I’m listening to this week. Steve Jones (Scientist not Actor) echoed my own thoughts regarding Swine Flu, as did Michael Portillo. The fact is. it doesn’t seem a big deal at present, when you look at the absolute numbers, but then again neither did AIDS when it first appeared. These things reach a tipping point when a certain number of infections have happened.
In addition, this is just speculation on my part, how do we know that there aren't already 2 variants of this virus. One that's easy to catch and not to dangerous another that’s the opposite. I’m suggesting this because we have deaths in Mexico but at present those returning from there who display symptoms appear to recover, so far, from a fairly minor infection. You see 10,000 people, for example, in Mexico may have already had and recovered from the minor version but now we’re seeing the results of the more severe one but with a smaller affected population.
Here's a simulation of how a mutated virus emerges and spreads.Only the influenza Type-A virus is capable of what is known as antigenic shift.
The current flu in circulation is an entirely new, mutated pathogen formed from elements of human, pig, and avian virus strains.
Overflowing with mutated viruses, the respiratory epithelial host cells of the pig eventually burst open and circulate the new flu virus into the susceptible human population.
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