TravelBlog members discuss the implications, gather information and share conspiracy theories.
According to various sound bites I've heard from hog farmers, swine flu is a well-known and treatable virus among pigs and hogs. There are vaccines and cures, which is why you wouldn't find a ton of sick pigs anywhere. As with other zoonotic diseases, the virus was originally not transmittable to humans, but some mutation by the protein markers causes it to now react with the human immune system. The influenza virus is constantly mutating (that's why a flu vaccine one year doesn't protect you from the strain the next). And there aren't vaccines or cures for the human-infecting virus because our immune systems are different than those of pigs.
In fact, you'll now hear U.S officials refer to the virus as H1N1, or influenza A, to differentiate it from "swine flu" which does, technically, only affect swine. The origins have been big news her in the U.S because several countries have now banned the importation of U.S pork (you cannot get the flu from pork products before anyone worries) and the administration is naturally worried about the effect this is having on the pork industry.
Reply to this I think someone forgot to tell Egypt, they have begun to slaughter all the pigs in the country. Utter madness.
Article here Reply to this .......Egypt, they have begun to slaughter all the pigs in the country....
I didnt think a muslim country would have many pigs.
Reply to this Hola from the Baja. Well this has been an interesting few weeks. Swine Flu or H1N1 -- officially hasn't reached us over here yet, but I have come across several people with severe broncitis, or at least that is what the health officials here are diagnosing their illness as...
Several people have returned to Canada from the Cancun side after being diagnosed with broncitis, to learn in Canada that they are indeed positive for H1N1. My conspiracy theory seems to be shaping up. See, they really don't want to report any flu in their resort towns. That would kill their industry.
On the up side, they have closed down all non-essentials stores and schools for 5 days as per the President as an attempt to slow the virus. That is good because I was getting tired of seeing restaurant workers and grocery store workers wearing face masks that are NOT the kind that are effective against any kind of virus or germ! It was downright silly. Not to mention, most were tired of wearing them and had them around their necks....and of course not using gloves to handle food, money or other.
The sad part is I can't imagine how some of the locals can afford to have 5 days off without any pay. Who suffers the most? Stay tuned.
Reply to this Hello Mell:
There is a Christian population of 10% in Egypt, and they are the owners of the whole pork industry...starting from the farms to stores ....and of course they are the main customers beside some hotels and few restaurants.
Reply to this Just wondering what control measures people are experiencing while traveling at the moment?
A travelblogger I know has just arrived in Japan (I don't know if I am allowed to stick a link to the blog here, but hes written about the experience) and was held on the plane for three hours while all on board were thoroughly checked by officials. Anyon showing an increase in temperature was taken for further tests. Apparently two sections of the plane were not allowed to leave when the rest did as two people in those sections were ill. The flight origionated in Canada, where there have been a few confirmed flu cases. It seems Japan are doing all they can to stop the spread.
Reply to this See link to BBC - Mexico swine flu "in decline"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8031761.stm
Reply to this Ok...something different. I'm sitting in Bangkok airport and have seen few flights arrival.
More than 15% of people wear mask. No case in Thailand yet, nobody died in Asia yet. I was living in Hong Kong during the SARS.
All this has gone crazy if you compare the risk, number of people involved...the basic scales.
I was in a hotel in Phuket five days ago. A dutch guys was ready to spend 6,000 euros to get his family on the first flight to the Netherlands...because "he cares fr his children".
The flu virus kills ten times more every single year in Europe every year...and nobody makes a fuss about it.
This is losing billions to economies in a tuff climates. All of this doesn't make any sense....do people know how many millions people live in Mexico?
If you go to Mexico....just be cautious...but why scare the world out of it?
Reply to this I should be going to Thailand, Malaysia, Macau, and Hong Kong
. I am thinking seriously to cancel the trip.
I am less worried about catching the virus
I am more worried about the fuss about it everywhere.
I don’t want to meet people in the street wearing masks, or refusing to talk to you just because you are a foreigner.
You know, I want that fearless, friendly environment when travelling
specially that I am backpacking.
And what is most important
I am worried about being on hold in a plane for hours at the airport just because a passenger sneezed
or worst , join a quarantine because my hotel have a case
.etc.
What do you think guys?
Reply to this Hello PA:
I should be going to Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket, Phi Phi), Malaysia, Macau, and Hong Kong
. I am thinking seriously to cancel the trip. Not because I am worried to catching the virus, but I am more worried about the fuss about it everywhere.
How are people doing in Bangkok street ... are they wearing masks ... taking caustions ...etc.
In fact, I don’t want my trip to turn into meet people in the street wearing masks, or refusing to talk to me just because I am a foreigner (which means I may have the virus 😊) ).
You know I want that fearless, friendly environment when travelling
specially that I am backpacking.
And what is most important
I am much more worried about being on hold in a plane for hours at the airport just because a passenger sneezed
or worst , join a quarantine because my hotel have a case
.etc.
What do you think ?
Reply to this I have to agree, there seems to be a lot of scaremongering going on. We are due to fly to Mexico in less than two weeks and we have no plans to change our plans at the moment. I'm not concerned about getting ill, but I will be disappointed if the hype means that restaurants/bars/tourist sights etc are closed. Recent reports suggest that the problem is abating in Mexico and this is actually no worse than any seasonal flu so if you ask me, sit tight with any current plans, be sensible about the usual ways of preventing the spread of infections and enjoy your travels in spite of all the media hype because economies, like Mexico, really need the tourism.
Reply to this Good news Sarah and Joe - the Mexican government has announced that it will reopen all museums, restaurants, libraries and tourist attractions Wednesday May 6th as scheduled. And schools will reopen later this week or early next week.
The scare may actually work in your favor - you just might have the place to yourself as all major cruises have been rerouted away from Mexico ports and many travelers changed their destination to the Caribbean.
Reply to this The face mask issue irritates me: they are designed to be worn by people who already have an illness to prevent them from spreading it, not by people who don't want to get ill. Even then most aren't effective if they are not tied the right way, and because they become moist from a person's breath they in fact become a good place for bacteria to breed.
J.
Reply to this Hi Jonathan
Your comments is 200% accurate....but seems more people should know about it! How to get this more publicity is a good question??
Was in Hong Kong during SARS and you are right!
Peter
Reply to this I'm only quoting something I read in a newspaper - I was terrible at Biology at school! I haven't been to England since the first case was found there, but it seems that - as usual for the Brits - we are making a very big deal out of something that just requires caution and a level head.
As far as I know, swine flu is only different from ordinary flu in that it more seriously affects young adults, not the vulnerable. So it is stronger - but enough of a crisis to wear masks on the underground when it has only killed people on another continent?
J.
Reply to this The reason level 5 was raised etc was that no body knew how the virus would mutate further. Also, there is a worry it will follow the same pattern as the 1918 outbreak, ie, have a first wave where not many people are affected and then come back later in the year with more devistating reults. A lot of virologists are studying the virus, I have been called to my old workplace a couple of times as the staff were working round the clock and they neeeded extra hands. The reson for masks etc is again caution. Surgical masks are absolutley useless, the virus particles are so small they can pass through, but the reasoning is that incubation periods are quite long, you may have it without knowing it yet, so if you wear a mask, you can't pass it on before you show symptoms, its not really about wearing one so you won't catch it IYSWIM.
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