In other news, plague.

[seanan_mcguire]

Researchers have found out what made the 1918 flu pandemic so deadly. Because that's always a good idea. Basically, there's a three-gene sequence which tells the virus go 'you know what? The upper respiratory tract is dull. Let's go have a party in the lungs!' This leads to pneumonia, which leads to death. And since it's viral pneumonia, rather than bacterial pneumonia, it's both droplet-based and unperturbed by silly little things like antibiotics. Whee!

To quote the article: "The three genes -- called PA, PB1, and PB2 -- along with a 1918 version of the nucleoprotein or NP gene, made modern seasonal flu kill ferrets in much the same way as the original 1918 flu, Kawaoka's team found." Now. Maybe I'm being a little silly here, but does building a better flu really sound like a good idea? To anybody? I've read The Stand. I don't feel like moving to Colorado. I love pandemics in history and in theory, but I'd really rather not have 'They Fucked Around With Flu' stamped on mankind's collective tombstone.

In other news, small boys still hold firecrackers in their bare hands, because maybe this time, it's going to go differently.

Comments

[tltrent.livejournal.com]

Ah, those little boys. I used to work in a bioinformatics institute. You can guess what kind of shenanigans they got up to. :P

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Woooooooooow. That must have been exciting.

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

You know the standard answer better than anyone who doesn't work at the CDC: "We study them so we know how to treat them."

Still, you have a point, certainly. Best not to f' around with things that are innately deadly to us. "Hey, anyone want to watch me juggle rattlesnakes?"

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Well, yes. But when we don't have a reliable treatment for normal flu, it seems a little silly to go building a better one.

[meko00.livejournal.com]

Eee! Research is fun. *nods* (Will attempt to read article when head's not spinning.)


Also, yes; hope springs eternal. Something about the definition of something... *wanders off mumbling to self*

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Research is fun, pandemics are fun, we're having a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup of fun.

Now feel better!

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

Hope springs a turtle!

[ink-books-punk.livejournal.com]

I've often heard that the definition of stupidity is trying the same thing again but expecting different results. But I'm still oddly fascinated by the idea of bioengineering lethal viruses. I think it's something in our brains, that thing that says, "Look! Someone else is doing something that will get them killed! Watch and learn!" I think it's the same thing that makes other people watch train wrecks and those COPS shows.

In other news, since it's January, a new year, I'm re-reading the Stand again. The wet, NJ winter is helping with the ambiance.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

I do my re-read of The Stand in February, because that month always makes me sad, and Stephen King helps with that.

[moshez.livejournal.com]

I like to keep a close watch on whatcouldpossiblygowrong (http://slashdot.org/tags/whatcouldpossiblygowrong)-tagged stories on Slashdot. Just, you know, to be know what to write on the tombstone.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Best. Website. EVER.

[arib.livejournal.com]

Why am I reminded of the time I was working at the Harvard School of Public Health, and the building needed to be evacuated. Despite the sirens and closing gates, my boss poo-pooed it away by explaining that: "It's no big deal. The cellular/molecular toxicology lab just lost containment, that's all."
Because really, with a name like "cellular/molecular toxicology," I'm sure we can easily deal with whatever containment system they use going awry. Right.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

...see, that, right there? That's a Science-Fiction Channel Original Movie just aching to happen.

Dude.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Ya know, I'm glad someone is at least checking this stuff out.

Five years ago, you said 1918 pandemic and you got 'whut' for a response.

And Jim and I jump up and say "You know, the one that killed people so fast, it even took the undertakers before they could get the people underground...and hit at both sides of the rail lines? THAT ONE. The one nobody has any real history on, could do nothing about and thankfully, ended by itself."

Cue O RLY response - and theeere they go.

(Gotcha bird flu riiiight here. *eye roll*)

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Have you read Flu? It's a history of the pandemic, and it's scary as hell. I feel safer with smallpox.

[popfiend.livejournal.com]

It's the Andromeda Strain.

WHOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

It's been coming for a while now, so.

[archangelbeth]

Because that's always a good idea. Basically, there's a three-gene sequence which tells the virus go 'you know what? The upper respiratory tract is dull. Let's go have a party in the lungs!'

*loves your way with words*

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

*curtseys*

[biguglymandoll.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they'd been working on that for a year or two at least - I was reading about the project a while ago on ProMed. You might enjoy ProMed if you don't subscribe already - http://www.promedmail.org/. ProMED mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases (http://www.isid.org/). They send me emails about people and plants getting killed by neat things every day! ;-)

Anyway, there was a quiet broo-ca-ca at the time they started, something about nervous people wanting them to use a nice Level-5 secure facility instead of the level-3 one I think they started in.

And last, concerning the short tale of the small boys holding firecrackers in their bare hands, my friend Bernie told me the most common last words of people from his town: "Hey ya'll, watch this!"

[almeda.livejournal.com]

Followed closely, at least in scientific professions, by, "Huh. THAT's weird ..."

[laurenthemself]

DO NOT WANT.

Seriously. How'm I gonna get to Colorado from Australia? That's just not fair. *hopes flu does not make it to Australia at all*

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

(Your icon makes me unrealistically happy. Just so you know.)

Pretty sure the flu will get there, hon, since it's an avian-base, and can thus be carried by birds. Just as an FYI.

[supersniffles.livejournal.com]

My great Grandma Thea Tarang Thacker died in that pandemic.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Wow.

[siliconshaman.livejournal.com]

Evil Genius of the world, take note!

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Yes. Please take note, and remember that fucking with the flu is never a good way to take over. Unless you want to take over a necropolis, in which case, be my guest.

[catnip13.livejournal.com]

You know, it's funny you should mention this ...

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUNNN.