US troops taking no extra precautions in light of bird flu case in Iraq

[sabra]

http://www.wkyt.com/Global/story.asp?S=4435722&nav=4CAL

US troops taking no extra precautions in light of bird flu case in Iraq


PENTAGON The Pentagon says U-S troops in Iraq won't be taking additional health precautions in light of that country's first case of bird flu.

But officials say they will be on the lookout for flu-like symptoms. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman says "It's a situation that is being monitored closely." He says no symptoms of bird flu have been detected among the approximately 138-thousand U-S troops in Iraq.

[pocket]

1. precautions cost money

if they wont buy them armor then why would they buy them vaccines?

[MercutioATC]

2. There IS no H5N1 vaccine.

Right now the most the military could do is educate the troops, make sure they aren't eating local fowl, and have a reserve of Tamiflu or Relenza in case it spreads.

[cantstandbush]

3. Bet Halliburton/KBR buys local fowl on the cheap. I wouldn't put it

past them. If they give our troops contaminated water...why not contaminated food. They have already received the payment of their no-bid contract.

[MercutioATC]

4. That's a concern. I don't know if they use local produce/livestock or not.

I'm betting they don't. However, I could see some enterprising military cook arranging to get some fresh local produce or meat on the side. That's where the education would make a difference.

[bonito]

14. No, they can have some ionic silver on hand

With nebulizers, because its when it hits the lungs it becomes fatal.

[MercutioATC]

16. Ionic silver or colloidal silver?

Mever heard of ionic silver. I know colloidal silver works on infections. I had a wisdom tooth pulled and used colloidal silver on it. The surgeon said he'd never seen one heal so fast.

[MadMaddie]

5. Did you know that the 1918 Flu Pandemic was spread by WWI Soldiars?

Spread around the world due to WWI soldiers traveling...


<snip>Between the summers of 1918 and 1919, in part due to massive troop movements associated with World War I, millions of people across the globe — as many as 60 million according to recently revised estimates — died of a deadly variant of influenza known as the “Spanish flu” because it initially struck a Spanish beach resort in early 1918.<snip>

Article:(Not sure how to post a link)
http://www.medicineatmichigan.org/magazine/2004/fall/history/default.asp

If preventive measures are not being taken in Iraq...what will prevent something similar to the 1918 pandemic from occurring again?

(oops mispelled pandemic and flu)

[SaveElmer]

13. Completely different...

WWI soldiers were trapped in fetid unsanitary trenches with no hope of mobility. The flu spread easily under such conditions. Nothing like that exists today. Soldiers are in no more danger than anyone else.

[MercutioATC]

23. ...except that they're in a country with an H5N1 outbreak.

It might not spread. I hope it doesn't.

However, the troops ARE in more danger because they're in a country with a confirmed H5N1 case. There haven't been any in the U.S. (yet).

[leftchick]

6. isn't is cases, plural?

there were 12 more announced today right?

[meganmonkey]

7. Man, I managed to not even think about that aspect of it

Not only troops getting it, but if it does become transmittable between humans, bringing it back here. Honestly, this is the first time I have felt worried about the bird flu at all.

:(

[daleo]

8. It would be ironic if the Iraq war brought bird flu to U.S. and U.K.

Maybe karma.

[undergroundpanther]

9. And people on the last bird flu thread

Thought I was silly for even saying the troops will bring bird flu home.
I get that I am silly whhen I say something cynical,than oops it's deja vu.Yep troops brought the flu back from war before. That is why I said what I said before.

[daleo]

15. Yes, the 1918 flu comes to mind

There are probably many differences, but the similarities can't be overlooked. There is nothing quite like war to give pathogens mobility.

[TomInTib]

10. I really doubt our guys are drinking blood or eating uncooked

entrails.

I sure wish everyone would take a sober look at this "threat".

Every bit of it is leading to a Universal Poultry Model.

Much like GM seed.

[lovuian]

11. And they are so susceptible!!!

I would be watching this!!!

[LynnTheDem]

12. First they need BODY FUCKING ARMOR it's only going on 4 FUCKING YEARS

Oh yeah bush gives a flying fuck about the troops suuuure he does.

[Army]

17. Soldiers Gots Shots

Soldiers get 7 million shots before they are released back into the wild when (if) they return from Iraq. I wouldn't worry too much about them bringing it back.

[MercutioATC]

18. Well, there's no "shot" for H5N1....

No vaccine. Nada. They couldn't possibly get a "shot" that would make a difference to H5N1.

[Army]

19. Bird Flu

Well, they couldn't possibly get bird flu either because they aren't allowed to eat food that hasn't been cleared. Worrying about troops bringing this home is "moronic."

[godai]

21. Not moronic at all!

You get bird flu from being near live contaminated chickens. Could be the dust, sand around the chickens, blown by the wind, then inhaled. Probably unlikely that someone would get infected in Iraq and not diagnosed before returning to the US but not impossible. All the people on the plane would be susceptible to infection also. It's like getting a cold or flu but it is very lethal and there is no vaccine, or drug treatment which works well.

[godai]

20. Yes they are, keeping away from live chickens, I bet.

This could turn out to be a disaster if the insurgents could get their hands on a few infected chickens. Probably very difficult to do but quite a doomsday situation. We'd see a quick withdrawal of troops if a few avian flu cases showed up in Baghdad and elsewhere.

We sit in the US calmly observing the avian flu concerns across the ocean but 150,000 Americans sit in a country with cases of avian flu, Iraq.

I presume there is a plan to isolate civilians or soldiers who come down with avian flu but, then again, this crowd hasn't really planned ahead well at all.

[FlaGranny]

22. Isn't this how the

flu epidemic of 1918-1919 spread to the US? Soldiers in the "Great War" brought it home on their return.