Ducky Paredes

“(B)ecause of differences between the human and swine versions of the flu, the human vaccine doesn’t appear to protect against what is now being called swine H1N1.”

by Ducky Paredes

President Barack Obama, ever the correct one, and his officials have taken to calling the present pandemic the “H1N1 flu virus” even as the rest of us still call what is going around as “swine flu.”
In Egypt, the Health Minister has ordered the slaughtering of all the pigs in the country. There were probably very few since the animal is banned in Muslim, Jewish and Seventh Day Adventist cuisine. And, you can’t get swine flu from eating cooked pork, anyhow, and the disease is actually being transmitted human to human, although the virus’s genetic signature does suggest that it originally originated in pigs.
All flu viruses — human, bird, pig — have an “H” and an “N” in the name, each followed by a number (the avian or bird flu strain, for example, is H5N1).
The letters refer to two proteins (hemagglutinin and neuraminidase) on the surface of the virus. The numbers refer to slight variations in the form of each protein. The variations are important, because our immune system zeroes in on those proteins to attack the virus. Thus, the particular vaccine that would prevent a specific type of flu, must target those proteins. What works with Bird Flu may not work on Swine Flu or the present H1N1 virus.
As it turns out, human strains of H1N1 flu are also pretty common. In fact, the vaccine presently available in the Philippines and elsewhere works against a strain of human H1N1 virus. But, because of differences between the human and swine versions of the flu, the human vaccine doesn’t appear to protect against what is now being called swine H1N1.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia which calls the current flu virus “A/H1N1”, what we now have combines genetic sequences from North American pigs, Eurasian pigs, birds and humans. The H protein had previously circulated only in pigs and is new to the human immune system.
Because most people don’t have regular contact with pigs, they don’t have the immunity to swine flu viruses that can prevent infection.
But, what should be done? In 1976, scores of recruits at Fort Dix in New Jersey were struck down by a mystery ailment. More than a dozen came down with severe respiratory illness and one person died.
This was traced to swine flu. In response, the Gerald Ford administration launched a crash vaccine program that immunized more than 40 million Americans. The feared further contamination never occurred. Was this because of the vaccinations?
However, the vaccine administered by the government appeared to increase the risk of a syndrome that can induce a form of paralysis. The program was stopped, and many vaccinated people filed injury claims. Thus, there are dangers attached to doing nothing as well as in doing too much.
As I understand it, Normal Swine Flu can be passed on to humans who have direct exposure to pigs but humans cannot pass this on to other humans.
But, pigs can be infected by swine, human and bird flu viruses. Together in a pig, all these viruses could produce a new genetic combination that can infect humans who would have no immunity at all to the new flu strain.
The current strain of A/H1N1 has a novel genetic make-up that allows it to pass from human to human.
That is what we humans are up against.
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A morbid child’s verse, while skipping rope: “I had a little bird/And its name was Enza/I opened the window/And in-flew-Enza,” actually came into fashion – not with the bird flu – but with what was called the Spanish Flu in 1918.
It was called the Spanish Flu only because the Spanish newspapers were the first to report on it. The rest of the world, while having the same disease felt that letting others know they had the disease would embolden their enemies and this was in World War I.
The first recorded case was in Kansas among troops training for their posting in Europe. Eventually it infected 28 percent of all Americans and. world-wide,  killed 20 to 50 million people, more than died from World War I. American soldiers on the way to Europe were infected in their cramped transport ships. The Americans unwittingly spread the disease when they landed in France. From there, it spread all over the world.
In February 1957, Asian Flu popped up in China. This was detected early and a vaccine was available by August, just five months later. Still, two million died world-wide with 70,000 in the U.S.
In 1968, 500,000 persons in Hong Kong were infected by what is called the Hong Kong Flu-ey which eventually killed a million people and was brought to the U.S. by solders returning from the Vietnam War.
Then, of course, there was the Swine Flu of 1976 in the U.S. where the massive vaccination seemed to have done more harm than good.
Recently, we were hit by Avian Flu and SARS.
What bodes well for the world is the fact that the present director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) is Margaret Chan who had first-hand frontline experience on Avian Flu and SARS. When she took over WHO, Dr. Chan warned: “Infectious diseases have staged a dramatic comeback. HIV, Ebola, SARS and Avian Influenza will not be the last bad surprises delivered by the ever-changing microbial world.”
She is the first Chinese national to head a United Nations agency.
* * *
“WHO advises no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders. It is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities.
“There is also no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products. Individuals are advised to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water on a regular basis and should seek medical attention if they develop any symptoms of influenza-like illness.” – World Health Otganization advisory

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hvp 04.30.09)