Cyprus-Forum.com

[T_C]

Ne mutlu Turkum diyene is something Ataturk said.

It cant really be translated properly to English but its something along the lines of "to the one who can say, what a proud Turk I am".

I changed the Turkum to Kibrisliyim, basically saying what a proud Cypriot I am....

[karma]

nationality is just a coincidence, it was not our CHOICE, and it is stupid to say I m proud of being turkish,greek,cypriot or alien....coz it is like saying ''I m proud of having 2 eyes or 1 nose''

[Eliko]

Pete-D, it appears you have the ability to predict future events, there actually HAS been an outbreak of the virus in Turkey and it has claimed four lives, the virus also appeared among turkey stock, 'How did you manage that?'.

Glad to be back in Cyprus, weather in the UK is absolutely dreadful in comparison to here.

[Eliko]

Pete-D, as a follow up to my last comment, have you got any tips for the 'Grand National?'

[deedeepuss]

What date is the Grand National?

Eliko you are right about the weather in the UK, last night was a nightmare getting home. There were some crazy people on the roads which didn't help

I have had the spaghetti on the stove since you left Cyprus and came to the UK. I will have to eat it all myself now you are home.

[Eliko]

deedeepuss, thank you for your kind wishes prior to my departure last week, so sorry I was unable to join you for the spaghetti as my work load was excessive and I had no time off, however, who knows what the future may bring, perhaps we should ask Pete-D.

Happy to be back here now, despite my inability to join you, Good Luck and God Bless you. X.

[Pete_D]

Welcome back Eliko! Well, elsewhere on this forum it was suggested I brought the snow to the UK (which I guess you experienced), so maybe I do have lots of special powers?

Re. the Grand National, I can reveal it will be won..... by......!!!!!....
a horse.

Re. the weather, yes it STINKS in the UK and I HATE snow because of all the problems for driving, and i am JEALOUS of the weather in cyprus so please don't rub it in any more

Are you able to say what you were doing in the UK with the bird flu stuff?
Lately there was news about it getting into the food chain, I wondered if you were something to do with that side of things since the cull had already taken place by the time you left for UK?
I saw on the news that some ignorant numpties decided not to buy ANY poultry from sainsbury's (why should chicken be affected?!) thanks to the outbreak. I did my best to make up for this though when I shopped there the other day, but I guess one man's efforts just weren't enough....

Pete

[Eliko]

Pete-D, whereas I will not enter into a discussion regarding my recent trip to the UK, I do recognise the fact that you have an enquiring mind and that is creditable.
You also display (from time to time) certain qualities which would suggest you are a considerate and intelligent person, I form this opinion of you on account of your tactful approach in making your enquiry.

I will therefore pose you a series of questions which you may find interesting, 'What do you suppose a virus is?, how is it formed?, what causes it's formation?, do you think the general description of these viruses presented to the public are explanatory enough when referred to as 'Flu?'.

Please give these questions some consideration and you may surprise yourself in discovering the solutions.
By the way, the (from time to time) comment, is directed at the sense of humour you obviously possess and is in no way meant to be derogatory, good luck in your research.

[Pete_D]

Hello Mr. Eliko, well I must say your trip to the UK certainly seems to have left you an interesting and philisophical mood

Rest assured, I have not found any of the above comments about me anything but amusing and just a bit of fun You may have noticed some other comments on this forum lately about me which were certainly far from "a bit of fun", but that is old news now.

It is, of course, your prerogative to not discuss what you've been up to in the UK I was just interested, that's all.

Regarding your questions, well I shall answer as follows:
1) A virus, to the best of my knowledge, is a single-celled organism and one of the simplest and likely first organisms to appear on the planet. Like all organisms it's objective (according to science) is to replicate itself in order to continue the survival of the species. It does this by invading other organisms, and taking over the genetic make up of their cells and replacing them with it's own, thus turning the cell into a factory to generate new viruses and replicate the process. I am an engineer, and a bit of a physicist, rather than a biologist; hence my knowledge of the actual process in which this happens is lost somewhere back in the midsts of time.

2) A virus is formed either from a single viral cell, in the process I describe above, or from a mutation. Given that the virus can regenerate so quickly, mutations can happen at a fast rate. According to Darwin's theory of natural selection (if one believes it), then the mutations which will prove beneficial are those which would lead to it being easier for the virus to survive and regenerate. Given what I described in 1), above, then the successful mutations will be those which enable the virus to more easier infect its hosts. These hosts would typically be the same species of organism but occasionally a mutation may occur which makes it possible for the virus to jump species, and when this happens I believe that is when we give say there is a new form of the virus? (And it gets another number). As for how viruses were formed originally, I don't know I suppose they evolved - probably quite early on - from the "primeval soup" which was supposed to be how life was created (if you believe that theory - other theories supported by conventional science (as opposed to religion) are that viruses were amongst the first organisms along with bacterium to arrive e.g on comets from other worlds).

3) Short answer - no. First off, 'flu (influenza) is a whole collection of viruses (a new strain appears every year i believe), which produce the same symptoms, similar to the common cold group of viruses (of which I have been suffering the last few days, thanks for your concern, I am feeling a lot better now although not completely recovered ) but more severe in nature. Also, my understanding is that the viruses causing flu mutate frequently, whereas cold viruses do not (or presumably do not tend to in anything like the severity or the time frame). I don't know why that is, but I seem to remember reading that there are only a fairly constant number of "common cold" viruses in existence, something like several hundred I think. I am again not sure, but I think the flu virus infects the back of the throat and the cold virus the nasopharynx?

Anyway, I believe "bird flu" is so called because it gives birds similar symptoms to those that humans get when they get a cold or flu. A number of animals - I think all mammals - can get colds, and when they do the symptoms are similar to humans, such as running/sore nose, puffed up eyes, sneezing, etc. I've seen it before in pets I used to have (Gerbils). I presume in birds some of the symptoms are similar, hence the name. Unfortunately the H5N1 virus seems to be fatal in nearly all cases for birds, whereas most flu viruses tend to not be fatal in humans.

One thing I am not so sure on - which I would have to go and look up - is the way in which this H5N1 seems to be able to infect humans as well, presumably without a mutation. I cannot recall the symptoms in humans - I presume it is similar to flu - although this one seems a particularly virulent strain as I understand it is fatal in most cases.

I am guessing here, and as I say it is not my business, but from what you have said I am thinking you are somehow involved with research into the "bird flu" virus and how it might evolve into an airborne strain that can infect humans, and maybe you travel around the world to outbreaks of it after they have occurred?

I must say, I do have a slight interest in these sort of things ever since I read "The Hot Zone" (sorry, can't remember the author) some years ago, which was what the film "Outbreak" was based on. Not that much of an interest, I do not want my "fans" to think I am a sad geek LOL! But it is interesting that an airborne version of a slower-killing Ebola virus might be just lurking in the African jungle somewhere, waiting to kill us all... Domesday scenario number N, where N is a large number

Pete

[rawk]

I think that this little virus is harmless and yet dangerous. If you were injected with the current strain nothing would happen. But as the virus mutated after being given a complete kicking by your white blood cells, it would be reborn in a new form because it copies the DNA of your cells hoping your immune system won't spot it.

You are immune to it in its present strain, but you are now are a carrier and everywhere you go you will spread it as long as you breathe. You will kill millions and when you are re-infected, you will die because your white blood cells and lymph glands will not recognize it as a threat.

As the pandemic ensues, modern civilization breaks down. All movement is stopped in an effort to contain infection and strangely enough the more primitive the society the less chance of transmission.

Eventually the virus will mutate and loose its efficency having wiped out millions. But by then countries, kingdoms and borders will be no more to the survivors.

Have a nice day!

Rawk