Fewer than 150 people have died of bird flu and we've been hearing about it for 1-2 years now. I think it's overhyped fear and I fully realize that the administration and CDC, etc., think it's a fully realized fear.
And, btw, in an interview a few weeks ago, Nagin told reporters that he got the 10,000 feared dead number from the press and he cited a few places he'd seen the number mentioned before he ever said a word.
Longer than that. There was an outbreak of this same strain of bird flu in Hong Kong in the winter of 1997-98 severe enough that it led to the killing and burning or burial of all domestic birds in the city.
The difference between that outbreak and this one is that the '97 cases were concentrated in HK -- this one has already popped up all over Asia, as well as in Romania, Turkey and, as of today, Greece.
I think it's overhyped fear and I fully realize that the administration and CDC, etc., think it's a fully realized fear.
It's a potential problem. Just potential at this stage. But public officials everywhere in the world have a long history of not addressing potential problems unless they are or are about to become crises.
And, btw, in an interview a few weeks ago, Nagin told reporters that he got the 10,000 feared dead number from the press and he cited a few places he'd seen the number mentioned before he ever said a word.
The first reference to the 10,000 figure I have been able to find in connection with Nagin was a reporter asking him about it, and him saying he wouldn't be surprised. He did cite it after that, however.
The first public official I could find using that figure in a declarative sentence was Vitter, though he was careful to label it as a "best guess" and preliminary.