Monday August 24, 2009, 10:05 am
The head of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory has revealed his lab couldn't isolate viruses from respiratory specimens collected from two federal employees who became infected while investigating an outbreak of the H1N1 virus on an Alberta pig farm.

Though the two Canadian Food Inspection Agency inspectors tested positive for the pandemic flu virus, lab technicians would have to have found live viruses in their specimens to be able to compare them to those of viruses isolated from pigs on the farm and from other humans.

"We weren't able to isolate virus from what we got. So we haven't really sequenced anything," Dr. Frank Plummer said in an interview Friday. "It's too bad, but I think that's just the way it is."

It's not uncommon that specimens don't yield viruses for study. But in this case it is unfortunate. Scientists would have liked to have seen whether the cycling through different species created changes in the viruses — and what kind of changes and whether they're dangerous.

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Monday August 24, 2009, 12:13 pm
This virus looks like it's going to be a tough cookie to really understand. Thanks Karen.

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 12:27 pm
The virus is ever-evolving. By the time you have a vaccine to tackle it, it may have changed again. Moreover, Tamiflu and Relenza (anti-flu) have side-effects.

Which means, boosting your immunity is way safer than getting sick and waiting/finding a cure.

Researchers are always give excuses that meds or vaccines differ for "seasonal flu". Truths are:
* you can only have one exact same vaccine for one virus and
* you can get ANYTHING from common flu, if your body's immunity is already weakened by ailments and chronic diseases. Why depend on a vaccine, or questionable vaccines?

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 4:12 pm
You cannot currently send a star to Kelly because you have done so within the last week.
Thanks Kelly and Karen

Wednesday August 26, 2009, 8:20 am
Difficult to say what will come out of the "cookie jar", but we need to prepare for any emergencies in the future

Saturday August 29, 2009, 11:26 pm
This flu is man-made which is why it's so hard to predict. It's a toxic cocktail of bird, swine & human flu from dead bodies dug up from graves (I'm not kidding, it's true). I've read that colloidal silver and vitamin D are good ways to build up immunity. To be safe, you may want to research the vaccine before considering it. Yes Kelly, Tamiflu is not good medicine either.

Sunday August 30, 2009, 2:05 am
Thanks Cande!! :) I agree with Chaz!