H5N1 Back in the News
H5N1 is the scientific designation for the virus that causes bird flu. Fresh outbreaks have recently been reported in Africa, Greece and Italy. The EU outbreak does not worry officials as much as the spread to Africa.
With weak governments and little in the way of centralized health care, Africa appears to be an ideal breeding ground for a more communicable variant of the virus. Added to the AIDS pandemic already decimating the continent, bird flu could become a true 21st Century plague. Read the story in the New York Times.
But not all the news is bad. The CDC announced recently they are close to realization of a system that will get real-time reports from hospital emergency rooms. They are hoping to get 350 hopsitals on board this year. Such a system could potentially allow for rapid response to a disease outbreak or terrorist attack. Read about it here.
Of course, one wonders how the data will actually be used by top officials in today's government. I can't help but remember the red shaded radar images of Katrina bearing down on New Orleans. The warning system was in place there, but appropriate action appears to have been absent.
With weak governments and little in the way of centralized health care, Africa appears to be an ideal breeding ground for a more communicable variant of the virus. Added to the AIDS pandemic already decimating the continent, bird flu could become a true 21st Century plague. Read the story in the New York Times.
But not all the news is bad. The CDC announced recently they are close to realization of a system that will get real-time reports from hospital emergency rooms. They are hoping to get 350 hopsitals on board this year. Such a system could potentially allow for rapid response to a disease outbreak or terrorist attack. Read about it here.
Of course, one wonders how the data will actually be used by top officials in today's government. I can't help but remember the red shaded radar images of Katrina bearing down on New Orleans. The warning system was in place there, but appropriate action appears to have been absent.
posted by Mike at 11:19 AM
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