The Fatal Strain: On the Trail of Avian Flu and the Coming Pandemic
The Fatal Strain: On the Trail of Avian Flu and the Appearance Pandemic Books
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Washington journalist Alan Sipress delivers a riveting account of why science lonely can’t stop the next pandemic.
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Avian flu, is by nature an evolving organism. It is accepted that it mutates at a higher rate than most other organisms. I suggest that it is also a relatively elusive organism. Therefore what was accepted last year may have changed or our perception or interpretation of that knowledge may have changed. Given such fluid understanding, it is excellent to stop and look back at the progression of the problem and our knowledge.
I have read official reports and other works about Avian flu and was very pleased with this volume as it sheds additional light on those reports. The book is the best layman’s “history” I have yet seen for the progression of this virus and our evolving understanding of it. Its in rank is consistent with at least some official reports and technical papers and the author’s credentials and references inspire a measure of credibility.
If it raises concerns of human-to-human transmission that go beyond officially sanctioned reports, it also suggests the political pressures that may have lead to downplaying this risk and cites researchers as sources for the concern. We have recently seen issues and controversy surrounding WHO’s handling of Swine flu , which by no means indicates incompetence but only the complexity of these viruses and the difficulty of quickly understanding what they are and what they are capable of.
With that in mind, and realizing that there is continueing disagreement among researchers about Avian flu, reading “The Fatal Strain” is highly not compulsory to enlarge your understanding of this potential risk.
Rating: 5 / 5
Just finished this fascinating first book and would urge it to anyone fascinating in global health.
Just one of the most fascinating aspects is how cultural and economic considerations often trump strictly medical concerns.
One other segment I found truly fascinating was the detailed chronology of the spread of SARS. I followed it in the media at the time, but this timeline was telling. Fantastic effort!
Rating: 5 / 5
This was a terrific read and I’m pleased to be one of the early readers to write a review. The book is a candid, no nonsense, detail rendering of the spread and current status of the H5N1 avian bug virus(bird flu). Sipress never wandered from the focus of his detailed review and evolution of the viral epidemics he witnessed. His travels and intrepid search in the countries of Southeast Asia provides the reader with an right perspective on the magnitude and implications of the bird flu and why it is of major concern to the countries of the world, whether developed or developing. The human interest tales of the many individuals and victims the author encountered on his sojourn and the effects on the economy of these developing countries captivated my interest and appreciation.
The cooperation between the health scrutiny organizations of the various countries where the epidemics were documented was comforting. But, the political insensitivity in those developing countries was equally troublesome.
Of paramount importance in understanding these epidemics and spread of the disease is the rapidity with which these viruses can exchange their genetic make-up that allows them to infect other species with unpredictable virulence.
As someone caught up in biomedical research, it will be a book I will in all likelihood be referring to as we encounter the bug epidemics of the future.
Kudos to Alen Sipress on this his first book! I look forward to his future or later publications.
Rating: 5 / 5