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Discussion Groups / English Usage / May 2009Under the Influenza
The latest version of the influenza strain A subtype H1N1 virus that causes flu outbreaks in human populations has components that are found in swine flu and bird flu as well as in human flu. As a result, we are larded with 'swine flu'. In 1889 a flu outbreak in Russia spread around the world. It was known as Russian flu. In 1918 there was an outbreak of influenza A, subtype H1N1, which, following its appearance in Spain, was called Spanish flu. In 1956 flu outbreak (influenza A, subtype H2N2) in China developed into a pandemic, and was called Asian flu. In 1968 there was an influenza A subtype H3N2 outbreak which was believed to have originated in Hong Kong. It was called Hong Kong flu. In 2009 an influenza A subtype H1N1 virus appears in Mexico and threatens a pandemic. People can't quite agree on what to call it. Mexican flu, anybody?  SignaturePaul > In 2009 an influenza A subtype H1N1 virus appears in Mexico and > threatens a pandemic. People can't quite agree on what to call it. > Mexican flu, anybody? Pandemic Influenza Germ Flu SignatureWatch out for the random hedgehogs > > In 2009 an influenza A subtype H1N1 virus appears in Mexico and > > threatens a pandemic. People can't quite agree on what to call it. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Flu Watch out for random acrostics, too! Signature³The fox knows many things - the hedgehog, one big one.² Archilochus >> In 2009 an influenza A subtype H1N1 virus appears in Mexico and >> threatens a pandemic. People can't quite agree on what to call it. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >Influenza >Germ Nope. It's not a germ, it's a virus. Signature************* DAVE HATUNEN (hatunen@cox.net) ************* * Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow * * My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps * > >> In 2009 an influenza A subtype H1N1 virus appears in Mexico and > >> threatens a pandemic. People can't quite agree on what to call it. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Nope. It's not a germ, it's a virus. I know. Read the acrostic! Signature"The fox knows many things - the hedgehog, one big one." Archilochus > Nope. It's not a germ, it's a virus. A virus isn't a germ? SignatureChristian "naddy" Weisgerber naddy@mips.inka.de >> Nope. It's not a germ, it's a virus. > >A virus isn't a germ? It is in the wider definition of "germ": a pathogen. Bacteria and viruses are pathogens. Dave Hatunen was using "germ" in this dictionary sense: germ, n. 3. In early use, vaguely, the seed of a disease. In mod. use, a micro-organism or microbe; often, one of the microbes which are believed to cause disease. .... 897 MUIR & RITCHIE Bacteriology i. 2 Other general words, such as germ, microbe, micro-organism, are often used as synonymous with bacterium, though, strictly, they include the smallest organisms of the animal kingdom. A virus is not a microbe or micro-organism. It is not a living cell. SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >> Nope. It's not a germ, it's a virus. > > A virus isn't a germ? That's an interesting question. In everyday language, I'd say it clearly is. Technically, what makes a germ a germ is its ability to make a new organism. On the one hand, a virus isn't really an organism, and in any case it can't make a new one without the help of a cell. But on the other hand, reproducing itself (by coopting cells) is pretty much all a virus *can* do. SignatureEvan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------ HP Laboratories |ActiveX is pretty harmless anyway. 1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |It can't affect you unless you Palo Alto, CA 94304 |install Windows, and who would be |foolish enough to do that? kirshenbaum@hpl.hp.com | Peter Moylan (650)857-7572 http://www.kirshenbaum.net/ >>> Nope. It's not a germ, it's a virus. >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >a cell. But on the other hand, reproducing itself (by coopting cells) >is pretty much all a virus *can* do. Even then there is a philosphical question as the whether the virus coopts cells. It really does nothing. It just exists. Viruses in a few simple sentences (apologies to experts): A virus is an envelope with a recipe inside. On the envelope is a pattern. Each type of virus has its own distinct pattern. When a virus gets into a body it comes into contact with various cells. Some cells will have an outer layer which matches the pattern on the envelope. The virus and cell then interact to allow the recipe into the cell. The reproductive mechanism inside the cell then follows the recipe (in the form of RNA or DNA) resulting in replicas of the original virus being made. Where's the harm? The cells do not know when to stop. They just keep on replicating the virus until they, the cells, wreck themselves. The replication is not always exact. This can lead to mutations, changes in the virus. Sometimes a cell will have inside it more than one type of virus. This can result in mixing of the RNA/DNA, a process known as reassortment, leading to the creation of a hybrid virus. A longer non-technical description is at: http://health.howstuffworks.com/virus-human.htm SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >> Nope. It's not a germ, it's a virus. > > A virus isn't a germ? I've always been suspicious of wheat germ. SignatureRob Bannister >The latest version of the influenza strain A subtype H1N1 virus that >causes flu outbreaks in human populations has components that are found [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >threatens a pandemic. People can't quite agree on what to call it. >Mexican flu, anybody? You can call it "Mexican flu" at your own peril if you are in the US. That's a racial term according to many who are calling in to various talk radio stations. (Don't shoot the messenger!) SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida >>The latest version of the influenza strain A subtype H1N1 virus that >>causes flu outbreaks in human populations has components that are found [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >That's a racial term according to many who are calling in to various >talk radio stations. The name "Mexican flu" was suggested for use in Israeli. That annoyed the Mexicans. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jZnOBSUXy4BXO9LuOMmjzZwdJYAQ Israel deems 'swine flu' kosher after all JERUSALEM (AFP) Swine flu hasn't skipped the Jewish state. And despite some attempts, neither has its non-kosher name. Deputy health minister, Yakov Litzman, a member of an ultra-religious party, said earlier this week that the name "swine flu" should not be used as it contains the name of the animal banned by Judaism. Instead he said the authorities should call the virus sweeping the globe "Mexican flu." That, however, did not sit well with either Mexico's ambassador to Israel nor the Jewish state's envoy to Mexico. Mexico's ambassador Frederico Salas and the Israeli envoy to Mexico Yosef Livne both lodged official complaints at the foreign ministry on Tuesday protesting at the new term. "The ambassador (Salas) said he was offended when the deputy health minister called it the Mexican flu," a foreign ministry official told AFP. "Israel has no intention of giving the flu any new names. It was nothing more than a slip of the tongue," the official said. Eating of pork is prohibited by Judaism, the religion practised by the majority of Israelis. Islam, adhered to by most of Israel's Arab minority, likewise bans consumption of pork. >(Don't shoot the messenger!) SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) Paul Wolff filted: >The latest version of the influenza strain A subtype H1N1 virus that >causes flu outbreaks in human populations has components that are found [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >threatens a pandemic. People can't quite agree on what to call it. >Mexican flu, anybody? Unfortunately, people have already been using that name for years to refer to the result of drinking the water.... Since it has elements of both swine and avian flus, how about the "bacon and eggs flu"?... Or they want to call it H1N1?...fine...let's all start saying "Hone None" until they're sick of it and go back to calling it the swine flu....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? > In 1918 there was an outbreak of influenza A, subtype H1N1, which, > following its appearance in Spain, was called Spanish flu. Actually it started in the American Southwest and the point of departure for Europe was the Army Base in the South Boston section of Boston Massachusetts. > In 1889 a flu outbreak in Russia spread around the world. It was known > as Russian flu. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > In 1968 there was an influenza A subtype H3N2 outbreak which was > believed to have originated in Hong Kong. It was called Hong Kong flu. And in 1980, when Glenn Ford was still US President, it was the Italian flu that killed us all. Oh, wait, that was a movie. SignatureChristian "naddy" Weisgerber naddy@mips.inka.de > The latest version of the influenza strain A subtype H1N1 virus that > causes flu outbreaks in human populations has components that are found [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > threatens a pandemic. People can't quite agree on what to call it. > Mexican flu, anybody? La grippe. one size fits all. >> The latest version of the influenza strain A subtype H1N1 virus that >> causes flu outbreaks in human populations has components that are >> found in swine flu and bird flu as well as in human flu. As a >> result, we are larded with 'swine flu'. Well, I hope I'm not: my head is already so fat (yes, yes) that my Panama doesn't fit properly any more. [...] >> In 2009 an influenza A subtype H1N1 virus appears in Mexico and >> threatens a pandemic. People can't quite agree on what to call it. >> Mexican flu, anybody? > > La grippe. one size fits all. Meanwhile, my sister reports she's getting very little applause for puns about pigs flying, which seems unfair. Mean-also-while, I note that the majority Muslim government of Egypt has ordered the destruction of the country's entire pig population, even though the WHO says it's entirely irrelevant to the progress of the disease: dare one ask, is this simple government stupidity of a kind we all experience, or a veiled attack on the country's Christians and secret bacophiles? SignatureMike. >>> The latest version of the influenza strain A subtype H1N1 virus that >>> causes flu outbreaks in human populations has components that are [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > government stupidity of a kind we all experience, or a veiled attack on > the country's Christians and secret bacophiles? Put the two together, and be grateful that the name wasn't different and Egypt isn't culling Mexicans. SignatureOnline waterways route planner: http://canalplan.org.uk development version: http://canalplan.eu >Irwell wrote: >> [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >government stupidity of a kind we all experience, or a veiled attack on >the country's Christians and secret bacophiles? Oh, I like that. Bacofoils (tm), but one step up the social ladder. SignaturePaul Pigs R Us > Meanwhile, my sister reports she's getting very little applause for puns > about pigs flying, which seems unfair. Mean-also-while, I note that the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > government stupidity of a kind we all experience, or a veiled attack on > the country's Christians and secret bacophiles? It's no stupider than some governments banning the importation of pork from the US. It seems they're afraid that a pork chop will sneeze on them. SignatureJohn Varela Trade NEWlamps for OLDlamps for email > In 2009 an influenza A subtype H1N1 virus appears in Mexico and > threatens a pandemic. People can't quite agree on what to call it. > Mexican flu, anybody? There was a little bird, Its name was Enza I opened the window And in-flu-enza. - anonymous |
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