1918 flu survivor may help with bird flu vaccine

NNN0LHI

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun May-21-06 08:34 AM
Original message

1918 flu survivor may help with bird flu vaccine

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-flu21.html

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A 92-year-old woman who survived the Spanish flu in 1918 has given 10 vials of her blood to medical researchers who are trying to develop more effective vaccines against bird flu.

Dorothy Horsch was in kindergarten when she contracted the illness, which killed 20 million to 40 million people worldwide.

''My mother and father and sister and I, all four of us had it, and all four of us survived,'' she said Friday. "That was a miracle.''

''All we did was lay in bed. I don't remember eating,'' said Horsch, whose mother hung a camphor bag around her neck to ward off germs.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Minnesota Libra

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun May-21-06 08:47 AM
Response to Original message

1. Sounds like the entire family may have had a natural immunity that........

....could possibly help the rest of us.:bounce: I think it's funny but very appropriate that scientists are trying everything they know to deal with this bird flu thing and yet it might take a 92-year-old woman to have a potential answer. :hug: You go girl!! :grouphug:

For the moment I think the bird flu is blown way out of proportion but I also think it's day is coming after it mutates a little more.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

cally

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun May-21-06 08:50 AM
Response to Original message

2. I'm glad a scientist thought to take the blood

Some of these survivors may hold a key to immunity from future flu epidemics.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

dipsydoodle

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun May-21-06 09:03 AM
Response to Original message

3. Spansh Flu

has been determined to be the same type of bird flu only - not necessarily the same strain as current. That was achieved using pathology samples from those who died of flu in that period. Apart from that the original mutated about 3 times as it reoccured at 6 months intervals or so progressivly becoming less aggressive until it died out. Aside from that yes hopefully some good will come of using the dear lady's blood for this purpose.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Bucky

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun May-21-06 09:06 AM
Response to Original message

4. BREAKING NEWS: Avian flu vaccine works! Humanity dies from global warming

The poster above is right. This is a big assed distraction. Keep us scared so we'll vote for the same old monkeys.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

DU AdBot (1000+ posts)

Tue Apr 30th 2024, 05:31 AM
Response to Original message

Advertisements [?]

Top

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators

Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.