So we have as close to a confirmed familial cluster of H5N1 that we have witnessed since May, 2006 in Indonesia.
Here is much more detail. There seems to be evidence of at least limited human-to-human transmission for bird flu in Pakistan. Here are other reports. If you think that the risk of a bird flu pandemic has been declining over the last year or two, it’s a sign you are taking too many cues from mainstream American media. The pools of the virus have been festering and if anything the risk of a broader pandemic probably has been going up. It’s a shame that none of the presidential candidates have said much about what we should be doing.
I think flu pandemics in industrialized nations are deeply unlikely because, well, it’s been pretty nearly a century since the last one. More here.
I take it as a good sign presidential candidates aren’t discussing what “we” should be doing. I don’t think getting government involved will improve anything.
things were more worrying last year with H5N1 going from Russia to Europe, Karo-cluster,
Webster-Interview and other statements. It’s not only the
mainstream American media.
Also the experts.
And the mortality-bonds prices.
Some advances with vaccines in the last 1-2 years.
WHO still at level 3, no such
speculation to increase it as last year.
Obama’s actually done some of the most work in the Senate on bird flu. It’s worth checking out before you fault all of the candidates on the issue. Personally, I thought it all seemed a little alarmist and was disappointed that he chose it as one of his major issues, but it could be a real political boon if these transmission reports keep coming.
Jon, Re no epidemics in the last 100 years. Read the “Black Swan”. Of course, that book would suggest that while we are worrying about H5N1, we will be blindsided by some other catastropic event that we will not have predicted nor will we have been able to predict it. Course many readers and posters on this blog will not take kindly to the book because he has very few nice things to say about economists.
Comments on this entry are closed.