Let's Rename Swine Flu As "Colbert Flu" 607
Bruce Perens writes "The World Health Organization will no longer refer to Virus A(H1N1) as 'Swine Flu,' citing ethnic reactions to 'swine,' for example among middle-eastern cultures who feel that swine are unclean. Or, is it because meat packers are concerned that people might stop eating pork in fear of the virus? WHO suggests that the public select a new name for the virus. I suggest that we all start calling it The Colbert Flu, after the comedian and fake pundit who asked his audience to stuff a NASA poll so that a Space Station module would be named after him. What can we do to make the name stick?"
Dear Bruce... (Score:4, Insightful)
Call it the Colbert flu? I don't think so. Colbert was just being funny, which is his job. It's why people watch him, and why they'll go so far as to stuff a poll. Plus, it was good publicity for the space station, led to an astronaut on his show, and even the naming of some widget or other after him. Treadmill? Whatever.
Anyway, Colbert is generally a positive influence. His "fake punditry" is pungent social comment, with the intent of nudging the his audience to think about these issues. While being funny, which keeps them coming back. All in all, a good thing. So I don't think naming a killer flu after him is appropriate. Entirely the wrong set of connotations, you see.
Flus are annoying, they show up wether you want them to or not, right in the middle of something else you were doing. Vaguely similar to your suggestion we name a nasty flu after a cool guy showing up on slashdot.
So in honor of your annoying and inappropriate post, I'm simply going to counter-suggest that we name H1N1 after you instead: The "Perens Flu." Does that seem fair to you?
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:5, Funny)
Flus are annoying, they show up wether you want them to or not, right in the middle of something else you were doing.
Ok, so how about The Thompson Flu.
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:4, Funny)
How about the kdawson flu?
=Smidge=
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:5, Funny)
How about the kdawson flu?
=Smidge=
I second that motion.
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:5, Funny)
Try to exercise a bit of sensitivity... they're concerned that a disease is named after something that is unclean.
Perhaps they would like the Purity Flu?
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:4, Insightful)
The World Health Organization will no longer refer to Virus A(H1N1) as 'Swine Flu,' citing ethnic reactions to 'swine,' for example among middle-eastern cultures who feel that swine are unclean.
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Comment removed (Score:4, Funny)
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Not sure what you mean by "we all"
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:5, Interesting)
Heh, Colbert might go for it though...The whole massively self-aggrandizing nature of his stage personality would eat it up.
Be a lot easier to just call it the "Mexico Influenza" though. That's pretty much the standard for these things.
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:5, Funny)
The difference is that Colbert is actively mocking his stage persona.... Rush Limbaugh, by contrast was always just a pig.
Hey! Maybe we could call it the Limbaugh Flu....
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
It would be ironic to record a song titled "Ironic" and have the lyrics report a series of events which are unlucky, rather than ironic.
Ah, so that explains Alanis Morisette. It was deeply meta-ironic. See, now I can enjoy the song again.
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:4, Informative)
"Irony" is also a form of sarcasm, but reserved for observation of unfortunate associations.
Goodness, where do people come up with this stuff?
irony [ahy-ruh-nee, ahy-er-]
-noun, plural -nies.
1. the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning: the irony of her reply, "How nice!" when I said I had to work all weekend.
2. Literature.
a. a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.
b. (esp. in contemporary writing) a manner of organizing a work so as to give full expression to contradictory or complementary impulses, attitudes, etc., esp. as a means of indicating detachment from a subject, theme, or emotion.
3. Socratic irony.
4. dramatic irony.
5. an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.
6. the incongruity of this.
7. an objectively sardonic style of speech or writing.
8. an objectively or humorously sardonic utterance, disposition, quality, etc.
Your definition seems to meet #5, but Colbert makes heavy use of definition #1 (and to a lesser extent, #7), which means the use of the term "irony" is quite justified. Alanis is another story, of course, but that's been discussed before. :)
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Why in the world would that even be thought of as even remotely racist?!?!?!
This is the same California that considers calling an "undocumented immigrant" an "illegal alien" as racist also.
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The thing is: it is swine flu
No. It's influenza A(H1N1)--the same broad type as "Spanish Flu." "Swine" adds nothing to the discussion, and leads people into irrelevant tangents--"Well, I don't eat pork, so I'm safe".
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:5, Informative)
The thing is: it is swine flu.
Actually, its not. The original swine flu was not able to jump from human to human, you could only catch it from being in close contact with pigs. This flu is actually two parts swine flu, one part bird flu and one part human flu. Although this is mostly swine, the other elements are what has enabled to it spread through the human population as it never has before.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swine_influenza [wikipedia.org]
If it was still just good old swine flu, it would not be romping through the human population with reckless abandon.
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:5, Funny)
This flu is actually two parts swine flu, one part bird flu and one part human flu.
If this is true then we have no choice but to name it accordingly...
...ManBirdPig Flu!!
Flying pig flu? (Score:3, Interesting)
This flu is actually two parts swine flu, one part bird flu...
So that would make it flying pig flu?
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:5, Funny)
Flus are annoying, they show up wether you want them to or not, right in the middle of something else you were doing.
Mother-in-law flu?
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:4, Interesting)
Anyway, Colbert is generally a positive influence. His "fake punditry" is pungent social comment, with the intent of nudging the his audience to think about these issues. While being funny, which keeps them coming back. All in all, a good thing.
Good, except some people can't tell the difference [sagepub.com]
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:5, Funny)
Well, I felt that with Colbert's desire to have multiple things named after him, the list of things is here [pastemagazine.com], there would be a sort of "symmetry" to naming something that he would not want after him.
Obviously a simple influenza virus is insufficient to name after me. I'd want to have named after me an itch that you can't reach and slowly drives you crazy.
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:4, Funny)
The "Perens Scabies?"
That sounds marketable!
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Personally, since this is a KILLER virus, we should name it Hans Reiser Virus.
yeah, I know, I'm sick.
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:5, Funny)
The Spanish Inquisition flu.
After all, nobody expected it.
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:5, Funny)
One, the ridiculing of the holiest body of christanity, we the inquisition!
Two, the use of skit material not created by you but created by the holiest body of christianity, we the inquisition!
And three, the countenance upon which you stated the material... THREE!
Mark these 3 laws the holiest of holies that thou dost mock!
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:4, Insightful)
Well, Colbert IS annoying to some, including me.
We still don't see if this new virus is deadly or just hot air.
Perfect to name it Colbert.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
How does that work? Do you just watch his show to get annoyed? I could see how one could find a TV host offensive, dumb, sleazy (picturing Rush to come up with these), but to get consistently annoyed by someone who you'd only watch by your own free choice is rare.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
> Call it the Colbert flu? I don't think so. Colbert was just being funny...
So are we.
> Anyway, Colbert is generally a positive influence.
Only if you agree with his politics.
Re:Dear Bruce... (Score:4, Funny)
I would hate to see an America where there was only one party.
Uh...I've got some bad news for you.
Who is Colbert? (Score:3, Insightful)
Who is Colbert? // not American // Swine Flu is worldwide.
Other news: an outbreak of political correctness (Score:3, Funny)
Given the pandemic of meaning obscuring, "politically correct" names, I'm surprised that swine flu hasn't been renamed to "porcine repressing influenza" or some such.
Reddit had it right (Score:5, Funny)
"Bacon Lung"
Much better name.
Re:Reddit had it right (Score:5, Insightful)
+1 vote for Bacon Lung. That's awesome.
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+1 More for Bacon Lung.
Let's not (Score:5, Insightful)
Let's call it "H1N1" flu. You know, like, what it is actually called BY SCIENCE!
Re:Let's not (Score:5, Funny)
You know, science doesn't take too kindly to being anthropomorphized.
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Well, that's a little confusing, it's just naming the two proteins.
The Spanish Flu(originated in the far east, btw) is also aH1N1 variety. That doesn't mean it will be the as contagious or deadly as the Spanish Flu.
Call it swine flu, educate people on why. Don't try to dodge peoples ignorance and stupidity. It is a losing game that leads to more ignorance and stupidity.
Re:Let's not (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't get why anyone would object to "swine flu".
Let me see if I understand the logic here: You think pigs are unclean, and therefore you object to naming a deadly virus that thrives in unclean environments after them. Wha?
I could understand objecting to it if it were called "Puppy and Kitty Cat Flu", or if we were trying to name a new translation of the Koran the "Swine Koran", but this is just ridiculous.
Re:Let's not (Score:5, Funny)
I don't get why anyone would object to "swine flu".
(1) There are some people whose living depends on selling swine-related products.
(2) People are, in general, dumb.
Consequently, people may jump to the conclusion that eating swine may result in them getting the flu.
This is why I'm backing "Mexican flu." If nothing else, it'll cut down on people eating Mexicans.
Re:Let's not (Score:5, Insightful)
H1N1 is believed to have been initially spread from a rather unkempt pig farm in Mexico, hence the swine flu. However, it isn't the fault of the pigs that the place was so nasty, it was the farmers.
So a more appropriate name would be the Dirty Mexican Flu. However that would unduly prejudice all Mexicans, just like "swine flu" unduly prejudices pigs and the pork industry.
I got an idea, how's about we ask someone about to die from it what it should be called? Maybe they might give us some perspective about whether the name is worth arguing about.
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How could a virus come from a pig-sty? Even if in poor condition. Bacteria live for a long time in feces, virus don't.
A virus needs a live body to live body transfer, or at least a short term in a moist cool dark place.
Now I could see a transfer happening at slaughter. To kill, gut, and dismember an animal is a very intimate thing, you get covered in goo, there are aerosols of blood and other fluids. Yes, it's messy, and you're playing with sharp knives, cutting through bone and cartilage, leaving sharp
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I don't get why anyone would object to "swine flu".
International bodies of doctors and biologists do seem oddly concerned about names rather than disease prevention. Example: Drosophila biologists often give quirky names to the genes they discover that in some way reflect the phenotype of the mutant. One famous gene is Hedgehog, because mutants have spines all over them. Mammalian homologues were found, and someone named one version Sonic Hedgehog after the Sega character. Another one got named Indian Hedgehog.
Apparently these genes are mutated in a few
Re:Let's not (Score:5, Informative)
I assumed it was after "Serenity" from the Firefly series.
Choosing name on similarity (Score:5, Funny)
Characteristics of a flu...
given all these, the choice is obvious...
I hereby dub this latest flu the CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN FLU
Yes, it's important that deadly viruses. . . (Score:5, Funny)
Not be named after 'unclean' animals after all. I only get kosher diseases, thank you very much!
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I think the idea is, if it's known as swine flu among people who believe that contact with a swine makes one unclean, those who become ill with it will be less likely to seek treatment and more likely to be ostracized for contracting it.
No, it's not a rational issue, but then how often are people rational, especially those living in areas most likely to be hit by an uncontrolled outbreak of this.
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Niether of you know what you are missing.
Sure swine may be dirty, and their flu may be bad but....
fucking bacon. Whats wrong with you people? Seriously.... bacon comes from swine! How can you heathens deny the one true breakfast meat!
-Steve
Just tell Colbert your idea... (Score:4, Informative)
Rejected names (Score:2)
The Plight of the Copts (Score:5, Informative)
There is a real problem in Egypt, which is persecuting its Coptic Christians by slaughtering their pigs. A minority in Egypt are Christian, the word "Copt" refers to their Egyptian ethnicity.
Some of the Copts farm pork, which the majority of Egyptian Islamic citizens (and their powerful clerics) feel are unclean. The Copts feed the pigs by recycling garbage, compounding their unclean nature in the eyes of Islamics. So, the Egyptians are slaughtering the pigs in the fear that they are influenza vectors.
We don't actually know that the pig is a vector for the virus at all. Thus, the Egyptian slaughters are unwarranted. We do know that human-to-human contact is a problem this time. The pigs are where influenza genes are often mixed, because they are susceptible to avian, human, and swine viruses. There probably was one pig-to-human transmission at the beginning of this epidemic, but there isn't evidence of continuing transmission after that.
The Copts are persecuted like most religious minorities in religious states. You don't see many of them in government (and none in high positions) or education. They don't often get government permission to build churches, and in 2007 there were Islamic riots because the people around the Copts thought they wanted to build a church. They need government permission to perform religious services.
The bottom line here is that the Egyptians, by slaughtering the pigs, remove the livelyhood of the Copts. They aren't promising to restore that livelyhood.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Unfortunately, that situation is also a case of too late. If there were any traction for cooler heads in Egypt, they wouldn't have come out with a plan to slaughter uninfected pigs, so some wily Westerners trying to deflect attention away from pigs now isn't all that likely to matter.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
So, let me get this straight:
Egyptian majority generally persecutes Egyptian minority.
Swine Flu hits and the Egyptian majority uses that as an excuse to further persecute that minority.
Changing the name of the flu is going to stop one demographic - who actively searches for ways to persecute the other - from persecuting a second demographic? How?
I mean, I understand the linkage between the poor choice of name and the current mechanism of persecution, but it seems like you're implying that changing the name
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Interesting point, but I don't believe for a second that renaming the swine flu now is going to change all that. Anyway, if you have a headline that starts with "lets rename swine flu", you just KNOW that you're already too late.
Basically, people will call it what they want, and once something is stuck it's hard to get it out. Maybe you can in some months time, but either then the "swine flu" is way more popular or it's mostly forgotten.
Trichinosis (Score:3, Interesting)
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Prescott Pharmaceuticals (Score:4, Funny)
You can bet that Prescott Pharmaceuticals is working on a nostrum to exploit this latest panic. Includes such side effects as trotter lip, spleen bristles, and toe hams.
BTW.. I'm a Colbert too, you insensitive clods!
My Submission (Score:5, Funny)
"I can't come in to work today. I have space herpes."
"Some guy on the subway gave me space herpes."
"CNN Reporting today that another 35 cases of space herpes have surfaced in New York."
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Here's an idea (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2, Troll)
Bruce is famous for writing some sort of P2P software, which, I believe, failed due to inadequate support for now-ubiquitous NAT, and for having a borderline-worthless search capability. Because of this project, though, he is somewhat of a celebrity, so his ideas are going to get more attention than the average slashdot comment.
Great idea! (Score:5, Funny)
Further more, I suggest we submit that for further discussion in an article of its own.
Not just concerned (Score:2)
Meat packers aren't just concerned about it - it is [npr.org] in fact [wsj.com] actually [nytimes.com] happening [npr.org]. Plenty of people genuinely (and jokingly [xkcd.com]) think that eating pork products is a way to get this disease.
Public health officials have to live in the real world, where irrational behavior, fear, hysteria, and misinformation are enemies as big as disease itself. If referring to it as "H1N1 Influenza" rather than "Swine Flu" ge
Edit the wiki (Score:4, Funny)
Now to be called "Pandemic Influenza Germ" (Score:4, Funny)
Or P.I.G. Flu
- suggested by CBC radio's "The Current" program this morning.
WHO Flu? (Score:2)
If we're going to do euphemisms, let's show the WHO what we think and call it the WHO Flu.
Bacon Fever!!! (Score:4, Funny)
I'm telling you Bacon Fever!!!
Rejected names (Score:5, Funny)
Wilbur's flu
Flu Z
Montezuma's revenge
Tequila flu
Panic flu
Non-Kosher/Non-Halal flu
One flu over the cuckoo's nest
(just flat out ignore my poorly formatted list above. Sorry)
Snuggles (Score:2)
Who is going to not call it swine flu after all the hubbub?
But if we want to put Colbert's name on anything how about on a swine?
BTW does anyone know if Colbert has the flu? Like they say "that truck has your name on it", I don't think he wants his name on the flu. But if he has the flu, anyone who wants to snuggle with him can call it the Colbert flu.
So religions have the last word on disease naming? (Score:5, Insightful)
> ethnic reactions to 'swine,' for example among middle-eastern cultures who feel
Actually, they do not "feel" this at all, it has been force-hammered into their heads from early childhood, when they minds could not defend themselves, because several hundreds of years ago, their self-appointed religious founders had no refrigerators (but forgot to leave a "or any later version" in their GPLs.. err... holy scriptures).
So basically a secular, neutral, international health organisationen now forces a disease renaming onto the whole planet because a few backwards theocracies, who happen to have stuck themselves into a religion without a feasible upgrade path (hehehehehe), threaten to let their people die en masse in order to avoid pronouncing the word "swine" loudly. (I'm writing this, but still cant grasp that they rally mean this seriously. Jeez.)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Actually, they do not "feel" this at all, it has been force-hammered into their heads from early childhood, when they minds could not defend themselves,
As opposed to having it hammered into their heads that something which is religious is necessarily backwards and wrong? I find it interesting that one who condemns religions for their backwardness is himself so intolerant of the beliefs of others.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
> now the one we have isn't really satisfying for anyone.
What isn't satisfying is the monty-pythonian reasoning behind the renaming (the officials didnt come up first with a name) and the fact that its an respectable and serious scientific organisation that simply plays along ald lets dumb theocracies put pressure on worldwide policies.
Whats next then? Obligatory renaming AIDS in "gay flu"?
Pussification for PC's sake. (Score:3, Insightful)
How about Pussification Flu? Anyone who is offended by that name, well, they probably deserve to be.
In other words, get a fucking grip. It's the flu. Get over it already. A pig by any other name.
Oh, and just another small observation for those who are still offended by the "dirty" reference, any animal that still stands on four legs and eats slop with its mouth because it happens to lack opposable thumbs, logical thinking and an IQ under 50 is very well likely to be DIRTY.. For further reference on this fact, please refer to the guide of Common Sense under the No Shit, Sherlock section.
PC Flu, WW Flu, WT Flu (Score:4, Funny)
PCFlu - Politically Correct Flu
WWF - World Wide Flu
WTF - World Terrorizing Flu
Pandemic naming system (Score:3, Interesting)
No person, country, or industry deserves to be saddled with the name of a deadly infectious disease that happens by random evolutionary chance.
We have a similar problem with random tropical storms that can eventually turn deadly, and we have in place standard, non-offensive naming system. It uses an annual system with alpha-ordered names.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclone_naming [wikipedia.org]
Given the ever-growing global population and the *inevitable* concomitant increase in pandemic diseases, we will eventually need to come up with preemptive arbitrary unoffensive names like we do for storms.
Get the WHO or some robust international group to make a set of arbitrary, alpha-ordered, gender-unbiased names, and any time one reaches pandemic stage 4 (or some stage of early but serious global problem), assign the next name.
Like:
Arthur Flu
Betty Stomach Bug
Carl Flu
Denise Spotty Fever
Eric Virus
Florence Worms
etc ...
Flying Pig Flu (Score:4, Funny)
The virus has genetic characteristics of avian flu and swine flu.
The obvious way to distinguish this one is to call it the Flying Pig Flu.
Late-night comics and morning zoo types will flog it for all it's worth, so it will overtake the current moniker.
And the zealots will have to try to kill all the flying pigs.
Sorry, Stephen.
I prefer... (Score:5, Funny)
No. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Are you a conservative by any chance?
Re: (Score:2)
Maybe I'm English and I just don't get him....
Maybe you're English? Shouldn't you be a little more certain of that kind of thing?
In any case, we Americans don't always get your humor. Does that mean it's not actually funny to you too?
Re: (Score:2)
Maybe I'm English and I just don't get him....
When will you know for sure whether you're English?
Seriously, you don't have to be English not to get him. This plain ol' American doesn't get him either -- and finds him irritating as hell too.
Re:Colbert != comedian (Score:5, Informative)
Colbert is an example of cultural humor. The Colbert character is a parody of American right-wing demagogues.
Unless you are familiar with those demagogues, you'll not understand the comedy.
It's like slashdot humor. Unless you're familiar with the memes, the subject matter, and the jokes that have come before, 3/4 of the jokes just won't be funny to you.
That's the problem with humor... little of it is universal (not even poop jokes are universal, as some cultures don't have the same hang-ups about doody that we do). Slapstick is probably the only truly universal humor.
Re:Colbert != comedian (Score:5, Funny)
I am familiar with the memes, the subject matter, and the jokes that have come before, and 4/4 of them still aren't funny.
Re:Colbert != comedian (Score:5, Insightful)
Well, in that case, the problem seems to be you. Have you considered that possibly you are just a humorless twit?
More likely, the memes you cherish just aren't that funny.
Oh look, another In Soviet Russia joke. More hot grits. Another set of Profit!!! steps. Hey, there's that same Beowulf cluster joke again.
You're right, the problem is that the humor is all too rich for us.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I see I was correct. There are a lot of humorless twits on slashdot. Now, you may not be
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I'm sorry but "Colbert" and "Comedian" only belong in the sentence if the words between them are "is not a ". Maybe I'm English and I just don't get him....
I think you have to suffer through large exposure of American news before Colbert's humor would make any sense.
Re:Colbert != comedian (Score:5, Funny)
I'm sorry but "Colbert" and "Comedian" only belong in the sentence if the words between them are "is not a ". Maybe I'm English and I just don't get him....
That's OK, mate. We don't get the whole cross-dressing thing here.
Cheers.
Re:+1 Vote for Mexican Flu (Score:4, Informative)
Unfortunately for us, the origin of the flu is turning out to be from the United States, not Mexico. So, the USA Flu then you are suggesting?
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
the origin of the flu is turning out to be from the United States
[citation needed]
Re:+1 Vote for Mexican Flu (Score:4, Insightful)
Don't worry...it will end up being all our fault even if it DID start in Mexico....
Spanish flu came from the US (Score:3, Insightful)
No it didn't (Score:3, Informative)
Buy a clue (Score:2, Insightful)
It came from Swine.
Also, the Spanish Flu did not originate in Spain, it originated in the far east.
"Oh, and why the hell haven't we closed our borders? Horse out of the barn? "
No, it would be pointless at this time. 3 weeks ago it would ahve made sense.
"we should still keep the borders closed to keep them from overloading our hospitals!"
ah, you're a bigot. No wonder there was no thought put into your post. It's just an excuse for your hate.
Re:+1 Vote for Mexican Flu (Score:4, Informative)
No, it hasn't.
There was an outbreak of an influenza that was named swine flu at Fort Dix in the past. It didn't spread (although I've read it lead to a vaccine campaign that was linked to Guillain-Barre symdrome).
This form of influenza is not the same as the swine flu that happened then, just like this year's other predominant "human" influenza strains are not the same as the ones last year, or the year before. (Sometimes they do last for more than one year, but it is not a common occurance.)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Shouldn't this be a final excuse to close it to ILLEGAL entry at the very least?!?! At least with legal entry, you can document who and when...to help track things and at the very least give someone a visual 'once over'.
Can't do that with the illegal ones....so why not NOW shut the borders off to them?
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I think I might actually write in "Xenu flu" for that. It even rhymes!