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Prevention before swine
The World Health Organization has just ratcheted up the threat alert for the swine flu epidemic to Phase 4 (out of 6). Along with the avian flu of a decade ago, the Hong Kong flu of 1968, and the Asian flu of 1957, swine flu has been traced to animal waste in a factory farm.
Apparently, its H1N1 type virus is nearly identical to that of the Spanish flu, which killed more than 50 million people in 1918-19.
Today’s factory farms constantly expose sick, crowded, highly stressed animals to contaminated feces, urine, and other secretions. They provide ideal breeding grounds for the replication and mutation of viruses and bacteria into more lethal forms.
In fact, Wikipedia lists more than 70 human diseases that are developed and transmitted by animals, frequently through confinement and crowding. Among these are such infamous killers as AIDS, bubonic plague, cholera, diphtheria, Ebola and dengue fever, measles, SARS, smallpox, West Nile virus, and yellow fever (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoonoticdiseases).
Every one of us can help prevent the development and spread of these killer diseases by replacing animal products in our diet with healthful vegetables, fresh fruits, and whole grains. These foods don’t carry deadly microbes (unless contaminated by animal waste), are touted by every major health advocacy organization, and were the recommended fare in the Garden of Eden.
Norman Teller, 37207
Submit letters by e-mail at letters@nashvillecitypaper.com
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Good morning.
No cartoon at 3:07?
In this fast paced and easy to get about in world we live in. It is not hard for any illness to spread from one end of the world to the other. One of my favorite books {The Earth Abides, by George Stewart} is about an epidemic that spred around the world. Most of the human population was wipeout leaving only a few to start over.
If you get a change to read this book I hope you do. It is a fascinating into what could happen. It also gives a good look into human nature and our place on Earth.
Just to keep things in perspective lets remember that regular flu kills 36,000 per year and right now the death toll is just about 100 all from one country.
Watch it but lets not go running out spending over a billion dollars willy-nilly like we did with SARS and bird flu.
WHO (World Health Org) reports there are only 7 confirmed deaths not 152 deaths like media is reporting.
Good morning, Nashville!
I miss the cartoons.
Norman Teller's LTE is full of hype and ends on a Biblical note. No reputable scientist is equating this outbreak of Swine Flu with the 1918-19 Spanish Flu, as Norman is insinuating. Veggies are good, but letters like this make me want to go out and order a Big Mac.
Norm, stick to the facts and your credibility will improve.
Never happen, especially here in "Ted Nugent" country. "You can't grill, 'til you kill it" is the mantra of choice. Besides, I'd bet a year's pay the local populace believes a vegetarian diet leads to homosexuality.
"Garden of Eden", Norm? Yes, talking snakes lend credibility to any story...
Preaching vegetarians are tough to stomach.
"Never waste a good crisis"
Egypt Orders Slaughter of All Pigs Over Swine Flu
Most in the Muslim world consider pigs unclean animals and do not eat pork because of religious restrictions. One Islamic militant Web site carried comments Wednesday saying swine flu was God's revenge against "infidels."
Pigs are banned entirely in some Muslim countries including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Libya. However in other parts of the Muslim world, they are often raised by religious minorities who can eat pork.
In Egypt, pigs are raised and consumed mainly by the Christian minority, which some estimates put at 10 percent of the population
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jc_pijXYi6E50wDepameI2ZTf9iAD97S7UPG2
LaMaison d'pain: What? You don't believe in talking snakes? You haven't met my ex-mother-in-law. She even could talk out of both sides of her mouth.
d7, you must have been married to my ex-sister-in-law.
Nemo, you're up at 3:07am?! Impressive.
I thought I was the first one up this side of the Mississippi.
By: idgaf on 4/30/09 at 4:07
Just to keep things in perspective lets remember that regular flu kills 36,000 per year and right now the death toll is just about 100 all from one country.
Watch it but lets not go running out spending over a billion dollars willy-nilly like we did with SARS and bird flu.
*****************************************************************
I feel safe now. How many time has id been right?
house:
My work place call. A client had an emergency, but by the time I got to the car the crises was over. I manage to fall sleep but as for a good night rest, that did not happen. :-(
Where are you getting your infromation eastnashville? There is 159 dead and 2,500 in Mexico alone.
Weren't tomatoes pulled from the shelf last year becasue they were making people sick??? And don't forget about peanuts and pistachios this year.
Nemo, I'll write down your book recommendation. Sounds interesting.
@daKine7.... LOL seriously. Thank you. I needed that. I'm going to stop at a restaurant and order a steak tonight for dinner! Yeehaw!
Blanket, I think you would enjoy it. It was writen in 1949, but it will relate in todays world.
Is it fiction or non-fiction?
Mr. Spock was a vegan I believe, the guy never had the flu.
Fiction, Blacket.
Spock had Pon-Far wink wink
Superman had Krytonite.
I just know someone will come up with that. lol
Hey, at least they had a LTE to publish today.
As long as d7 is around, they will always have LTEs.
I had 2 BLTs the other day to build up my resistance.
O O
l
\__/ A cartoon
Guess the swine flu got to the cartoonist.
Personally, I think carrots feel pain.
resistance to pig lung virus?
Blanket: yes, and d7's LTEs.
Nothing discredits a good argument with a bunch of knee-jerk atheists as much as a nice innocent biblical reference. It's like garlic to a vampire.
Which commandment is it that says, "Thou shalt not have a sense of humor"?
I forget.
Its the one after not lying down with animals I think.
I just thought it was ironic... something the kook-fringe would have agreed with until he wrapped it up with a biblical reference.
Captain, the WHO report of only 7 deaths came out yesterday.
Only 7 swine flu deaths, not 152, says WHO
"Unfortunately that [150-plus deaths] is incorrect information and it does happen, but that's not information that's come from the World Health Organisation," Ms Allan told ABC Radio today.
"That figure is not a figure that's come from the World Health Organisation and, I repeat, the death toll is seven and they are all from Mexico."
http://www.smh.com.au/world/only-7-swine-flu-deaths-not-152-says-who-20090429-aml1.html
Doesn't instill confidence, does it?
Actually Ben, I think the letter writer was being facetious.
Slack: Mr. Spock, the quack pediatrician or the guy on Star Trek? Wasn't it the Dr. who said "DO NOT" spank your children? And look at all the little as* holes running around, shooting their classmates and parents. Real good advice. Guy had a B-12 deficiency.
carleydale: Have it "tar-tar" w/ extra salmonella.
Dragon, I read that too. It is interesting.
29 April 2009 -- The situation continues to evolve rapidly. As of 18:00 GMT, 29 April 2009, nine countries have officially reported 148 cases of swine influenza A/H1N1 infection. The United States Government has reported 91 laboratory confirmed human cases, with one death. Mexico has reported 26 confirmed human cases of infection including seven deaths
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_04_29/en/index.html
The one with Denny Crain, dargent.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2009/h1n1_20090429/en/index.html
Global warming might kill out the swine flu virus..eh?
Blanket, do you have much contact with patients?
Would you consider staying home if the piggy flu shows up at work?
i'm an accountant so i don't have contact with patients. as long as your immune system is healthy it would probably be like any other flu virus, at this stage anyway.
http://doihaveswineflu.org/
this is a good site that helps determine if you have swine flu.
Accountant, eh? Do you ever dream of being a lion tamer?
no, but i have dreamed of either being a rock star or a race car driver.
All I ever really wanted to do, was sing the blues.
Dennis Kucinich is a vegan. Can't win a national election but check out the hot number he married. Maybe something's in that tofu after all.
I'd like to be a race car passenger.
"Are we there yet?"
"Hang a left up here..."
"Boy, you sure do like Tide."
house, let's go for a little ride on the interstate and we'll fulfill both of our dreams! lol!