H7 bird flu virus detected in quails at Aichi farm

Friday 27th February, 03:41 AM JST

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8 Comments

smithinjapan at 12:51 PM JST - 27th February

Probably just another attempt by hospitals to justify jacking up the costs of flu vaccines, since Japanese will read this and think a flu shot will prevent the coming pandemic.
some14some at 02:19 PM JST - 27th February

Why it is called H7? just next to alphabet G, smithinjapan has valid suspicion.
Disillusioned at 02:35 PM JST - 27th February

Here is another chicken farmer suicide in the making.
8iamhappy8 at 02:48 PM JST - 27th February

H7 is a type of antigen on the virus. H7N7 is a deadly combination.

Normally, humans are not susceptible to bird flu. In areas where birds, pigs, and other mammals inter-mingle, such as many places in China, the bird virus will infect and mutate inside the pig host. And since pigs are genetically similar to humans, this is how a bird virus, which have no effects on humans, eventually gains the ability to infect humans, thru the pig.
Yuki_51 at 04:27 PM JST - 27th February

The 'H' stands for haemagglutinin, which can mutate its shape. The 'N' stands for neuraminidase -- both are projections outside the viral envelope that allow it to invade cells.

For a very cool illustration of the flu life cycle -- how it invades a cell and takes over -- see:

http://www.rkm.com.au/VIRUS/Influenza/lifecycle.html
Dualta at 05:50 PM JST - 27th February

Probably just another attempt by hospitals to justify jacking up the costs of flu vaccines, since Japanese will read this and think a flu shot will prevent the coming pandemic.

So, let's get this straight. The hospitals in Japan have managed to get someone from the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry to claim that a deadly form of the flu virus has been found on a quail farm in order for them to cash in on the subsequent public panic?

Or maybe, they paid some unscrupulous villians, most likely from the beastly Yakuza, to infiltrate a quail farm's defenses (all ninja-like) and infect a couple of poor, innocent quails with a deadly flu strain in order to cash in on the subsequent public panic and rush for flu jabs?

I know. I've got it now. A shady, secretive cabal of top hospital executives from across Japan met in a smoke-filled room in a dodgey part of down-town Tokyo and hatched a cunning plan with the aid of, none other than Prime Minister Aso himself, to get some unscrupulous villians, most likely from the beastly Yakuza, to infiltrate a quail farms defenses (all ninja-like) and infect a couple of poor, innocent quails with a deadly flu strain in order to blame those peskey foreigners for smuggling in the said deadly flu strain in order to wipe out the Japanese people!

And there was me thinking that it was just excellent work on behalf of this country's Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry in detecting a deadly flu strain which has claimed lives all over Asia in the last few years. Stupid me, doh!
temporaryVisa at 07:11 PM JST - 27th February

So when did the inspection take place, 3 months ago? I wouldn't be chomping down any quail eggs from bento boxes for a while.
kavikahi at 09:02 PM JST - 27th February

I live about thirty minutes from Toyohashi, Two weeks ago three close friends got a "flu". Last week the wife brought it home. None have gone for vaccines, the wife is better for the moment, see you tomorrow, maybe.