China - Man in southern China dies from bird flu

China Says Man Dies From Bird Flu (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/world/asia/china-says-man-dies-from-bird-flu.html?_r=1&partner=EXCITE&ei=5043)
The Shenzen man died a week after two dead birds tested +ve for H5N1. A dead bird in Hongkong also tested positive with H5N1.
The death on Saturday came a day after the W.H.O. expressed concern about how research on the virus was being conducted. In December, the National Institutes of Health asked scientists at universities in Wisconsin and the Netherlands not to publish complete details on how to make the H5N1 virus more easily transmissible between humans.
In August, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations warned of a possible major resurgence of the H5N1 virus in the coming months, saying migratory birds appeared to be carrying it and infecting birds in more countries.

We have to wait and see if this grows into a problem large wnough to affect air travel. Could we expect sales to Asia like there were some in 2003?

Since this is not a travel-news story per http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-news/1184086-welcome-travel-news-what-should-posted-here-what-should-posted-elsewhere.html I will move to the appropriate forum while leaving a 30-day re-direct in Travel News convenience.

cblaisd
Moderator, Travel News

China Says Man Dies From Bird Flu (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/world/asia/china-says-man-dies-from-bird-flu.html?_r=1&partner=EXCITE&ei=5043)
Could we expect sales to Asia like there were some in 2003?

2001 Q4 was good also.

The recurrence timing of H5N1 was somewhat coincidental to the release of the lab evolved bird flu strain.

I wonder..

China Says Man Dies From Bird Flu (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/world/asia/china-says-man-dies-from-bird-flu.html?_r=1&partner=EXCITE&ei=5043)
The Shenzen man died a week after two dead birds tested +ve for H5N1. A dead bird in Hongkong also tested positive with H5N1.


We have to wait and see if this grows into a problem large wnough to affect air travel. Could we expect sales to Asia like there were some in 2003?

:mad: I hope it doesn't get to that point. Please don't think selfishly in terms of your own desires about sales fares to Asia. As somebody who lived through SARS in Beijing in 2003 and was working for a (US) small business at the time, I can tell you that we had no human casualties, but the terrible effect on business for those few months, put us on a downslope that eventually led to the company's demise (and loss of jobs). And even that pales in significance to the sickness and loss of life among those directly affected by the illness....many of whom were health care workers themselves.


The recurrence timing of H5N1 was somewhat coincidental to the release of the lab evolved bird flu strain.

I wonder..

Red herring. Check history. As long as southern China remains a crowded hotbed of filthy animal husbandry, slaughtering, food sales practices, and lousy human hygiene, it's going to remain ground zero for many of the world's evolving strains of terrible flus. They don't need an artificial lab to wreak havoc.

:mad: I hope it doesn't get to that point. Please don't think selfishly in terms of your own desires about sales fares to Asia. As somebody who lived through SARS in Beijing in 2003 and was working for a (US) small business at the time, I can tell you that we had no human casualties, but the terrible effect on business for those few months, put us on a downslope that eventually led to the company's demise (and loss of jobs). And even that pales in significance to the sickness and loss of life among those directly affected by the illness....many of whom were health care workers themselves.




Red herring. Check history. As long as southern China remains a crowded hotbed of filthy animal husbandry, slaughtering, food sales practices, and lousy human hygiene, it's going to remain ground zero for many of the world's evolving strains of terrible flus. They don't need an artificial lab to wreak havoc.

+1^ on both counts

tb

:mad: I hope it doesn't get to that point. Please don't think selfishly in terms of your own desires about sales fares to Asia. As somebody who lived through SARS in Beijing in 2003 and was working for a (US) small business at the time, I can tell you that we had no human casualties, but the terrible effect on business for those few months, put us on a downslope that eventually led to the company's demise (and loss of jobs). And even that pales in significance to the sickness and loss of life among those directly affected by the illness....many of whom were health care workers themselves.
I am sorry about the effect SARS has on your business and casualties that resulted from it.
It's an unwarranted and unfair presumption on your part to make a judgement, about anyone who bought, or would consider buying a sale fare resulting from an event beyond our control.
I am not wishing it to happen, but if it does, I will not give a good fare.

That said, China often does not admit there is a problem, until it's serious. We should all watch and be aware.

:mad: As long as southern China remains a crowded hotbed of filthy animal husbandry, slaughtering, food sales practices, and lousy human hygiene, it's going to remain ground zero for many of the world's evolving strains of terrible flus. .

Beware of that extra bitter taste.:confused:

Chinese Tycoon Poisoned by Cat Meat Stew (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16409523)



Mr Huang, an agriculture official in Bajia, took Mr Long, who ran a forestry company, to visit a piece of woodland on 23 December.
Afterwards, the two went to a local restaurant to share a local delicacy, slow-boiled cat-meat stew.
A local newspaper reported that Mr Long's friend had eaten only a little because the dish tasted "more bitter" than usual

Beware of that extra bitter taste.:confused:

Chinese Tycoon Poisoned by Cat Meat Stew (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16409523)



Mr Huang, an agriculture official in Bajia, took Mr Long, who ran a forestry company, to visit a piece of woodland on 23 December.
Afterwards, the two went to a local restaurant to share a local delicacy, slow-boiled cat-meat stew.
A local newspaper reported that Mr Long's friend had eaten only a little because the dish tasted "more bitter" than usual

Relevance to avian 'flu appears tenuous...perhaps should have tacked onto the 'dangerous food' thread that was kicking about a few months ago...

tb

Relevance to avian 'flu appears tenuous...perhaps should have tacked onto the 'dangerous food' thread that was kicking about a few months ago...

tb

Guangdong provence was ground zero for the 2003 SARS epedemic.
The saying that in south China the only thing they won't eat with four legs is the table and chairs, unfortunately is still relevant.

Guangdong provence was ground zero for the 2003 SARS epedemic.
The saying that in south China the only thing they won't eat with four legs is the table and chairs, unfortunately is still relevant.

True, but it's like me posting about a businessman who was killed by arsenic poisoning in Zaire on a thread about Ebola?

I know you may have seen "Contagion" (pretty good film overall), and the intensive farming methods in China are possibly highly relevant for recombinant influenza viruses, but the eating habits themselves are not (except that they encourage the farming).

tb

True, but it's like me posting about a businessman who was killed by arsenic poisoning in Zaire on a thread about Ebola?

I know you may have seen "Contagion" (pretty good film overall), and the intensive farming methods in China are possibly highly relevant for recombinant influenza viruses, but the eating habits themselves are not (except that they encourage the farming).

tb

Will check out that movie.

Don't doubt the propaganda of eating habits factors into government sponsored fear tactics.

the dish tasted "more bitter" than usual

Well if cats are not good eating I will have to keep my 4 as bedwarmers!

Well if cats are not good eating I will have to keep my 4 as bedwarmers!

Their "comrade" chef in Australia figured that insteading of going for things on 4's like civet cat or even snakes, etc. with holistic values in traditional Chinese culture, they planned for a private celebration over fresh & wild (referred to as "death cap") mushrooms .... with deadly results.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/06/world/asia/australia-deadly-mushrooms/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2

Friends of ours just came back from Hong Kong over the holidays and were disappointed to end up eating imported, frozen chicken as the SAR government culled 17,000 live chickens over an apparent bird flu scare - http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=hong%20kong%20live%20chicken%20&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CDAQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Fworld%2Fvide o%2F2011%2Fdec%2F21%2Fhong-kong-bird-flu-video&ei=wWcHT-y5A6TL0QGOidzzAQ&usg=AFQjCNHqiaPtmPZoQlfVQQenYBkqHOh9HA

The Lunar New Year is coming around the corner in like 2 weeks & plenty of uneasy folks as the media also sensationalized the isolated cases of Legionnaires disease found in H.K. - of all places, traced to plumbings in the private restrooms of some of senior government executive's headquarter offices, LOL - where, efforts to combat SARS and H5N1, etc. are generally directed .... :rolleyes: