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on that continent as regards to bird flu in humans. Even the extremely conservative World Health Organization admits that it has no idea what the real extent of human bird flu infection is throughout the world.
People must be made to understand that an influenza pandemic is a very real threat that can occur at any time and with very little warning. The influenza virus mutates at an incredible rate, millions of times a day. Every time a person, bird or other animal is infected, there is an opportunity for the virus to obtain the ability to pass easily from human to human. H5N1 has already proven that it can do so to a limited extent.
Whether H5N1 will actually be the pandemic virus is anybody’s guess, but it’s a sure thing that there will eventually be an influenza pandemic. If it is H5N1, and it retains its present ability to kill and disable, the impact on society will be devastating.
In my opinion, the government is too concerned with not frightening the public. Frankly, they need to get frightened. Fear is a great motivator. For the first time in history, we are able to watch a pandemic develop. It has been compared to watching a train wreck in slow motion. Before the crash happens, we have an opportunity to prepare - to lay in supplies, to develop solutions to the weaknesses in our public health system, to improve surge capacity in our hospitals, and, most important, to inform the public. There is a tremendous lot to do.
I believe that most Americans are mature enough to understand and accept the truth. We have got to get the public’s attention before this, or any other widespread public health disaster, happens. And despite of the fact that they are working as hard as they can as fast as they can, with a restricted budget and limited manpower, the personnel of our public health department obviously can’t do the job alone.
I look to each of you, the media and anyone reading this, to take it upon yourselves to get more educated and more prepared, and to share what you learn with your family and friends.
There are several good internet sites that can help, among them:
www.pandemicflu.gov
www.vdh.virginia.gov/PandemicFlu/
www.fluwikie.com
Time is of the essence.
Galen McBride
Culpeper
92.5%