To Swine or Not To Swine? That Is The Question!

In this article about Swine Flu, I learned a lot. Most of us think that Swine Flu just came out of nowhere are that we are at a great risk of getting it. The pandemic in 1918 was about Swine Flu, and many scientist blame pigs for causing millions of deaths during that time. Now, according to researchers from the University of Arizona and the University of Edinburgh on the 16^th-18^th of February 2014, they say that the whole cause of it was from birds. The researches stated that the systems they have used for years to figure out the gene sequences of the virus and disease are flawed. Worobey (one of the researchers) and his colleagues conducted a tree diagram with 80,000 influenza viral genome sequences. The tree diagram has samples from bats, pigs, birds, cows and humans.  The phylogenetic analysis showed that most of the genetic elements found in the strands from the 1918 outbreak possibly came from the North American Avian Influenza virus, carried by either domestic or wild birds. One thing about the Swine Flu virus now, H3N2v that began in 2011, is that the v means it is variant that only infects pigs, but still has a way of infecting humans. So be safe!

The main idea comes across very smooth and there was nothing confusing about the text. My only question I would say is that how could they barley find out that their methods are flawed? I think Logos are most present here, because they used fact to back up everything stated and they also test weather their findings were try or not. This seemed very unbiased because they didn’t target just birds themselves, they tested other animals for the virus as well. 

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/39189/title/Not-Swine-Flu/ 

http://www.medicinenet.com/swine_flu/article.htm

Something Evil? or, Something worth Knowing?

In this article about the H5N1 Influenza Virus, Robert L. Dorit goes into great depth about the shear seriousness of the disease. Dorit state how we as humans have overcame some pretty bad diseases in the 1900’s such as Tuberculosis, Pneumonia, and Diphtheria;  just to name a few. Nowadays, there are some horrible diseases and infections that we’re coming into contact with, and that are showing us that we all aren’t safe. In Thailand and China the Bird Flu is starting to make its way to Turkey, Siberia, and Eastern Europe. The disease is coming from the poultry that they’re selling to the countries around them. This is starting to cause a world wide spread of Avian Influenza. This pandemic can cause large-scale deaths all over the world.  To me, I think the main idea comes across very fluid. Everything from telling us about pre diseases, to ones that are here with us now, is very smart. It’s a great way to start off any type of writing on certain diseases that can harm us. I didn't know that Pneumonia was with us for that long. That’s 100 years. It literally blew my mind. Nothing comes across as unclear or confusing because everything stated is categorized and well thought out. I think that this passage is like 80% Logos and 20% Pathos, because most of the information given is statistical and is going through personal experience through a world view. Pathos comes in because Dorit is targeting a hugely consumed animal, poultry, to get us interested in reading. Also in the title, “Something Evil this way comes!” because your thinking, “why is the Flu considered something evil?” it’s just the Flu (that was one of my questions.) This was much unbiased because the Avian Influenza virus is strictly related to birds. That’s where the disease comes from. 

http://www.americanscientist.org/bookshelf/pub/something-wicked-this-way-comes 

Dogs, Dust and Allergens!

In my article, Susan Lynch from the University of California has shown that living with animals such as dogs and cats can increase how diverse bacteria in dust can be. She tested their bacteria rich dust on mice; by feeding it to them.  Lynch is a very smooth writer. She helps the reader at the very beginning what is to be addressed. For me, I had no idea that dogs are practically immune to airborne allergens. Lynch went very deep on her findings by informing us that in 2010, her team found that houses who occupy dogs and sometimes cats harbor a border range of bacteria in dust then that of houses who don’t occupy animals. My only one true question was that when Lynch stated that she tested this problem on mice, I was confused. But when I got more into the reading I put two and two together to understand what she is talking about. Dogs are just naturally immune to airborne allergens. I felt that Lynches’ logos concept is very straightforward. She was very smart about looking up things that needed research as well as testing things out herself to get what she needed to know. There were some points where ethos can be addressed, because the way Lynch did all of her structured research which shows how she thinks and processes things in her mind.

 http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/38660/title/Dogs--Dust-Microbes--and-Allergies/