2 strains of flu (pincher attack)

As most of my avid readers know, I am strangely obsessed with various strains of super viruses and diseases that have become prevalent over the past few years.  Recently I have been following two strains, the H7N9 Avian Flu, which is a beefed up version of the 2009 H1N1 Avain FLu that made everyone scramble to the vaccination booths, as well as the new strain of SARS that has appeared in Saudia Arabia and then on to Britain and France.   I have avoided really going into this, as some of these get elevated to “Pandemic” levels and are really not much of a threat at all (Both previous versions of said afflictions).  This case was a little different.  This article will update you on all that was said previously.   The thing that really got my attention was the article I read on how China is CREATING these various animal related viruses in vet labs.  They are looking for the most virulent strains, making them worse, and figuring out how to cross breed them with Human Influenza.  I can’t tell if this is just pure stupidity, wanton disregard for humanity, or a more malicious attempt at creating a bio-weapon.

Saudi Arabian SARS in Denmark

A family of 4 visited Saudi Arabia and flew back to Denmark, only to find out they have a deadly new strain of the SARS virus.  Despite what the Saudi government says (see yesterday’s article), this is in fact dangerous, and it is in the same viral family as SARS, even though it also attacks the kidneys.  A man who contracted the virus in Qatar was flown to the UK, where they diagnosed his condition as SARS.

That means I have to officially update the outbreak leader board:

1.  Pertussis – “Whooping Cough”
2.  Fatal rash caused by staph infection
3.  “Flesh Eating Bacteria”, also a staph infection
4.  The Bubonic Plague
5.  Ebola
6.  Capnocytophaga – Woman lost hands and feet from dog saliva
7.  Untreatable Gonorrhea
8.  Kid died from a brain destroying ameoba, found in a lake
9.  West Nile Virus
10.  Hantavirus
11.  Rabies
12.  Typhus
13.  Legionnaires Disease
14.  New Jersey Superbug
15.  Popcorn Lung
16.  Saudi Arabian SARS

Saudi Arabian SARS

This story has all the makings of a conspiracy, but I do not quite believe it yet.  Apparently in Saudi Arabia and Qatar there is a strain of SARS that has killed two people by respiratory failure and kidney failure.  Now this is where it gets interesting:  Remember that SARS is a flu like disease, killing people through respiratory failure.  This one involves the Kidneys.  Two completely unrelated body systems.  This is not something seen in the previous SARS strains that ravaged through China a few years ago.  I will keep looking into this before I draw any conclusions.