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Tara C. Smith is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology. Her research involves a number of pathogens at the animal-human nexus. She also writes for The Panda's Thumb and previously for WIRED SCIENCE's Correlations. Please note the views expressed on this site are Dr. Smith's alone and may not be representative of the groups mentioned above.
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« Speaking of AIDS denial... | Main | Happy Darwin Day! »
Carl Zimmer on Daily Kos
Category: General biology • Misc.
Posted on: February 11, 2006 1:53 PM, by Tara C. Smith
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Tara, love Carl, but on a different subject - This in the news today: "ROME - Greece and Italy said on Saturday they had found swans with the H5N1 bird flu virus, the first known cases in the European Union of wild birds with the deadly strain of the disease".
Why is this NEWS? Isn't it a foregone conclusion that H5N1 will end up EVERYWHERE, including the U.S.? Why do we make a huge news story out of the inevitable? Flocks of wild birds migrate from continent to continent, intermingling with other species who do the same.
The only thing I want to know about is human sicknesses from it and signs of a mutation that would make it more easily transmitted H2H.
Posted by: john | February 11, 2006 2:36 PM
You were right. DarkSyde did not run out of Big Boys yet.
Posted by: coturnix
| February 11, 2006 3:55 PM
Hi John,
Well, it's not exactly a foregone conclusion, though it's certainly a fear. And by reporting where it's spread to, it serves two purposes. 1) To let the people in the area know it's there, so they can take whatever precautions possible (especially if they have poultry) and 2) to let those of us who *are* still interested in tracking the spread via wild birds know the newest arrival. I totally understand getting burned out on it, but if it were in your area, wouldn't you want to know it was "officially" there, even if it was a "foregone conclusion" it would get there eventually?
Posted by: Tara
| February 12, 2006 12:24 PM
OK, sorry for sounding a little shrill in my complaint and, yes, of course I want the news. I guess what I found baffling was not that it's always going to be news as it reaches new regions, but that it's treated in the way it is. I look at it from a journalism perspective. I open up my home page (MSNBC) and it is the Top Headline (equivalent to the column one article in the NY Times). If it were the top story down in "Health", I wouldn't bat an eye. But I just don't see it ever being the loudly trumpeted, top of page, pictures included article. Of course it's news and sorry for implying otherwise. If you remember from other questions I've asked, I'm VERY interested in the story.
Posted by: john | February 12, 2006 10:33 PM
Yes, I agree it would be better in the "health" section rather than a large screaming headline on the front page. And I didn't consider your comment shrill. :)
Posted by: Tara
| February 13, 2006 9:52 AM