[Pepper]

Bird flu preparations made

The Government is making emergency plans to deal with a potential outbreak of bird flu in the UK.

Measures under consideration include providing anti-viral drugs to key health workers and emergency services, according to the Department of Health.

Schools and cinemas in affected areas could also be closed, and victims' families quarantined.

More than 30 people died from avian influenza in Asia this year, after the disease swept through the bird population.

Humans are thought to have contracted the virus due to close proximity with infected birds, but the Government has previously said that the chance of it spreading to animals in the UK is "low".

A spokesman for the Department of Health said today that "pandemic influenza" was one of the contingencies it was planning for.

"The overarching UK plan is currently being brought up to date and as part of this we're considering the role of anti-virals.

"The plan will be published once this review is completed," he added.

This week more than 200 animal welfare groups including the RSPCA, Greenpeace and the World Parrot Trust called for a permanent EU ban on the import of wild birds.

They said a ban was the only way to prevent outbreaks of the disease among Europeans and protect indigenous bird species.


http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1208683.html?menu=news.weirdworld.sexlife

[CanadaSue]

I lived in Maidenhead, about 30 miles west of London & a quick & dirty train ride in - lots of daily communters. In my 3 years there I 'lived' in my car doing the day drip thing. Dover was 2 hours away & Wales was perhaps 2.5. Portsmouth, Southamptom, & heading north, the Lake District & Midlands weren't much more than 3-4 hours if you picked the right motorways & timed your trip right.

It's a cool, humid island & the winter dampness is something else. Fall/winter outbreaks of all things respiratory there were obscenely quick to spread. Secondary infections occured quickly as many of the elderly couldn't afford much in the way of heat. The school had at least 1 bad meningitis case yearly & the community had several.

The National Health Service is always stretched to the breaking point & pandemic flu would lay waste to the UK within 3 weeks. It would take at least the first week to know what was happening & by then it would be well seeded everywhere. Gatwick & Heathrow see a ton of international traffic. I used to drive out to Heathrow just to park in the garage & watch planes - saw airline logos & 'exotic peop[le' I'd only ever seen on TV. Soooo.. it would spread out from there to whereever planes fly.

Might have to close schools & cinemas - nonsense. Everything would have to be shut down immediately including London's extenvie & very efficient tube system. That still wouldn't accomplish much other than perhaps slow the inevitable sread.

Even so, I'm eager to see what their final plans look like. They may have something innovative.