A mystery disease is spreading around the world.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-03-17 08:17am

http://www.phls.co.uk/press_media/id_bu ... 0316id.htm

Seems this disease, now known as SARS officially, may not be linked to the Influenza outbreaks in Hong Kong. This could be a good or a bad thing, if it is caused by Flu then we know it is a new strain, but Flu is also the mother of all containment nightmares. If it isn't the Flu, then we don't have the pathogenicity of Flu to contend with, but we may have something far worse or far more docile, it can swing either way.

Post by **fgalkin** » 2003-03-17 05:09pm

It seems to have originated in China. Could there be a leak in one of their bioweapons facilities?

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-03-17 05:12pm

fgalkin wrote:It seems to have originated in China. Could there be a leak in one of their bioweapons facilities?

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

For the last time, it is not a bioweapon, in all probability it is Nature making more interesting ways of keeping our population down, China shouldn't have a bioweapon programme anyway since they are illegal last I checked.

In anycase, the bug is looking like it ISN'T the Flu, it's just coincidence that a Flu outbreak is occuring now as well as this SAR arrival.

But, if it is a bioweapon, China is in a world of hurt if this thing doesn't clear up soon:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2856163.stm

Post by **haas mark** » 2003-03-17 05:30pm

Darth Garden Gnome wrote:I'd think a boiweapon would spread faster than that.

I'm allowed to make one joke here.. and I didn't think that gay people could be used as weapons.. o O And as for spreading, STOP STEREOTYPING!!

:P

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-03-17 05:54pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:
fgalkin wrote:It seems to have originated in China. Could there be a leak in one of their bioweapons facilities?

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin
For the last time, it is not a bioweapon, in all probability it is Nature making more interesting ways of keeping our population down, China shouldn't have a bioweapon programme anyway since they are illegal last I checked.

In anycase, the bug is looking like it ISN'T the Flu, it's just coincidence that a Flu outbreak is occuring now as well as this SAR arrival.

But, if it is a bioweapon, China is in a world of hurt if this thing doesn't clear up soon:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2856163.stm

Yeah, we all know how much communists like following arms restrictions.

It's far more likely this is the result of the worldwide problem of antibiotic over and miss use.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-03-17 06:00pm

China is communist only in name, they're far more leaning towards a free market nowadays, but the point remains, they'd still be amazingly stupid to develop such a weapon and let it escape so easily. A biological deus ex machina doesn't distinguish between friend and foe (yet).

And antibiotics don't affect viri which this has supposedly been identified as. If it were a bacterium then I'd actually be even more scared since we already have V.R.S.A. as the world's first superbug as it is.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-03-17 06:06pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:China is communist only in name, they're far more leaning towards a free market nowadays, but the point remains, they'd still be amazingly stupid to develop such a weapon and let it escape so easily. A biological deus ex machina doesn't distinguish between friend and foe (yet).

While there economy may not be very communist. The government is quite so. Bioweapons are what you ue to fight China, in absence of 1970's and 80's nuclear forces levels. China its self has no real use for them.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-03-17 06:09pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:
Admiral Valdemar wrote:China is communist only in name, they're far more leaning towards a free market nowadays, but the point remains, they'd still be amazingly stupid to develop such a weapon and let it escape so easily. A biological deus ex machina doesn't distinguish between friend and foe (yet).
While there economy may not be very communist. The government is quite so. Bioweapons are what you ue to fight China, in absence of 1970's and 80's nuclear forces levels. China its self has no real use for them.

Fair enough, but I still don't think this is a bioweapon as you stated as well. If it were and we found out later then there would be serious repercussions given the outcry after 4 separate strains of Anthrax were found to be genetically engineered into one and used onsite in Russia a few years ago.

Something that could potentially kill thousands or worse on a global scale would be a very serious weapon indeed if manmade.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2003-03-17 07:13pm

I would be very surprised if it were in fact a biological weapon. Influenze springs up every now and then, and it's always quite deadly. There's not a lot to do about it. Such outbreaks generally die down within a few months at the most, though there have been some particularly virulent strains in the past that have killed tens of thousands of people, and lasted for a few years.

Post by **fgalkin** » 2003-03-17 07:23pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:
Sea Skimmer wrote:
Admiral Valdemar wrote:China is communist only in name, they're far more leaning towards a free market nowadays, but the point remains, they'd still be amazingly stupid to develop such a weapon and let it escape so easily. A biological deus ex machina doesn't distinguish between friend and foe (yet).
While there economy may not be very communist. The government is quite so. Bioweapons are what you ue to fight China, in absence of 1970's and 80's nuclear forces levels. China its self has no real use for them.
Fair enough, but I still don't think this is a bioweapon as you stated as well. If it were and we found out later then there would be serious repercussions given the outcry after 4 separate strains of Anthrax were found to be genetically engineered into one and used onsite in Russia a few years ago.

Something that could potentially kill thousands or worse on a global scale would be a very serious weapon indeed if manmade.

I never said it was intentionally released. I suggested that it was a leak in one of their facilities.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-03-17 07:30pm

fgalkin wrote:I never said it was intentionally released. I suggested that it was a leak in one of their facilities.

Not likely at all. Natural strains of influenza pop up all the time and some of them can be quite lethal.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-03-18 08:19am

However, this one is looking like it is not Influenza, though the Flu is also in the news, this new bug called SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) is styill unknown, it could be Flu related or it could be bacteria, no one knows yet.

I'll keep posting stuff on it anyway, I like finding out about new diseases instead of old ones just getting nastier.

It seems this man infected in the UK is getting better a bit now too.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2859415.stm

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-03-18 04:35pm

The Wall Street Journal reported in today's edition that China has known about SARS for several months. I've not a chance to do anything more than skim the article, though.

Unfortunately, I cannot post a link as the WSJ Online is a subscriber service.