THE FIFER Posted March 11, 2006 Report Posted March 11, 2006 AT 8PM ON MONDAY 13TH MARCH, THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMME IS ON CHANNEL 4, :"BEATING BIRD FLU" AN EQUINOX SPECIAL, Three leading experts on influenza discuss the ways in which the deadly virus could be tackled, by investigating evidence from the 1918 outbreak of Spanish flu.
Guest Posted March 11, 2006 Report Posted March 11, 2006 There was a show screened by the National Geographic Channel a few weeks ago which dicussed Bird Flu, I think using three experts as you mentioned. If this is the same show, it is a well balanced and factual production BUT I personally think it is wrong to compare the 1918 outbreak with anything that is predicted for the present day. If my facts are correct this pandemic started off in France and was carried global by Soldiers returning home from WW1, the outbreak in the USA was directly attributed to returning soldiers. These men had been living in very severe conditions with poor food etc and their immune systems were virtually none existant and therefore a host for the flu which proved fatal to hundreds of thousands. Anit biotics were none existant in 1918. Just my thoughts
THE FIFER Posted March 11, 2006 Author Report Posted March 11, 2006 very interesting hyacinth, will let u know via forum details of this one.
MsPigeon Posted March 11, 2006 Report Posted March 11, 2006 I hope it does set things straight about pigeons. We do not have a problem with the public here as of yet. I was a little worried after the fact when I took my pigeons to school without getting permission first. But no one complained. But in our local paper they have on average a couple articles a week about the bird flu on the second or third page. Last night the article was accompanied by a lovely picture of a park full of white pigeons and a little girl and the article was about how they were going to be testing a lot more birds this year in order to be prepared for it coming with the migration from Alaska of migratory birds, nothing to do with pigeons. The article said nothing about pigeons in connection with bird flu, but it won't take the public long to put them together with pictures like that.
Guest Posted March 11, 2006 Report Posted March 11, 2006 There was a show screened by the National Geographic Channel a few weeks ago which dicussed Bird Flu, I think using three experts as you mentioned. If this is the same show, it is a well balanced and factual production BUT I personally think it is wrong to compare the 1918 outbreak with anything that is predicted for the present day. Saw another programme, don't think it was this one or this channel, Hyacinth. Think it was called 'The Plague', but turned out to be the biggest load of scaremongering sh** ... Agree 100% with you about comparisons between then and now - didn't even know what a viris was in those days, nor were they able to see it (no electron microscope until 1950's). I'm hoping for fact, not fiction, in Monday's programme...
Guest Posted March 11, 2006 Report Posted March 11, 2006 "The Plague" was screened on The History channel, what a load of scaremongering crap.
zetlandlad999 Posted March 13, 2006 Report Posted March 13, 2006 The Equinox programmes are usualy very good, basing their research on Facts rather than hearsay, it all depends on which side of the fence the Experts are sitting.
T_T Posted March 13, 2006 Report Posted March 13, 2006 Hope it goes in our favour. If it dosn't, could be a few clubs looking for new HQs.
jimmy white Posted March 13, 2006 Report Posted March 13, 2006 i would keep an open mind till i see the prog. but it should prove very interesting.
jimmy white Posted March 13, 2006 Report Posted March 13, 2006 ;D ;D ;D still got the gas tv,,and the pre war wallpaper ;D ;D ;D ;D;D was glad of the gas tv the other night we had a power cut ;D ;D ;D ;D;D i was the only one here watching songs of praise ;D ;D ;D doc. ;D
Guest Posted March 15, 2006 Report Posted March 15, 2006 Did anyone watch the show, if so what was it like Thanks
Guest Posted March 15, 2006 Report Posted March 15, 2006 Yes I saw it and reading your above post it sounds like it was either the same programme or something very similar. It seemed to be fairly worrying for the first 55 mins and then they put your mind at rest for the last 5 mins saying they have antidotes to contain it if it mutates. They did seem to show pigeons a lot when refering to birds, althought they were street birds, not racers!!
Peckedhen Posted March 15, 2006 Report Posted March 15, 2006 Yes, I noticed how often they showed the street pigeons. I guess they are the easiest birds to take a group photo of if you discount waterfowl!
Guest Posted March 15, 2006 Report Posted March 15, 2006 Thought it a really good programme, Hyacinth and reckon it was the same one you saw. Kinda put all the current stuff in perspective. I for one didn't know that there had been little 'bush-fires' two years prior to the big outbreak in 1919. People back then didn't recognise what was happening, or likely to happen. Different now; the people that need to know ken fine what's happening, and likely to happen, if we're not careful. And there's a recent post on the main avian flu thread (page 31, post 614) about recent mutations in H5N1 virus which I understand better since seeing the programme ... if I read the posted report correctly, the virus has reached the point where it is more able to 'bind' with a human / animal cell.
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