated....cant remember where i read it.
BTW my daughter has, on Friday, been diagnosed with the FLU. She had to go to the hospital, she is in such a lot of pain, temp >38.5 degrees, pulse 120 and BP sky high. She is only 18 and is otherwise fit and healthy. This has been going on since wednesday and is not yet showing any signs of improvement....I am at my wits end cos she is so poorly, she cant even hold a glass to her mouth, stand up or dress herself. She is so uncomfortable she cant sleep properly, which is then making her feel worse, poor lass. We have tried all the pain killers available and nothing is working. If this is ordinary Flu I feel sorry for the beggers who get the bad strains
No-one else round here has it, so she must have caught it at work, in the bank.
Emma x
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sorry to hear about your daughter Emma,
ordinary flu is bad enough . Most people who have flu get a mild version of it or even have a cold and think it is flu. But if you get a nasty bout of flu , you know it . It really is horrible. Unfortunately , I seem to be susceptable to flu ...and I don't just mean man flu .... ::) , but when I get a dose of flu I go down badly with it . When I had Hong Kong flu , I nearly died . I have had bouts of flu since then ,1968, sometimes just the flu that was doing the rounds , but at others it was when there were no cases of ordinary flu about , it was a version of asian flu . Not very nice at all . In my family I never got what everyone else got , ever . It was always something totally different . I hope that this swine flu does stay as weak as it is at the moment , and doesn't come back later much , much more virulent. Even now there are people saying "what is all the fuss about it is only flu " !!! Give them a bad dose of ordinary flu and they would soon change their minds , give them a bad dose of a new flu that we have no immunity too, and they mat not be around to have an opinion.
Hope your girl gets better soon , it is really horrible when your kids get ill ...you just want to take it from them !!!!
cheers
Russ
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How horrible Emma - hope your daughter gets better soon. Please keep us posted.
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As Mirimaran :)