littlebird wrote:
The fact that all the places where there have been deadly outbreaks of Swine H1N1 are also notorious places that caution tourists to "not drink the water" makes me wonder if the deadlier versions of this virus are spreading via feces contamination due to poor public toilet facilities and/or drinking water contamination.
When you look up traveling info. for Ukraine or Mexico, or Brazil etc. those places all caution about water.
We already know that Bird flu spreads where Rice Paddies and ducks are plentiful. It's a known water-borne illness. Since Influenza A is originally a waterborne disease are we looking past an obvious transmission route?
Also elementary school restrooms probably rival Ukraine and Mexico (ask your kids)... Rarely any toilet paper, basically filthy, crowded areas maintained by only ONE person per school. Kids are running in there always in a hurry. Sometimes they don't wash their hands because there are no paper towels. Crowded, hallways, dirty bathrooms, kids vomiting in the classrooms... the hallways etc. No wonder it spreads in schools like wildfire.
If influenza makes us vomit, and have diarrhea, as well as cough and sneeze, then maybe it spreads via these pathways more effectively than we think. Maybe via vomiting... it finds its way to the lungs. I can see how a virus can easily be aspirated into the trachea via emesis. How many times do we cough and experience a burning sensation in our trachea after we vomit? Maybe it survives the acid environment of the stomach just like H5N1 does. Maybe THAT's how it gets into our lungs after we ingest it because it's all over our environment due to a lack of hygiene.
Has anybody done a study on possible water contamination/ or public restroom deficiencies in places such as Ukraine, where this virus has turned particularly deadly ? The Public toilet facilities in many of these cities have very poor online reports. In Ukraine, one source said that toilet paper was not available in public places, so bring your own, and under no circumstances drink the water.
The virus has just recently jumped species. It would make sense that in Pigs, fecal contamination would be a good way to spread.
Most sources don't focus on this route of transmission though.
Any thoughts?
Excellent observations, littlebird. Maybe you should be the virologist or scientist/
Great thought and makes sense, look at your friend that died, he had just gone a cruise, there was another lady that had just gone to China and actually there have been other occurences. Very interesting, I hope Dr. Niman answers your question.
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