Saturday, July 19, 2008

Deadly Virus Erupts In Portland

Emerging Killer Virus Starts Like a Cold, But Kills Many

(NaturalNews) A newly discovered and highly lethal virus strain begins with symptoms similar to that of a cold but can quickly lead to severe respiratory crisis."This virus has the capability of causing severe respiratory illness in people of all ages, regardless of their medical condition," said John Su, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The virus was discovered by infectious-disease expert David N. Gilbert, who noticed that otherwise healthy patients were being stricken by pneumonia so severe that they would die without oxygen treatment. The dangerous symptoms developed within only one or two days of initial cough and fever symptoms.

Since Gilbert's discovery of the virus in Portland, Oregon, outbreaks have been identified at military bases in Washington, Texas and South Carolina.

The disease is a variety of adenovirus, the family that includes 51 infectious agents responsible for diseases such as colds, pink eye, bronchitis and the stomach flu. A mutation has apparently occurred in a virus called adenovirus 14, making it much more lethal. In the first outbreak examined by Gilbert, seven of 30 hospitalized patients died.

"That's an incredibly high mortality rate," Gilbert said.

One of the patients who survived was 18-year-old Joseph Spencer. After experiencing severe, flu-like symptoms including chills, fever and vomiting, Spencer went to the hospital, where he was placed in intensive care and treated for 18 days."We told the family we didn't think he was going to survive," Gilbert said.Spencer was eventually discharged, but says he still feels weak and short of breath, and has had problems with his memory.

Tests have determined that more 50 percent of adenovirus infections in Oregon are now caused by the new strain of adenovirus 14."

added - Each of the 4 states with known outbreaks has various labs working with genetic engineering

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dang it all! I was considering moving to Oregon cuz the rental-rates are better than Mass and I know some people there who are interested in my animation. Just my luck! I'll have to move that option down on the list now.

20/7/08 9:27 AM  
Blogger Nina said...

Well now, we certainly haven't heard THAT on any of the local news outlets, have we? We'd considered taking a trip up there in the upcoming weeks. Won't be doing that now!

20/7/08 11:56 AM  
Blogger nolocontendere said...

Nick, I'll be damned, yet another Mass. - Or link. There seems to be some strange karmic connection between the two states. Had a girlfriend from there decades ago and lived in Woburn for a bit, among other things.
Looks like zero coverage of this pathogen noiin. It's breaking stuff but it ain't being reported.

20/7/08 6:52 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nolo, yep, California is too expensive and Washington is mostly red-state fascism. Everything I've heard about Oregon makes it the most favorable west-coast state for lower-class cannabis-loving anti-corporate independent libertarians like me.

But this virus in Portland, it's bad news. i hope it doesn't get out of control. Sounds like it should be quarantined.

21/7/08 3:01 AM  
Blogger nolocontendere said...

Nick, Oregon in general is much more progressive than neighboring states, especially the west side of the volcanos. The weather is the finest in the country between June and October but it's solid gloom the rest of the year; even Lewis and Clarke wrote how they despised it. But for outdoor activity the state has it all - seacoast, mountains, forests, desert.
Politically it's far less egregious than american average in most places which is why the Bushista mob hate it and have avoided visiting. The last time Dim Son came his operatives started one of the worst forest fires in state history to make a good backdrop to his speech about the need to increase logging. I always thought if they were to pull another 9/11 or release a pathogen, it would be in Oregon.

21/7/08 6:01 AM  

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