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Are we ready for avian flu?

I don't know about you, but all the stories I've been reading lately about the potential for a devastating avian flu pandemic have me seriously concerned about our ability to produce vaccines and treatments for those who contract the disease—much less our healthcare community's preparedness to diagnose and treat a massive patient load. For one physician's idea of what a pandemic would be like for his office, click here (and check out the comments—some good advice there for all of us).


While I'm not yet hearing too much that's hopeful, I did run across this article about how NanoViricides is working on a vaccine:


    "If our FluCide-I influenza drug meets the initial expectations, we can modify it very quickly to develop a nanoviricide against the avian flu," explained Dr. Diwan, President, "We simply reset the nanoviricide's target to H5N1, the bird flu virus!" The Company has scheduled high-level meetings in December with Vietnam's senior government officials and scientists regarding avian flu.


From the same article:


    Two days ago, the US Senate passed a $4 Billion bill to purchase TamiFlu(TM) (Roche) and also to pursue additional strategies for prevention as well as treatment. Tamiflu(TM) has limited effectiveness but remains the only means of treatment against avian flu at present.
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