Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

homestead - Re: [Homestead] Viruses

homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Homestead mailing list

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Viruses
  • Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:37:53 -0500



clhw wrote:
These sound a lot like the potential for a pandemic from H5N1.
They can be caught by humans in close proximity to infected vectors like
horses, pigs and bats.

The bats part doesn't concern me .... much.... as long as our local bats
aren't catching it.

Well, that was the thing. I read on one article or another that several species of bats were the carriers, from the large flying foxes to the smaller genus of fruit bats. I made the leap that if several species of bats could be carriers, then it might spread harmlessly through the bat populations, but that other mammals, like pigs and humans, might be susceptible.


However, the swine reservoir is potential bad trouble. Most of you probably
know that the genetics between humans and swine is close enought that
viruses which mutate to affect hogs can become virulent for humans and a
new mutation develop through the susceptibility. And humans do have a lot
more contact with hogs than with fruit bats. Somehow, I didn't consider
contact with horses to be very frequent in Malaysia.

I have already forgotten which virus it was, but it was also found in Australia where there are lots of horses...



It would take several years for either of these viruses to develop into
something which is being spread in humans. The high mortality rate reported
in these two articles might fall with, as Lynda indicated, more medical
support at an early point, and something like washing hands and disposible
tissues and Lysol or clorox might prove fatal to the virus. Nothing
mentioned on shelf-life outside the reservoirs, like, if someone sneezes
onto the grocery cart I use, is there going to be live virus there 30
minutes later?

Right.
That reminds me,,,,I heard on the radio the other night that H5N1 survives freezing for 39 days, or something like that....scary stuff.




Just like SARS and Ebola, these are viruses to be aware of, but not panic.

Exactly. It just goes to the preponderance of evidence that you should WASH YOUR HANDS after contact with any animal, even your pets. You just never know...


Lynn who is recuperating from a mild heart attack on 12/20, followed by
by-pass surgery on 12/21.

Glad to see you up and about...

Bev
--
BevanRon of EarthNSky Farm NW Georgia USDA Zone 7
34.498N 85.076W Bev is Earth, Ron is Sky





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page