I think you got the News Reporter sound bite version:

Check out:
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/planguide/checklist.html

According to the Department of Health and Human Services you should store "Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, vegetables, and soups". Their check list looks a lot like what you should have on hand for any type of emergency.

What type of Mask?

CDC says health care workers should:

"Use a fit-tested respirator, at least as protective as a National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved N-95 filtering facepiece (i.e., disposable) respirator, when entering the room. " (room occupied by patient suspected of being infected)

In the article I read on CDC's website no vector was mentioned prior to the one of human to human contact.

So they don't know the transmition human-to-human? Great.

If it is very rare, that rules out an aresol, as a rule.

I do not think it likely to have viral cross contamination of milk containers from egg stocks. However, if large numbers of chicken must be killed, then a cheap source of protein from both chicken meat and eggs will be scarce, which would likely cause a run on fresh milk. Having both powdered milk and tuna, which both store well and provide protein will become the main source of protein for many individuals.

Just my 2 cents-

Pete

Along those lines, MSN has a fascinating graphic that shows how scientists expect migratory flyways to bring the bird flu here (the picture is about half-way down the page).

As for dry milk, I think it's a lot more palatable with some Nestle's Quik.

This are just my observations - your opinions and mileage may vary:

1. From 2002 to date, there have been something around 200 confirmed human cases of bird (H5N1) flu worlwide and something less than 100 fatalities.

2. The H5N1 influenza strain was isolated in geese in Scotland in the 1950's and other places around the world, including the U.S. since then.

3. On average, about 20,000 people die annually in the U.S. from the (non-avain) flu.

4. Most of the human victims seem to have been in "intimate contact" with infected birds - that is raising free-ranging birds around (and sometimes in) the home.

5. Western "factory" poltury farms try to do as much as they can to prevent contact between their livestock and wild birds and take other precautions (washing shoes and wearing "clean suite") toi prevent the introduction of infectious deases within their flocks.

6. In short, I believe we have less to worry about the H5N1 virus than we do the guy in the car next to us on the express way.


Stay safe,

JimJr.

Amen.

Here's a link to the leading causes of death from the CDC (2002 stats):

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm

Roger that. I used to point things like that out, but since people keep talking about "brid flu, oh no"...

Never let facts ruin a good (hyped) news story. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Dave

true, we are in much more danger on the daily commute to work. the real impact of the bird flu will be in prices, if poultry is destroyed on a massive scale, we won't be eating chicken strips for a while, the cost would be prohibitive.