Growing up in New York, we've never liked pigeons (or flying rats as we like to call them), but with all this avian flu talk, we'll be sure to avoid them a little more. Sure, it's in Asian birds right now, but we're wary nonetheless. The threat of the bird flu has caused plenty of concern around the world, with world leaders meeting to discuss what can be done to prevent a pandemic. Right now, the strain of avian flu that scientists are preparing for is H5N1, but it's possible that different strains may appear in the future. H5N1 has killed at least 60 people in Asia since late 2003. If you thought terrorists were going to kill you, you had it all wrong. It's birds, baby birds.
What does this mean for us? Not much right now, because we seem to have bigger things to worry about (subway bomb! terror!). But as flu season is right around the corner, it serves as a good time to remind those that are more susceptible to the flu that it's time to get a flu shot. It's important to note that most people don't need a flu shot, but if you're in a high risk group, like those 65 and above, a shot would be a good idea.
For more on influenza, check out the Centers for Disease Control's flu fact sheet and because the Internets has everything these days, Flu Wiki (which is actually very user friendly).
