Evolution matters
Bird flu virus reported to resist Tamiflu | Science Blog:
An avian influenza virus isolated from an infected Vietnamese girl has been determined to be resistant to the drug oseltamivir, the compound better known by its trade name Tamiflu, and the drug officials hope will serve as the front line of defense for a feared influenza pandemic.
This is the drug that’s being stockpiled against a pandemic. In other news, H5N1 – the viral strain everyone is worried about – was detected in Turkey and probably in Romania, too. It’ll be in the Americas not too long from now.
If you haven’t called your congressman and expressed your concern about the state of planning for this impending crisis, here’s where to find their number. Let them know you’re worried that the deaths of a couple million people could be pretty bad for everyone involved, and that you don’t like the idea of a quarantine imposed by our overstretched military.
