A Nation Sized Petri Dish
While researching my recent essays on the Wuhan Virus, I came to a shocking conclusion: ALL of the world’s viral pandemics began in China. I’ll repeat that: ALL of the world’s viral pandemics began in China! This was quite a revelation for me; I had NEVER seen it laid out as such in any book or taught by any educator. Going on material she had read elsewhere, LRM suggested that I scrutinize the actual origin of certain viruses, such as the Russian Flu, that might not have originated where they are said to have. Initially I was skeptical, but as I investigated this matter further I learned that conclusion was correct, as I will subsequently demonstrate. I came to realize that China is, remarkably, a “nation sized Petri Dish.” (For readers not familiar with microbiology, a “Petri Dish” is a small covered container used to nourish and grow microorganisms). First, I’ll look at the viral pandemics in which Chinese origin is fully accepted and then I’ll discuss cases in which the Chinese origin has only more recently been documented.
The following cases are those in which a Chinese source of the pandemic is non controversial. In the case of influenza viruses, they are scientifically named for the genetic alleles they posses. The “H” designation indicates which hemagglutinin gene the virus contains and the “N” designation indicates which neuraminidase gene it has. Corona viruses (the group of viruses in which COVID-19 is placed), by the way, don’t have H or N genes, which is why tamaflu, a neuramidase inhibitor, doesn’t work on them. Accordingly, corona viruses are named for the type of illness they produce (for example: Severe Adult Respiratory distress Syndrome, or SARS) or for where they originate (for example: the Mid East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS). By the traditional naming methodology, therefore, COVID-19 SHOULD by named “The Wuhan Virus.” Bowing to pressure from China, however, the World Health Organization (WHO) has named the Wuhan Virus COVID-19. As the recently filed international liability suits against China from FORTY COUNTRIES will attest, this sleight of hand isn’t fooling anybody. Now onto the list:
The “Asian Influenza” (H2N2) of 1957 emerged in East Asia (China). (source: www.cdc.gov) and has had an estimated death toll of ONE MILLION people world wide.
The “Hong Kong Flu” of 1968 (H3N2) originated in East China (Hong Kong). (Source: en.m.wikipedia.org) with an estimated death toll of ONE MILLION people world wide.
The “Avian Flu” (“Bird Flu”) of 2003 (H5N1) originated first in geese in eastern China in 1996 and later in people in Hong Kong in 1997. It reemerged as a greater human threat in 2003 (source: https:www.cdc.gov>flu>avianflu). Despite the high pathogenicity of the virus, the human death toll was only 616 deaths, mostly in China, due to massive containment efforts. One hundred and forty million birds perished, a significant proportion of which were intentionally destroyed by the authorities in order to contain the virus.
The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS CoV 1), a corona virus, originated in Guangdong China in 2003. (source: www.cdc.gov). Death toll only 775 people, mostly in China, due to strict containment efforts.
Now let’s look at the viral pandemics that have (misleading) non Chinese names.
The “Russian Flu” of 1889 (also referred to as the “Asiatic Flu”) (H2N2) DID NOT ORIGINATE IN RUSSIA! The reason it had been previously thought to be of Russian origin was because it came to the world’s attention when a severe epidemic of it occurred in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Recent research, however, points to a Chinese origin for this epidemic too. (Source: Christopher Langford, Population and Development Review, Vol. 31, No. 3, (Sep., 2005) pp. 473-505) Estimated death toll is ONE MILLION people world wide.
The “Russian Flu” of 1977 (H1N1) also did NOT BEGIN IN RUSSIA! It BEGAN IN NORTHERN CHINA. (source: GlobalSecurity.org, Jul 13, 2011). Estimated death toll of ONE MILLION PEOPLE world wide.
The Swine Flu of 2009 (H1N1) had been thought to have originated in pig populations in Mexico. It turns out that the swine disease came into Mexico in pigs shipped from… China! Specifically, it was from the city of Guangdong. (Source: Epidemic Status of Swine Influenza in China, Weili Kong, et. al., Indian J Microbiol. 2014, Mar; 54(1): 3-11.)
And, lastly, the biggest surprise of my review, is that the “Spanish flu” of 1917-1918 (H1N1) DID NOT ORIGINATE IN SPAIN. It originated in… China! (Source: 1918 Flu Pandemic That Killed 50 Million People Originated in China, Historians Say, National Geographic, Dan Vergano, Jan 24, 2014). It is known definitively to have originated in November 1917 in Chinese towns along the Great Wall and spread 300 miles in 6 weeks. It was brought to the battlefields of World War One by 96 THOUSAND Chinese laborers that were brought to Europe to support the war effort. These laborers were shipped from China to Vancouver, Canada, then transported across Canada by train to Halifax, Nova Scotia, from which they were shipped to various locations in Europe. They were brought in specifically to allow allied soldiers that had been engaged in supply and support activities to be freed up to go the front lines where they were most needed. The pandemic gained its “Spanish Flu” name because of a historical quirk: Governmental censorship enacted by the combatant nations during the war prohibited death rates in their countries from being reported (they, apparently, did not want to scare off potential recruits) so the early reports of dramatic death tolls came only from Spain, which was a neutral country not involved in the fighting and, consequently, did not impose the censorship that was so prevalent among the belligerents. That pandemic took FIFTY MILLION TO ONE HUNDRED MILLION LIVES.
Several factors might explain this remarkable history of viral pandemics in Sinoasia: China’s extremely large population (currently nearly one and a half BILLION people) and extremely high population density of 397/square mile. (The United States population density, for comparison, is 94/square mile, four times less than China’s) are exquisitely poised to promote viral spread in the human population. But population factors are not the only explanations, as China was producing viral epidemics long before it reached the extreme population densities it now has. Other very important factors are cultural: both living habits and culinary habits enter into the mix. Even today, many many Chinese live in close proximity to animals and livestock. And, they eat just about ANYTHING that can’t run away fast enough, including, by the way, dogs (10 MILLION each YEAR) and cats (4 MILLION each year) (Source: www.animalasia.com). There are many so called “wet markets” where live animals (including cats and dogs) are sold in cages. The buyer has the option of keeping the animal as a pet, or EATING them (presumably when hungry). The choice is theirs. On top of all this, much of the Chinese population (607 MILLION people) lacks access, STILL, to even basic sanitation (source: www.takepart.com). As an aside, some 10 years ago I had the occasion to use the lavatory in the newly constructed and VERY modern Beijing Airport. In addition to “western accommodations” numerous stalls had, simply, a porthole in the center, where one could squat. These were provided not, I surmised, in order to spare the cost of conventional toilets (the whole airport was fabulously extravagant), but because squatting to relieve one’s self is WHAT MANY CHINESE ARE USED TO!
No wonder that China is the world’s largest “Petri dish” for deadly viruses.