Something to think about

BULLETIN ITEM
Subscriber Rejects "The Bird Flu As Scam" Theory

Here is someone who thnks that the Bird Flu could very well become a pandemic.

Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2005 17:41:58 -0500
From: D.
Subject: RE: [earthchange-bulletins] PROFOUNDLY IMPORTANT DIGEST FOR BEATING
THE VIRUS TREATMENT SCAMS

What a bunch of crap. I thought you had a better handle on science than
this. Just enough truth in the article to make it appear believable, but
terrible inconsistencies and inaccuracies. First of all, there are numerous
reasons why cross species reproduction doesn't occur, including the
definition of a species. Only one of the reasons has to do with the membrane
binding potential of the sperm. Second, if it is impossible to have to have
"bird" flu infect humans for the stated reason, it would also be impossible
to have bird flu infect pigs. Different species, right?

The truth is much simpler. Viral particles are nothing more than RNA or DNA
encased in proteins. The outer coat of proteins contains proteins that can
bind to the cell they are infecting. But few things in biochemistry are
perfect. An outer protein may bind strongly for certain markers on the cell
wall of birds and only weakly on markers on the cell wall of other species.
That means that only rarely will the weakly binding cell get infected. But
it will happen, occasionally. It usually won't happen often enough to cause
a disease. Occasionally, a cell will be infected that is ALREADY infected by
another virus. In this case, sometimes, the resulting reproduced virus will
contain DNA or RNA that is from both viruses. Rarely, such a recombination
will be a viable virus that can go on to reproduce in other cells.

See where this is leading? Basically, shit happens, but only rarely. The
probability of this happening in a way that is detrimental to people depends
on lots of factors, but two big contributors to the odds are
birds/pigs/people all living in close proximity.

Of course a little help from their friends, the "government agents" or
terrorists could speed this along and increase the odds. But PLEASE, it will
happen inevitably anyway if we just wait, as long as we live in association
with domestic animals. Whether it happens this year or 100 years from now is
anybody's guess. But if historical trends are of any indication, such events
happen at least once every hundred years or so.

D.