World Health Organization Warns of "Potential Pandemic"

You might think that inter-species diseases are a thing of the movies, but in reality viruses, bacteria, and fungus jump between the species they attack. The recent H1N1 pig flu virus had genes from bird flu, and when it migrated to humans, it acquired human genes.
Vaccines try to prevent inter-species viruses and include immunity against variations of H1N1, H3N2, H1N2. Viral mutations are not fiction, and vaccination and potent anti-virals are some of our weapons.

Reuters: April 25, 2009. The World Health Organization warns that the outbreaks of swine flu in Mexico and the United States have the potential to cause a worldwide pandemic, but still, it is too early to say whether this will be the case. The statement was issued by WHO director general Margaret Chaun.

Chan urged health authorities in all countries to be on high alert for unusual patterns of disease and any rise in severe flu or pneumonia cases. "This is clearly an animal strain of the H1N1 virus and it has pandemic potential because it is infecting people... However, we cannot say on the basis of currently available laboratory, epidemiological, and clinical evidence whether or not it will indeed cause a pandemic."

Tags: Global Pandemic

Biotechnology advances have allowed us to understand viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens better than ever before. We use genetic engineering, DNA sequencing, microarrays, PCR, and other genomic and proteomic tools to understand pathogens better.
We've also developed vaccines and potent antivirals and antibiotics that fight diseases. A proof of this is how much longer life expectancy is Today than it was before the 1940's when antibiotics were invented.

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