Should We Freak Out About Bird Flu?

Will H5N1 be the next big pandemic?

Revenge of the Chickens? You can read this horrifying article from The Guardian (2016) about the mistreatment of poultry in factory farms, if you are in the mood.

I realized I was starting to feel continuous, low-grade, background anxiety about bird flu. But I also didn’t know much about it. If I am feeling uneasy, probably others are as well. I thought I would do some quick research about H5N1, and share what I found.

Out of many concerns about the coming Trumpocalypse I worry, if there is an outbreak of a new pandemic, it will be highly politicized and fatally mishandled. Even if we have an effective vaccine or a plan to contain the illness through social coordination, this could be rejected by Trump’s Christ-happy “suicide squad.” If RFK Jr becomes Director of the Department of Health and Human Services, I have concern about policies around future vaccinations. RFK has, in the past, stated that he doesn’t even believe in the efficacy of Polio and Small Pox vaccines. Most medical professionals consider these vaccines to be among the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine, saving many thousands of lives.

The H5N1 strain was first identified in 1996 in geese in China and made its first known jump to humans in Hong Kong in 1997, causing18 infections and six fatalities.