# 6870
I completely missed it, but yesterday - January 20th - was the 7th anniversary of Avian Flu Diary.
With nearly 7,000 blogs on file, you’d think I’d have run out of things to blog about, but the world of science (and nature) continues to serve up new and exciting things to understand and explore.
By far, the best part my seven years of blogging have been the friends I’ve made and people I’ve met along the way. Each Thanksgiving I write a lengthy roll call of these extraordinary people that I’ve encountered through the blogosphere, so I’ll not repeat them here.
While it is my name on the masthead, this blog is by no means a solitary effort.
Each day I rely upon the newshounds on the flu forums (I frequent FluTrackers and the Flu Wiki) to help dig up, and translate, news items from all around the world. They not only find these tidbits of information, they often provide analysis as well.
While I mention them often, you can read my tribute to these terrific volunteers in Looking For Zebras.
If I had to do all of this research personally, I wouldn’t have time left to blog. So my heartfelt thanks go out to each and every one of these newshounds.
I’m blessed to be part of a greater blogging community we call Flublogia, including (but not limited to) Crof at Crofsblog (who has been doing longer than anyone), Ironorehopper at A Time’s Memory along with related, but non-flu-centric blogs like Maryn McKenna’s Superbug blog, and Vincent Racaniello’s Virology blog.
Class acts every one.
And beyond Flublogia, there are other terrific bloggers who specialize in public health and/or science related issues, such as The Pump Handle, and Jim Garrow’s The Face of the Matter blog, and David Dobb’s Neuron Culture.
You’ll find more examples on my sidebar.
Of course, I’ve also been fortunate to be able to rely upon the great reportage from ace medical and science writers like Helen Branswell of the Canadian Press, Maggie Fox of NBC News, Jason Gale of Bloomberg News, Lisa Schnirring & Robert Roos at CIDRAP, and everyone’s favorite `scary disease girl’; Maryn McKenna.
But I owe a special thanks to my `inner circle’, the people with whom I’ve spoken often, and who have provided me with wise counsel, good ideas, and when needed – a swift kick in the pants - along the way.
In no particular order, they include:
Sharon Sanders of FluTrackers, Lisa at CIDRAP, my good buddy and fellow blogger Scott McPherson, Chacal in England, Cheryl, my high school buddy Cliff, and the always insightful and supportive Camille.
You guys rock.
And lastly, there are the readers of this blog.
I’m constantly amazed and delighted at the number of hospitals, universities, government agencies, and big corporations who visit nearly every day. This blog may not draw huge numbers of visitors, but their quality is undeniable.
Thank you.
