# 720
Not so long ago, concerns over pandemic influenza, and bird flu in particular, were considered `fringe' science.
No more.
Today, most reputable scientists accept that we live on the cusp of another possible pandemic, and that the H5N1 virus may be a contender for next pathogen to sweep the globe. Governments are spending billions of dollars to prepare, and large corporations are gearing up to survive its impact.
Along the way, a handful of voices have grained notoriety because they recognized the problems early, and began preaching the message that the world must prepare.
There are too many to mention them all, but here is a short list of those I listen intently to, and feel you should, too. You'll also find links to books well worth reading on pandemic influenzas and emerging infectious diseases along the way.
Michael Osterholm of CIDRAP (Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy) is, without a doubt, one of the most compelling speakers you'll ever hear on the subject of avian influenza. A former state epidemiologist, he is blessed with a calm demeanor, and a clarity in his message, that few could dream of possessing.
Quite simply, when Osterholm speaks, I listen.
The CIDRAP website, hosted by the University of Minnesota, is a goldmine of information on all things infectious and emerging, not just avian influenza.
Michael Greger, M.D. is the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at The Humane Society of the United States. A noted lecturer and author, his book Bird Flu: A Virus of Our Own Hatching is one of the `must reads' in the world of avian influenza. Luckily for all of us, the book can be read in its entirety online, and for free.
But don't just take my word for it, a review of his book appeared today in the Journal of Virology. Here is just a little of what they have to say about it:
- The book is clearly written and highly informative. Greger’s superb story-telling ability makes every page of the book interesting and fascinating for both specialist and layperson.
- In my opinion, Greger’s book is the best of its genre and deserves to be read by anyone who is concerned about human and animal health. This book is a must read for government and enterprise officials who are advocating and advancing poultry industry standards. Virologists and epidemiologists will also find it useful, since the basic science of bird flu is carefully set out. I highly recommend it.
As a writer, I'd kill for a review like that! But it is well deserved. Congratulations Dr. Greger.
Gratton Woodson, M.D., who is the author of several books on the home treatment of pandemic influenza. Dr. Woodson formerly taught internal medicine at Emory University, and so he knows of what he speaks. His guides are written with the layperson in mind, and are a `must have' for anyone who will be faced with treating an influenza patient at home.
His books are available, for free, here, along with a ton of other relevant material.
Public servants are rarely recognized as hero's, but in the case of Michael Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services, we may have to make an exception.
Leavitt has been the driving force in the U.S. government's efforts at getting all 50 states ready for a pandemic, and is largely responsible for the U.S. government preparedness site, www.pandemicflu.gov. If you aren't intimately familiar with this site, you are missing a great deal of very important information. Bookmark it, and return often.
It hasn't been easy, but Leavitt has been fighting the good fight for more than 18 months. While we might all wish our government were further along in their level of preparedness, much of the credit for the advances that have been made can be laid at his feet.
Dr. Robert Webster, is the dean of virologists, and one of the first to recognize the H5N1 threat. He's referred to the bird flu as `the scariest virus he's ever seen', and when he speaks, we all should listen.
Now in his mid-70s, Dr. Webster continues his research at St. Judes Research Hospital, which has just been named one of six Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a part of the National Institutes of Health.
Professor John Oxford, virologist, London Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry and Dr. Jeffery K. Taubenberger who works with the U.S. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology are both world recognized for their contributions to our knowledge of influenzas, and also deserve our rapt attention.
There are others of course. Scientists and researchers, authors and lecturers. I'd be remiss without mentioning Laurie Garret, author of The Coming Plague, or John Barry, author of the quintessential work on the 1918 Spanish Flu, The Great Influenza.
And not to be dismissed are the really good science reporters who follow the story. Helen Branswell of the Canadian Press is perhaps the most famous, and deservedly so. Declan Butler, of Nature, who also maintains a private blog on avian flu here. And Maryn McKenna, author of Beating Back The Devil, the story of the disease detectives at the CDC, and a frequent reporter on avian flu issues at CIDRAP.
I've left far too many off the list. Two years ago, there were but a few voices in the wilderness, and today there are many, and they are growing.
Hopefully, while the actually avian news is slow, you'll have time to read some of the offerings, and opinions, of the people I've listed. These are not `fringe' voices. They are mainstream, and highly respected.
They are voices we should definitely heed.
