5 ms·

The rise of zoonotic infections should not be surprising at all given the rate of deforestation and general disregard for nature.

DerArzt 4y ago
Yeah, but monkeypox isn't a new one. It's been around since the 70's.
onlyrealcuzzo 4y ago
We were averaging a potential pandemic every 3 or so years for the last ~20 years. Original SARS, Bird Flu part 1, MERS, Swine Flu (arguably an actual pandemic), Bird Flu part 2, Covid. No one should be surprised that there's a new possible pandemic 3 years after Covid. If this ends up being another actual pandemic - that would be surprising.
- johndfsgdgdfg 4y ago
husainfazel 4y ago
Add gain of function / deliberate bio-terrorism in there as well. Feb 1992 - a Soviet defector revealed to Western intelligence that he had overseen an extensive, illegal programme to develop smallpox into a highly effective biological weapon: > Ken Alibek believes that, following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, unemployed or badly-paid scientists are likely to have sold samples of smallpox clandestinely and gone to work in rogue states engaged in illicit biological weapons development. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/coldwar/pox_weapon_01.shtml https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/coldwar/pox_weapon_0... June 1998 - The WHO recommends that all smallpox samples should be destroyed https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199808203390811 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199808203390811 Feb 2002 - WHO says that Russia and US can keep their smallpox samples https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2002/02/wide-range-smallpox-research-efforts-cited-who-decision-retain-virus-stocks https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2002/02/wide-ran... Nov 2002 - CIA claims that Russia, France, Iraq and North Korea have "secret" stashes of small pox (erm you already know Russia has them, that's not a secret) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2002/11/cia-believes-four-nations-have-secret-smallpox-virus-stocks-report-says https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2002/11/cia-beli... Sep 2019 - Explosion and fire break out at Russian lab known for housing deadly smallpox virus https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/17/health/russia-lab-explosion-smallpox-intl-hnk/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/17/health/russia-lab-explosion-s... https://www.livescience.com/russia-lab-stores-smallpox-explosion-fire.html https://www.livescience.com/russia-lab-stores-smallpox-explo...

DerArzt 4y ago

Yeah, but monkeypox isn't a new one. It's been around since the 70's.

onlyrealcuzzo 4y ago

We were averaging a potential pandemic every 3 or so years for the last ~20 years. Original SARS, Bird Flu part 1, MERS, Swine Flu (arguably an actual pandemic), Bird Flu part 2, Covid. No one should be surprised that there's a new possible pandemic 3 years after Covid. If this ends up being another actual pandemic - that would be surprising.

johndfsgdgdfg 4y ago

husainfazel 4y ago

Add gain of function / deliberate bio-terrorism in there as well. Feb 1992 - a Soviet defector revealed to Western intelligence that he had overseen an extensive, illegal programme to develop smallpox into a highly effective biological weapon: > Ken Alibek believes that, following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, unemployed or badly-paid scientists are likely to have sold samples of smallpox clandestinely and gone to work in rogue states engaged in illicit biological weapons development. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/coldwar/pox_weapon_01.shtml https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/coldwar/pox_weapon_0... June 1998 - The WHO recommends that all smallpox samples should be destroyed https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199808203390811 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199808203390811 Feb 2002 - WHO says that Russia and US can keep their smallpox samples https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2002/02/wide-range-smallpox-research-efforts-cited-who-decision-retain-virus-stocks https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2002/02/wide-ran... Nov 2002 - CIA claims that Russia, France, Iraq and North Korea have "secret" stashes of small pox (erm you already know Russia has them, that's not a secret) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2002/11/cia-believes-four-nations-have-secret-smallpox-virus-stocks-report-says https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2002/11/cia-beli... Sep 2019 - Explosion and fire break out at Russian lab known for housing deadly smallpox virus https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/17/health/russia-lab-explosion-smallpox-intl-hnk/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/17/health/russia-lab-explosion-s... https://www.livescience.com/russia-lab-stores-smallpox-explosion-fire.html https://www.livescience.com/russia-lab-stores-smallpox-explo...