H1N1 flu (aka swine flu) was not brewed in eggs in some dimly lit laboratory at the back end of Nowheresville. So says the World Health Organization. Well, maybe not those exact words, but the meaning is the same – there was no lab accident that allowed a new flu strain to spill forth and infect.One retired plant virologist in Australia decided that the strain looked suspiciously man-made and he voiced his opinion in no uncertain terms.
Before he closed his mouth, the rumor (because it’s certainly not fact) streaked across the globe at the speed of Superman.
Rumors have a habit of putting the kibosh on disease prevention, and that’s not acceptable. In the past, people have even refused vaccination because of rumors that the vaccines would make them sterile. The consequences to their refusal have been grim.
So, the World Health Organization is speaking up. The novel H1N1 flu (aka swine flu) strain was not man-made. It’s just a stinking fluke of nature.
Leave a Reply