H5N1
Here's something I've been watching for the past year or so...
You need a powerful light microscope or an electron microscope to see it. So far, the mortality rate surpasses 50%. It's a mutation from an influenza virus found common in winged creatures. A past epidemic in 1918 killed as many as 40 million worldwide.- and that's when we had 1/6th the population and no mass travel. It's killed a little more than 60 people in Southeast Asia so far. Say hello to virus H5N1 - more commonly known as "bird flu".
Isn't it cute?
Recently, the flu has been found in Russia, Romania, Turkey... and now just found in Greece chickens today. That's fun. Some scientists are theorizing that it's now jumping from chickens, ducks, etc. to migratory birds that fly all over the world. Wonderful. Soon enough, it'll get its nucleotide DNA mutated correctly -- and it'll jump over to the human race. Whoo-hoo! Birdzilla: Coming soon to a theater, food court, city square, internet cafe, plane, train, and automobile near you.
Frankly speaking, I'm a lucky kid when this is happening. If I was born last year, my immune system may not be prepared for a barrage of this nature -- the same going for if I was born in 1918. My immune system is coming up to its peak in my life, ready to adapt and attack any threat to my body. I have no fear of some bird virus. I'd be far more afraid of a hemmoraghic disease sweeping the nation (ie. Hanta, Ebola). We've been overdue for years for something like this.
It's inevitable. Someone infected will hop on a plane - 400 people right there. Maybe 20 of those people will hop on other planes - 8000 more. It'll suck, though. The economy will nosedive at the sudden crash of labor and consumer confidence. The desperate run for vaccines may be interesting.
But don't worry. The world's not going to end. That'd be stupid for it to end because of a microscopic thing. If the world's going to end, at least make it BIG -- not the stereotypical meteor, but like an oversizing of furry creatures by some odd genetic mutation. That'd be more fun than a big flaming rock hitting your house - but it'd make a nice explosion. Like stretching from Detroit to Kansas City. Boom.
- Miroku