Bird Flu
I think the media is about to spin out of control. There's a family cluster of avian flu (THE avian flu: H5N1) in northern Sumatra with no discernible environmental exposure to poultry or "bird stuff" (that's the technical term)---so everyone is gripping the sides of their chairs and holding their breath---fearing that six (or all seven) of these cases became ill from exposure to other sick people.
Its something to be afraid of.
The laboratory studies should give us all a little comfort---there have been none of the genetic changes that would be required to allow the easy spread of infection among people. That brings us back to a situation where the first person in the family to become ill was exposed in a mysterious way and the others had the misfortune to live with her in very very cramped quarters and to have far more than usual, social contact with her illness.
Its odd to me. I think there's big news here about the need for aggressive infection control protection is care-giving settings for patients with vague respiratory illnesses (in those regions known to have H5N1 cases) but I haven't seen one single word written about that in the popular or scientific press.
Musical musings for the day: Lyman got plenty of face time on the Today show, looking very cool with sunglasses on---I feel so bad for him now that I know he resorted to that look to conceal the visible impact of travel fatigue; he's been working hard.
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