Swine flu update: Google map suggests it's safer in Baja than Southern California

Ed Kunze, a fly-fishing guide and longtime resident of Zihuatanejo, in the Mexican state of Guerrero, just e-mailed to say, "So far there has not been a single case of the flu here in this state. But we have 80-degree-plus weather, which is not conducive to catching flu-like symptoms.

"Whereas Mexico City, with a much higher elevation, gets cold at night and hot in the day. Combine that with a whole lot of people, and the flu will do very well."

I told Ed about my Sunday trip to the Los Cabos region of Baja California Sur, and he forwarded a link to a Google map showing where swine-flu outbreaks have occurred and commented, "You are actually in greater danger there in L.A."

Looking at that map makes me wish I were leaving sooner.

— Pete Thomas

Photo: Family breaks camp along the shore of Bahia de los Angeles in Baja California. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

Comments

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Nice post. Thanks a ton for sharing this resource. All the points are explained beautifully .

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You know that swine flu was just hoax made by US?

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I told Ed about my Sunday trip to the Los Cabos region of Baja California Sur, and he forwarded a link to a Google map showing where swine-flu outbreaks have occurred and commented, "You are actually in greater danger there in L.A. Thanks for sharing. Keep it up.

[online website design]

Flu does NOT necessarily propagate more easily in cold weather, nor is hot weather a barrier. Remember the Spanish flu that killed ~15 million Americans: it appeared in May and burned out with the onset of cold in October!

[Link Building Services]

It is completely inappropriate LATimes posted to Google Maps, Stokes did not verify the authenticity of the map information linked to panic.
On the map to do a little research on the manufacturer. Perhaps this will be a better story to write.

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good news that swin flu not good for health. Becouse this is very injurious for health. To this can be death.

Thanking you

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Blogs are good for every one where we get lots of information for any topics nice job keep it up !!!

[Finula]

I posted a blog on your website which exposed the truth about the negative spin on baja which is unfair and untrue. So much for free press in the US. You removed it within 5 minutes of my post.

[Crash Burn]

Good luck with the health care in Baja vs. US.

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[Sbroggie]

The following is the bio of "Niman" the creater of the Google map tracking reports of swine flu. From the web site http://www.recombinomics.com/
Sounds like he should know what's going on... Oh, and BTW Mark Y, before you rip on someone for "not checking the facts", you better check yourself. The info regarding the origin of the Google map data was very easy.

Recombinomics, Inc. Founder and President, Henry L Niman earned a PhD at the University of Southern California in 1978. His dissertation focused on feline retroviral expression in tumors in domestic cats.

He took a postdoctoral position at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation where he developed monoclonal antibody technology. He fused monoclonal antibody and synthetic peptide technologies and accepted a staff position at Scripps.

In 1982, he developed the flu monoclonal antibody, which is widely used throughout the pharmaceutical, biotech, and research industries in epitope tagging techniques. He also produced a broad panel of monoclonal antibodies against synthetic peptides of oncogenes and growth factors. These monoclonal antibodies were distributed worldwide to researchers by the National Cancer Institute. The antibodies identified novel related proteins which correlated with clinical parameters.

This technology was used to form ProgenX, a cancer diagnostic company that became Ligand Pharmaceuticals. Dr Niman subsequently identified protein expression patterns at the University of Pittsburgh. More recently, he became interested in infectious diseases while at Harvard Medical School. He then founded Recombinomics and discovered how viruses rapidly evolve. These latest findings are the subject of recent patent filings.

[Robert in SF]

The fly fisherman guide dude says not to worry bout no flu, and I don't blame him for saying so. After all rent is due.

[MKS PhD]

Mary(above) claims "most drugs sold without prescriptions online are not what they are purported to be." That is completely untrue. The FDA estimates the fraction of "overseas counterfeits" to be between 10 and 15%, and this is widely criticized as being too high; in this case, a generic equivalent sold as a brand name is considered counterfeit.
Second, it is the incorrect use of antibiotics that has created drug-resistant bacterial strains. (there are other, natural causes, as well) There has never been a single case of a drug resistant virus created by incorrect or excessive use of antivirals. I hope, Mary, that you know the difference between bacteria and virus.
If this information is" per your education and research" you have been grossly misinformed.

[NitroPres]

Flu does NOT necessarily propagate more easily in cold weather, nor is hot weather a barrier. Remember the Spanish flu that killed ~15 million Americans: it appeared in May and burned out with the onset of cold in October!

[Mary Archibald]

To the guy who bought the Tamiflu on the web...How do you know that what you bought online is really Tamiflu? I am a pharmacy tech and per my education and research, most drugs sold without prescriotion online are not what they are purported to be. Good luck...plus if it is Tamiflu..please be careful in how you use it. One of the big problems our country and the world is facing today is the that the incorrect and overuse of viral medicines and antibiotics have created superstrains that we cannot fight anymore. Best to you and yours.

[Mark Yowan]

It is completely inappropriate for the LATimes to post a link to a google map that stokes panic without verifying the authenticity of the information on that map.
Do a little research on the map maker. Maybe that would be a better story to write about.

[akb]

I stocked up on tamiflu last week, it works against this swine crap, and also bird flu, got some for my whole family on friday and it arrived monday. you can get it without prescriptions for now and doubt our hospitals have enough for us all. Got mine at tamiflu.tk, only place i could find without a prescription.