Some people here are familiar with the technology of genetic engineering and modification, which has been deployed for nearly 40 years to create those 'New and Improved!' food crop cultivars Monsanto, et al. are so het-up about (so as to have practically criminalized the traditional practice of seed-saving and contaminated the entire Western Hemisphere's heirloom maize stockpile). Some are also no doubt familiar with genetic engineering as it relates to medical research and pharmaceuticals that the multinational gigacorp owners of concerns like Monsanto (Pharmacia) like to pretend they invented. And of course there's the larger issue of such corporations getting patents on genes and gene variants readily found in nature as part of the normal genomes of viruses, bacteria, fungi, plants and animals - including humans. The whole issue is one huge complicated worldwide mess that most people don't wish to think much about, so we generally don't.
I don't have television in my home. We haven't had it since I 'woke up' one evening when my kids were little and realized I was watching some disgustingly obese woman burp the national anthem on The Gong Show during dinner, and it grossed me out so bad I tossed that TV down the basement stairs and swore off for life. That was in 1976. Now I have grown grandchildren who have never had regular broadcast or cable television in their whole lives. It makes 'em smarter by tens of IQ points than they'd otherwise be, by the way. Anyway, what we do instead after dinner is watch videos/DVDs. Have quite the collection, and an account at Blockbuster. One of our favorites is the Mission Impossible series, along with anything Will Smith does plus sometimes we have Arnie-Fests, StarWars weekends and even Rocky-thons.
The plot line of Mission Impossible 2 is about a pharmaceutical greedhead outfit that has produced a genetically engineered virus that is horribly contagious and highly deadly, which they must somehow release to the public so they can then come in with their amazing genetically engineered cure and make a bazillion bazillion bucks. In that Hollywood production the virus is called "Chimera," its cure is "Bellerophon." After the classic Greek Hero and Antithesis. That antithesis, Chimera, is defined formally as an animal that contains two or more different populations of genetically distinct cells. Which is an apt description of much of what we take for granted these days as your basic GMO [Genetically Modified Organism], reduced to DNA level. Viruses are all about DNA, not much else.
In the world wide field of research on particular human diseases, their virulence factors, their mortality rates and their potential vaccines, genetic modification is Standard Operating Procedure [SOP]. In the United States such enterprises are regulated and overseen by the Centers for Disease Control [CDC] long before anything promising ever goes to the FDA for approval. For your viewing pleasure, I offer the CDC's page on Influenza Vaccine research and production, entitled Emerging Infectious Diseases/Perspective. The abstract reads:
Influenza A (H5N1) viruses are strong candidates for causing the next influenza pandemic if they acquire the ability for efficient human-to-human transmission. A major public health goal is to make efficacious vaccines against these viruses by using novel approaches, including cell-culture system, reverse genetics, and adjuvant development. Important consideration for the strategy includes preparation of vaccines from a currently circulating strain to induce broad-spectrum immunity toward newly emerged human H5 strains. This strategy would be a good solution early in a pandemic until an antigenically matched and approved vaccine is produced. The concept of therapeutic vaccines (e.g., antidisease vaccine) directed at diminishing the cytokine storm frequently seen in subtype H5N1–infected persons is underscored. Better understanding of host–virus interaction is essential to identify tools to produce effective vaccines against influenza (H5N1).
That paper is fairly specific to H5N1 - Bird Flu - which is the high-mortality version of influenza "everybody expects" to be the major player in whatever worldwide pandemic is next up. Fortunately, human-to-human transmission of this particular flu has been highly limited. In case some don't know that genetic engineering is a large part of the picture with WHO, CDC and all sub-contracted attempts to develop effective specific and generalized vaccines, the Third World Network offers a fair overview even though it's now nearly five years old...
In a development that is likely to raise more pressing questions about reform of the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network (GISN), an international patent application has surfaced in which the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) and US National Institutes of Health claim ownership of Indonesian influenza genes.
A recent patent search has revealed that the CDC, which is a WHO collaborating centre, is applying for a patent for a new vaccine against influenza, particularly for bird flu (H5N1). The vaccine incorporates genes from a H5N1 strain isolated from an Indonesian human victim of bird flu in 2005.
The strain that contains the genes was transferred to the WHO GISN by Indonesia for characterization for public health purposes, but may wind up as the property of the US government.
Under US law, the US government agencies would offer licenses to the technology to pharmaceutical companies. The patent application indicates that the US government intends to pursue the claim in most countries of the world, including Indonesia itself, as well as neighboring countries.
This crazy patent is asserted by the US government to cover all strains of bird flu genetics in more than 100 countries, including most of Latin America, Africa, and Asia - including Indonesia itself. What this means is that the government has control of all research outfits involved in seeking a viable vaccine via genetic engineering, and can restrict access to the avian flu genes to any outfit that won't pay the piper.
Some people will get a false sense of security from knowing that the US government has control of these genes, but they would be foolish. Laboratories that work with influenza DNA and genetic modifications thereof have been known to fuck up from time to time. For instance, a laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin had a little accident back in 2006 with a genetically altered version of bird flu that could have proven massively deadly even if it weren't so expertly covered up by the Powers That Be. Apparently some of these labs are engineering their Chimeras before they engineer their Ballerophons. You know, that's the grand idea of combining parts of the genetic material for things like bird flu with the genetic material for things like swine flu with the genetic material in human genomes that makes us susceptible to influenza infections and person-to-person transmission.
Now, it's not like the US government doesn't have ample resources in place to deal with potential flu pandemics that could kill millions of people worldwide as just such a thing did back in 1918. What they're concerned about right now is a totally "unique" form of flu that has broken out in Mexico City and moved north to infect people in California and Texas. A flu that, oddly enough, contains a particular and unusual genetic signature - It's part avian flu, part swine flu, and part human DNA related to transmissibility. A genetically engineered Chimera that either got loose by the usual human error means, or was deliberately released so Pharmacia (or someone who looks just like them) can ride in on a white horse as millions are dying and deliver the equally engineered antidote - Ballerophon.
Voice of America News: Mexico Swine Flu Deaths Spark Concerns of Global Epidemic -
Mexican and U.S. officials are taking emergency steps to contain the possible outbreak of a new multi-strain of swine flu that has killed at least 20 people and may be responsible for scores of other deaths.
Mexican health officials confirmed at least 20 deaths associated with the new flu strain Friday and ordered the most sweeping shutdown of public gathering places in decades.
Mexico's health minister says this version "mutated" from pigs to humans, but that wouldn't even begin to explain the avian flu DNA that is part of this bug's genetic signature, would it? Pigs and people share strong physiological likenesses (which is why we can use pig insulin for diabetics), but pigs and birds - and people and birds - don't have those same kind of physiological likenesses. The presence of avian influenza DNA is highly suspicious. Though we of course cannot rely on being informed of this strain's actual origins by anybody who might actually know.
So while this might look a bit like a conspiracy theory, I am not claiming conspiracy. I am merely reminding people that this sort of stuff goes on all over the place all the time, accidents do happen, and we are not likely to be told the truth when accidents do happen. That's experience and reality talking, not CT. My advice? Pay attention to all the good advice on how to avoid infection, take good care of yourselves, go to the damned doctor if you get really sick even if you can't afford it, and for God's sake maintain a healthy skepticism about "unique" viral strains incorporating genes from three entirely different species/kingdoms. These are manufactured, they don't occur in nature so quickly, so haphazardly or so virulently.
And expect to see Mighty Ballerophon ride in on that white horse very soon. Because if he doesn't, then we're talking genocide.
NOTE: I am not the only Kossack to have noticed this Chimera. Here are other recent diaries to the topic:
WTF? This Swine Flu is a Hybrid?? by The Baculum King
Timing of Swine Flu Outbreaks by Angel of Africa
Thoughts on the Swine Flu by epjmcginley