A human strain of bird flu passing from person to person in a super contagious format like influenza is not a pretty thing to think of especially considering the previous flues, plagues and viruses, which have killed millions in the past. Indeed as we watch and wait and monitor the situation we see that it could happen tomorrow or it could take decades yet inevitably it will happen and we need to be ready for it. The larger the population bases the more problems it will cause. Yet for all we know bird flu could go back and forth in bird populations for decades, almost dying off and coming back again in a never-ending cycle until one day it starts spreading thru human populations. And the worst part of the whole story is we do not know which strain it will be so we cannot make a vaccine for it. Additionally if bird eggs are used as a catalyst to make vaccines and even that takes 6-months then we are SOL if it hits certain human populations too hard you see? Now throw in some Jet Aircraft travel with non-stops daily on American Airlines from Vietnam to the United States and well, how can you stop it if it get started in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, NYC all on the same week. Can you even imagine shutting down all the C-stores, Starbucks, Malls, DMV, courts, airports, sports, museums, libraries, hotels, etc. I mean the economic impact would be severe in the event of working through it all and then in the attempt at abatement of a contagious Bird Flu. Consider this in 2006. |
