Bird flu

The Guardian is reporting on the bird flu pandemic that is said to be imminent. The article is entitled, "Bird flu pandemic 'could kill 150m'" and is by James Sturcke. Here's some of what it says:

A global influenza pandemic is imminent and will kill up to 150 million people, the UN official in charge of coordinating the worldwide response to an outbreak has warned.

David Nabarro, one of the most senior public health experts at the World Health Organisation, said outbreaks of bird flu, which have killed at least 65 people in Asia, could mutate into a form transmittable between people.

"The consequences in terms of human life when the pandemic does start are going to be extraordinary and very damaging," he said.

He told the BBC that the "range of deaths could be anything between five and 150 million".

A highly pathogenic form of bird flu, known as the H5N1, has led to the culling of tens of millions of birds in south-east Asia, but efforts to contain it have not prevented it spreading as far as the Ural mountains in Russia.
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Last week, veterinary and medical chiefs from the European Union held talks aimed at drawing up an EU-wide action plan to prevent the spread of bird flu. Experts say spotting any outbreak immediately and treating local people with anti-viral drugs and vaccines will be the key to containing any outbreak.
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"A flu outbreak is imminent but no one knows if it will be next week or in three years' time," a WHO spokeswoman said. "It is really difficult to know how many people will be infected but we know we have to get prepared."

Okay. Do you really trust the Federal government we have now to do what it takes to be prepared? Right. I didn't think so. Call your doctor and ask for a prescription for Tamiflu. Then build your immune system. Take plenty of vitamin C and other anti-oxidants. Go to the health food store and get an immune system building supplement that has echinacea and goldenseal in it. Be pro-active. This bug is nothing to fool around with. And good luck.

UPDATE: It seems bird flu is resistant to Tamiflu. See article here.

UPDATE #2: CNN published an article today entitled, "U.N. backs off 150m flu deaths". Here's part of what it says:

GENEVA, Switzerland -- The U.N. health agency has distanced itself from a top official's prediction that a global influenza pandemic could kill as many as 150 million people.

On Thursday, Dr. David Nabarro said a pandemic could come at any time and claim anywhere between 5 million and 150 million lives depending on the world's response to bird flu.

However on Friday, a spokesman for the U.N.'s World Health Organization said it was impossible to estimate how many people could die from a possible new pandemic triggered by bird flu.

"There is obvious confusion, and I think that has to be straightened out. I don't think you will hear Dr. Nabarro say the same sort of thing again," Reuters quoted WHO influenza spokesman Dick Thompson as telling reporters.

Nabarro was named Thursday as the U.N. coordinator for avian and human influenza.

Thompson referred to WHO's long-standing forecast of 2 million to 7.4 million deaths, which comes from a study by the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control (CDC), according to Reuters. "We think that this is the most reasoned position," Thompson said, because the last two flu pandemics have been relatively mild.

Well, personally I think 2 million is a horrible number and I wouldn't call that "mild". Either way the pandemic will be a terrible thing, in my opinion.