# 5299
After several weeks of intense preparation, FluTrackers opened their doors to the public five years ago this week. From humble beginnings, FT has grown into one of the best repositories of emerging infectious disease news on the internet.
Unlike some of the other flu forums, the focus at FT has been 90% newsgathering. They’ve eschewed unbridled speculation and survivalist talk in favor of more sober, and professional discussions.
The volunteer newshounds of FluTrackers do a terrific job of finding, translating, and analyzing media reports from all over the world. You can read more about the work the do in Newshounds: They Cover The Pandemic Front.
I tend to use FT as a reference library, and visit it – along with the other grande dame of Flu Forums – the Flu Wiki – several times each day.
To commemorate the occasion, Sharon Sanders, editor-in-chief of FT, has put together a brief history of FluTrackers which you can read on this thread.
My congratulations go to Sharon, and the whole team at FluTrackers on their first five years.
