Bird Flu Kills Thai Boy; Toll Rises to 20

[DuctapeFatwa]

A 13-year-old Thai boy died of bird flu Saturday, bringing to 20 the number of human fatalities from the disease that's also killed millions of chickens and ducks across Asia and is now feared to have jumped to other animals.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization warned that the virus still has not been controlled in several Asian countries despite the culling of millions of chickens and ducks.

Ten governments in the region have been dealing with strains of bird flu since South Korean officials reported an outbreak in December. Some Asian countries, as well as the United States, are being hit with the milder strain not thought to pose a danger to people.

World Health Organization officials have expressed concern that China may also be suffering human cases given the broad range of poultry infections in that sprawling country, which has confirmed avian flu in 14 of its 31 regions.

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20040214_672.html

[Bozita]

1. On Thursday, CBC's "The National" reported on Canada's plans for ...

...dealing with a pandemic. I didn't see the program, but I wondered about bird flu as I read the email from CBC News.

"Jo Lynne Sheane reports on the government's plans to handle a major pandemic should one hit Canada."

[Occulus]

2. Sigh.

Closed borders, military law, and general chaos will ensue.

My two favorite, if mst galling, words right now are "trickle, trickle."

edit: Perhaps not in Canada. In the US, it would be a given.