The Bird[s]......Flu

And a new panic hits the world. This time it's a new mutant strain of the H5N1 avian (or bird) flu that the FAO, or Food and Agriculture Organization, now believes is now spreading around Asia, specifically China and Vietnam. The resurgence of the virus in Vietnam threatens Thailand, Malaysia & Cambodia as well as Japan and the Korean peninsula. The most recent string of deaths due to the virus (8 so far) has occurred in Cambodia, creating quite a stir. The virus "can apparently bypass the defenses of current vaccines with unpredictable risks to humans," according to CNN.

The World Health Organization, or WHO, claims that the avian flu has infected 565 people and killed 331 since 2003. The virus has also caused the death of 400 million domestic poultry, causing approximately $20 billion worth of economic losses. H5N1 is still present in at least six countries, such as Indonesia, India & Bangladesh, and has recently reappeared in countries like Nepal, Mongolia & Romania. While most people believe the problem lies with only wild birds, FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Juan Lubroth stated that, "Wild birds may introduce the virus, but peoples' actions in poultry production and marketing spread it."

So which is more important: the health and wellbeing of nearly 7 billion people, or a thriving poultry market? Yes they are not completely all or nothing trade-offs of one another, but I do wonder if the new fear will slow production, or if our economic crisis will prove to be more important to people. Hopefully people choose health over the economy, but after all desperate times call for desperate measures. Personally I can live without a chicken sandwich for a month or two...