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May 23, 2006

Not with a Bang

Whimper.

All seven people infected with bird flu in a cluster of Indonesian cases can be linked to other patients, according to disease trackers investigating possible human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 virus....

Almost all of the 218 cases of H5N1 infections confirmed by the WHO since late 2003 can be traced to direct contact with sick or dead birds. Strong evidence of human-to-human transmission may prompt the global health agency to convene a panel of experts and consider raising the pandemic alert level, said Maria Cheng, an agency spokeswoman.

"Considering the evidence and the size of the cluster, it's a possibility,'' Cheng said in a telephone interview. "It depends on what we're dealing with in Indonesia. It's an evolving situation.'"

Indeed it is... evolving. Or, who knows, maybe the Intelligent Designer thinks it's time to smite some of us with a pandemic. 'Cause he's Love*, don't you know?

Seriously, I'm not terribly fatalistic about what will happen if human-to-human transmission is confirmed. Of course, I'm leaving for a remote island tonight by private helicopter. An island with big guns and laser cannons and hungry attack dogs in case any of you infectoids try to come ashore for refuge.

* Please overlook that whole "drowning the wee babies in a global flood" thing. He was an immature and brash myth back then, just recently co-opted from older ones.