Bird flu, swine flu so many dangerous animal diseases suddenly.
But how dangerous really are the Swine and Bird flu?
Deaths caused by Swine Flu (counting only with this occasion, not the previous cases in the 1960’s, 1920’s, etc. ) we have 121 worldwide, and almost half of this ones, are in Mexico only. link
According to the World Health Organization from 2003 to 2009, the number of Human deaths by Bird Flu worldwide was 261. link
Caused only by normal flu, there are 67.000 deaths a year link
Swine Flu have been really dangerous in the past, especially in the years during and imediatly after the First World War, but at the same time we have to consider that the evolution in conditions of Hygiene, Medicine, and in the Communication and Prevention methods are enormous when compared with that time, and as so, it is not probable that a similar situation happen.
So what is the true reason behind all this panic that is bring apart by Governments, World Institutions and Mass Media? Could it be that this diseases are just being used as instruments for something else? And why these diseases appear only in animals that are massively used as Human alimentation, and not in ordinary animals?
Could it be about money?? If we consider that there is only one medicine that can be used against both Bird and Swine Flu (Tamiflu), and that only one Company holds the patent of it (Roch Institute), but Tamiflu was not develop by Roche, but was developed by Gilead Sciences Inc., an American Company, that receives 10% of each Tamiflu shot sold, as part of the agreement of the patent sell to Roche and that Gilead had as Chairman until the year 2000 Donald Rumsfeld (The U.S. Secretary of Defence for W. Bush) and that this still gets money from Gilead maybe we can understand little bit better why all this panic environment created around it. link
But could it money justify it all? The stocks of Tamiflu that were supposed to last years have been sold in less than nothing, and the list of orders is so big, that the producers of the vaccine don’t have how to answer so many demands. link link
So with so much money made, after the Bird Flu, doesn’t seem that money is the justification (or only justification) for the panic surrounding the Swine Flu.
So what could it justify the creation of so much fear and panic around these diseases? Or, could it be, that the idea is to be afraid of the animals itself, and not of the diseases?
Laurence Tiley, Professor of Molecular Virology at Cambridge University:
“Once we have regulatory approval, we believe it will only take between four and five years to breed enough chickens to replace the entire world population,” Professor Tiley said. “Developing flu-resistant chickens has clear benefits for human health and animal welfare, as we wouldn’t have to slaughter chickens around the world. Chickens provide a link between the wild bird population, where avian influenza thrives, and humans, where new pandemic strains can emerge. Removing that bridge will dramatically reduce the risk posed by avian viruses.”
At the same time, Monsanto tried to put a patent on a Pig. But the case have raised so much public talk, the Monsanto decide it to abandon the project selling the part of the Company that was responsible for genetic development with animals. But the new Company still carry on the project.
Let’s see if a not so far away future, some scientist or researcher for a company will appear saying that the solution for the Swine Flu will be Pigs Genetically Manipulated in order to be immune to the Flu.
We all now, how negative the public opinion is about Genetic Manipulated Organisms, even politicians and institutions across the world have raised their voice against this type of Organisms.
But is there any reason why we should not acept GMO‘s and the incorporation of these ones in or food chain?
The answer is all of the reasons to be at least suspicious, not to say totally against it.
First: Not just the idea of a life form be treated like a product out of a factory is repugnant, consider this life form a Human invention is very arguable. First because all the creatures are a Nature creation, and as so they belong to everyone and to no one at the same time, no one can claim right over something that belongs to Nature. And even the claim of the companies like Monsanto, DuPont, Bayer, BASF (this are just the biggest ones, not the totality of them), that they actually have developed new life forms, with a totally different Gene, and as so they have the right of patent, because is a “invention” do not bring much more ethic or moral in to the question.
Especially because the most of the times, this patents are illegal, because they are not truly new Genes, but simply normal animals that are infected with diseases or have been used chirurgical operation on them, in order to transform it. Or in the case of the patent that Monsanto have claimed over the Breeding process and the Pig Genes resulting out of this, what they have done is not more than a specific combination of methods of crossbreeding using artificial insemination already existing and in use; and the Gene sequence coming out of it, is not a Monsanto invention, but just a natural variation of the Gene.
And also, not just Monsanto claims rights over the breeding process, and the genetic indicators, but also the entire pig population related to it. This is the offspring produced by the method; the entire pig population produced by the method, and the pigs that carry the Gene patented.
Like the patent claims rights in Africa, United States, Europe, Russia, Australia, Brazil, Mexico this would give the company that owns the patent control over pretty much the entire pig population.
Second: The safety to Human consumption of these organisms in a medium/long time period not had been proved. Not just that, but the way they are tested to be see if they can be put on sale or not is ridiculous, to not say more.
The method used is called: “Substance Equality”. That basically works like this: They take for example a Gene from a Cow and put them in the Pig. If both the Cow and the Pig are known to be safe to Human alimentation, than the new Pig that comes out of the crossing between the Genes, is safe also.
The same principle is applied in Genetic Manipulated Plants, even knowing that for example BT-Corner is a crossing between an Herbicide and Corner. I would like to see, where it says that herbicides are not harmful to Humans.
Even knowing that on these days, all the GMO that come in food have to be labelled, giving us the option of buying it or not, the same will not happen after the end of 2009 when Codex Alimentarius is to start to be totally applied. According to Codex, there is no need to label the aliment as a GMO or not.
Third: The nutrient levels in all the GMO are incredible low when compared with natural organic products, this happen both in animals, and plants genetic manipulated. link
Fourth: Some products developed by the biggest companies in this field are not what we can consider the most public friendly. From Monsanto we have Bovine Growth Hormone; from Bayer we have Heroin, and a endless numbers of chemicals, pesticides and herbicides, the same with BASF. Also Monsanto have been charged with many different accusations from dumping toxic waste in the U.K, environmental pollution in Illinois and Alabama. And is very public the hundreds of farmers that Monsanto have sued in States and Canada, because of supposed violation of Intellectual Property over seeds that Monsanto own the patents. Because the farmers have got Monsanto seeds, in their crops that where brought by wind or birds. link
So, with so many well proved arguments against it, it will be very hard to GMO Companies to make us accept the GMO products, unless they prove them to be the final hope for our survival, that only creating genetic manipulated animals immune to diseases we could rest in peace, free from the fear of diseases passed to us by animals.
Could it be?? I let for your consideration.
Text by: Specter
See you next time
Stay in Peace
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