Abstract

Avian Flu: A State of Unreadiness

Presents the author's view on global preparation for a potential outbreak of avian influenza. Risks posed by the disease, which appears to be a wild flu strain totally new to the human immune system; Discussion of an avian flu subtype known as H5N1; View that H5N1 is on the verge of acquiring the new genes or amino acids that would enable it to travel at pandemic velocity across a densely urbanized world; Statistics released by the World Health Organization calming the disease has the potential to cause twenty-million deaths worldwide; Suggestion that all recent reports point to the likelihood of a global pandemic; Discussion of efforts made by members of the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush to protect against avian flu; View that these efforts have not been nearly enough to protect the country from a potential outbreak.