Tidbits of Interest from All Over

In an attempt to regain my credibility after my last blog (see: A Tin-Foil Hat of My Very Own), I've gathered some interesting news items from around the world for your reading pleasure.

Our first stop today is Myanmar, what you probably know as Burma. It is run by a military government that eschews transparancy and the country remains shrouded in secrecy. Last month, they admitted to 2 outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry. Today, we learn, there are more than 100 outbreaks.

http://tinyurl.com/z53q8

Next Stop, Niger, where H5N1 was first reported on February 28th. Yesterday, after a delay of only 40 days, culling of chickens has begun.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L09244132.htm



Just a hop, skip, and a jump away in Nigeria, we get this happy report of villagers digging up culled infected chickens and eating them.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200604060230.html



And in merry old England, secret government pandemic plans have been leaked to the press and are making the publishers of newspapers salivate as they run headlines about 100,000 child deaths anticipated in a pandemic.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article356691.ece



Additionally, plans to press retired lorry drivers and and off-duty firemen into delivering food and water to quarantined areas have also been released. Seems they fear volunteers to go out into infected areas might be hard to find.

http://tinyurl.com/h3nu3


All in all, it's been a busy week for flubies. Lot's of news, none of it good. A lot of positive spin by government officials, signifying nothing. And continual pleas to an unconcerned public NOT TO PANIC.

Ironic, ain't it?