Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- May 12, 2009
Swine flu nothing new to nation's agricultural scientists (:44)
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Suggested Intro:
FEAR OF THE H1N1 INFLUENZA THREAT APPEARS TO BE FADING, BUT IT MAY STILL HAVE A FEW SURPRISES. A VETERINARIAN IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES SAYS SWINE FLU IS KNOWN FOR ITS UNPREDICTABILITY. MORE FROM GARY ABDULLAH:
Story:
(:14) THE VIRUS IS NO MYSTERY TO AGRICULTURAL SCIENTISTS, WHO'VE BEEN KEEPING A WARY EYE ON THE DISEASE IN PIGS FOR DECADES. PENN STATE VETERINARIAN LESTER GRIEL SAYS, WHILE THE FLU SEEMS TO HAVE A MODEST MORTALITY RATE, THERE IS STILL MUCH ABOUT IT THAT IS UNKNOWN:
Griel Actuality:
(:19) "THE ONE THING ABOUT INFLUENZA TYPE A VIRUS IS UNPREDICTABILITY. PEOPLE SUGGEST SCENARIOS WHERE IT MAY GO TO SOUTH AMERICA FOR THEIR WINTER THEN COME BACK NORTH FOR OUR WINTER...NOBODY KNOWS FOR SURE WHETHER THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN OR NOT. IT'S ALL A MATTER OF FOLLOWING THE EPIDEMIOLOGY AND SEEING WHAT HAPPENS AND ONCE IT HAPPENS, THEN YOU'LL KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN."(:11) GRIEL SAYS RESEARCHERS IN THE AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES ARE UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO MONITOR DISEASES SUCH AS H1N1 INFLUENZA THAT CAN CROSS FROM ANIMALS TO HUMANS. FROM PENN STATE, I'M GARY ABDULLAH.
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