Via Zandaqa, I came across this Elaph article, which states that two people have died in Syria after exhibiting symptoms similar to those found in bird flu! I’m not sure how credible this news source is, but this really is alarming. In addition to constantly worrying about economic stagnation, regional wars and terrorism, we now have to worry about the spread of pandemics! Great! It keeps getting better and better in the Middle East! I will reiterate Ammarji‘s question: does this seems like the end of days?
Meanwhile, Jordan Health Minister Saeed Darwazeh said that no bird flu cases have been registered in the Kingdom.
UPDATE: Here are the latest victims:
ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) — Turkey said on Monday a fourth person had died of avian flu as authorities slaughtered tens of thousands of birds to try to contain the outbreak. Indonesia announced a 13-year-old girl had also died at the weekend of the H5N1 virus, while two of her siblings were ill. Indonesia has previously reported 12 deaths from bird flu.
I’m starting to worry, the first time i heard about the bird flu it was just a chinese matter.
Now i hear it’s pandemic and may kill 10 millions all over the world.
I also hear that governments are ordering a lot of tamiflu and masks.
I was tempted to order online…for me it’s no more paranoia but a serious probability.
I just read something recently that suggests quite strongly that what killed the Aztecs wasn’t Smallpox, but a hemoragic disease, similar to ebola, and that it appeared *several* times when drought, followed by rain, happened, causing the mouse and rat populations to rise. End of times my ass. Some idiot is always at war, fanatics are always scrambling for power and pandemics run in cycles. The only reason there is any more percieved credibility in current end of times nonsense is that we don’t live 2,000 years, so no on is around to point out the 50 prior times the same shit happened, everyone claim the world was about to end, and somehow it didn’t. What happens to us is always more extreme than what happened to someone 100 years ago or more, even if less than 10% of the population died to a modern pandemic, people would still insist it was worse than one that killed 50% of the population some other time.
Yes, its scary. But imho, what is scarier is the various groups that want to make it be 50% of the population, instead of 10%, because they demonize medicine, biology, science, technology, etc., that make them unconfortable in some fashion. Like the nuts here in the US that insist AIDS is a septic disease caused by how one has sex, and not a virus. Or just about everyone among groups like the Wahabi, who are worse than ludites, since most ludites are just nuts, not religious fanatics. I find it ironic that the very people that fear a so called end of times the most (or maybe in some cases welcome it as a means to 1,000 years of peace…) are the single most likely to be gullible enough to believe some lunitic that brings it about or help cause it in the first place. I don’t think we have anything to worry about. Well, other than the bird flu anyway.. lol
Dear Natasha,
Thanks for posting about this. I just wanted to add that Radio Sawa, also not a credible source, reported on the two deaths yesterday. The report said that Syria will not be releasing information about the deaths as this matter infringes on Syria’s national security.
Best,
Dana
Did Mr Darwazeh check all the birds in Jordan to come up with this conclusion !
I suppose I have trouble with Mr. Dawazah’s credibility when they once said all AIDS cases in Jordan were caused by tainted transfusions.
I am concerned about this bird flu thing with my kids. I know they won’t be kicking around week old chicken heads in the house, but it is still alarming.