Flu viruses evolve freshly somewhere in east or southeast Asia every year, spreading around the world over the next nine months before dying out.
Genetic analysis by two teams of international researchers show that there are just a few initial sources of annual, seasonal influenza epidemics. The viruses spread around the world from these before dying.
Then every year, new strains emerge to infect people, according to the studies published in the journals Nature and Science…
“We find that viruses come out of east and southeast Asia as a region each year and it is not any one particular country that is the continual source of influenza viruses. So it is not as simple as saying out of China, because out of China is not the whole story,” Russell said…“Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur are only 700 miles apart but they have their flu epidemics at completely different times of year.” This means flu epidemics can be occurring almost year-round in Asia, he said.
Then the viruses die out every year in the Americas, Europe, Australia and the rest of Oceania, making these areas “evolutionary graveyards,” Russell said.
Of course, we still have Know-Nothings who think you can get influenza from the vaccine.
There are dingleballs in the tinfoil hat/chemtrail crowd who think that flu is spread only by flu shots.
I haven’t had a flu for three years. I do go to extremes during the season with hand washings and keeping away from the office pigs, but it’s been worth it.
can we just do the american thing and bomb or burn this area to rid the world of flu?!
Flu, the original crappy cheap import from China that bites you in the ass!
I’ve had the flu twice in 25 years. I don’t pay attention to flu season or flu shots. Interesting
data though. A large area with the highest population is the incubator. Makes sense.
Yea, but I bet we designed the original. They just improved and mass produced it.
[Duplicate comment. – Deleted. – ed.]
Why does flu come from Asia? Because in their culture/social environment many people interact and “live with” domesticated foul==ducks and chickens mostly in a way the rest of the world outside of Asia/India does not. So, “avian” as in “bird” flu gets transmitted to humans and spreads. Same with pork. We are just very lucky that for some reason dogs and cats are not such carriers or we would be spreading that around the world and getting even with the Asians.
# 8 bobbo
I totaly know the type of person you are now. You post on every issue acting like you are an expert on the topic. I have a brother in law like you. We have a name for him.
#9–J==well, there are 10 subject on the right side menu. I’m posting on 4 of them. So, knowing you are smarter and more educated than me, I have just learned that 40% of anything is everything. I don’t know what that makes the other 60%–I guess nothing?==but will wait for you to educate me.
Now, I also have to rely on you to tell me what you have named your brother in law because I have no idea. Why don’t you start a thread on that and I’m sure to respond?
Anything on point?
# 10 bobbo
“well, there are 10 subject on the right side menu. I’m posting on 4 of them. ”
Nice way to diminish your history of posting here on DU. Clever but no sale. I will however take a bite of the bate and say I bet you posted as an expert in each one.
Anything on point?
#11–Jay==you say
1. “I bet you posted as an expert in each one.” /// Thank You.
2. Anything on point? /// No. This thread is about the flu.
# 12 bobbo
” Thank You”
Wasn’t a compliment but knowing you read comprehension skills I can see how you thought it was.
“No. This thread is about the flu”
It is isn’t it and I bet you think you are an expert on that don’t you? Seeing as how you ask questions and then answer them to make it look like you and no one else knows the answer.
Your morinic explination of Why flu comes from Asia is about as half baked as everything else you post. That isn’t why! That is HOW! Why is a very differnt issue.
Hey J, bobbo makes a valid point as to why so many strands of flu originate in that region of the world. I say this because I’ve seen shows in National Geographic and the Discovery Channel where they cover the topic. Now, why have a beef with the guy over his comment? So what if he is or isn’t an expert. Maybe he’s 110 years old, holds passports for over 50 countries, and 10 science degrees in different fields of study. Or maybe he’s a big time computer nerd that learns by surfing all over the place. Or maybe he’s just plain smart and experienced. But why does that matter. He’s contributing to this blog with his comments. Without smart and opinionated, mature commenters like him (you are a he right bobbo?) then this blog would be boring as all hell. No dis to you but I thought I’d stick up for bobbo this time and this time only.
[Nice, intelligent post apeguero. – ed.]
J… Bobbo…
Stop it.
#14–apeguero==I’m actually the new GoogleBot 9000 artificial expert. Just a variant of those help agents that search the internet on words you highlight. In this case, I search blogs randomly for key words already in my database. “Flu” is one such key word. I then post as “bobbo” so that people who think they know more than I do will be motivated to post, driving up my hit count, justifying my position.
Actually, I saw those same shows on Discovery Channel. But the why question came first to my mind, so I thought it would to others as well.
#15–OFTLO==don’t get between two lovers having a quarrel. J is all upset because I left the cap off the toothpaste.
Bobbo, J… as Dvorak would say, “Get a room.”
#17–hhopper==good idea. Can one set up dates over on the cage match? I’ll be going thru LA in a few weeks. Maybe J could introduce me to his friends as chimp on a chain?
#18 bobbo
“Can one set up dates over on the cage match? ”
I have standards. IQ above 85 is one.
“Maybe J could introduce me to his friends as chimp on a chain?”
Yeah you wish. I wouldn’t lower my status by bringing a dipshit like you with me. They see me with you and one of two things happen. Either they stop associating with me or you end up on the A list. Neither of those senerios is ok with me.
I thought the flu was from white men having sex with monkeys, bobbo?
Damn, and I thought the big drug corporations were releasing new strains every year.
#21 – We are…
#20–morram–I’m no expert, but I read a cartoon once that was all about chimpanzees having the hiv virus==mostly living with it unless otherwise stressed. Then it seems some people in Africa like what they call “Bush Meat” so once again humans got infected with the HIV virus that was more lethal in us than in the monkeys. The cartoon mag was put out by GreenPeace and it was called “Revenge for cutting Down our Homes” or something like that. Big fear is that other here-to-for virii may be in the jungle–all to come out as we chop down their homes.
If anyone knows==have humans been around long enough to contaminate animals with something that is exclusively us? That would make an interesting comic book. ((Not including War of the Worlds. That comic wasn’t funny at all.))
Now, if you meant whether or not I have personally had sex with monkeys, a gentleman never tells.
# 23 bobbo
“whether or not I have personally had sex with monkeys, a gentleman never tells.”
Yeah but the monkey did. LOL
#24–J==I knew that sign language displaying chimp was going to be trouble.
# 25 bobbo
LOL Yeah but they are good with their hands.
I have to side with bobbo on this. And yes, I have been to China numerous times.
China has the first and third most densely populated regions in the world,
http://tinyurl.com/63sdv
Shanghai alone has districts which have over 140,000 people per square mile!
http://tinyurl.com/5648er
And yes, there isn’t much separation between the animals and the people. Not to mention higher medical facilities are few and far in between.
Combine that with suppressed immune systems due to rampant pollution…
#27–Ah Yea–fun to peruse those charts. I’ve never been to Macau–I don’t gamble so the only reason to go would be the boat ride. I assume it looks just like Hong Kong? ie==same density as Hong Kong with no hinter lands?
And its funny, my recollection of Monaco is that it doesn’t look near as built up as Hong Kong proper–so how does its density get so high?
You have a similar set of conditions in India. Wonder why we aren’t naming flu’s after Kali or Shiva. Oh, yeah, they are largely vegetarians in India. Most livestock are actually draft animals. Might be the reason we aren’t seeing new flu virus from there.
#29–Get Smart==so are the relevant conditions similar or not?
Relevant==people living closely with foul/birds/ducks/chickens.
and I guess they live closely with rats and lots of fecal material every but especially in the water? How does india avoid “the Plague” every other year?
And speaking of that–the Ganges. Everything I see about that river from that holy city on down stream makes the river look like an open cess pool==how can people drink from it and not get sick? Is the water flow that massive that dilution takes place, or are the people immune, or in fact sick all the time?
Just very curious–for some reason the travel shows don’t cover that.