BMJ  2007;334 (30 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.39259.443646.47

Editor's Choice

Editor's choice

FAFfing about

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Somewhere, I imagine, there's a small group of people proud to be counted among the Friends of Avian Flu, or FAF for short. I suspect they have a catchy mission statement, such as "Keeping the nightmare alive," and lapel badges of vaguely bird-like shape.

Their challenge is to keep bird flu forever in the public eye. This should be getting harder, as influenza H5N1 is proving particularly resistant to undergoing the killer mutation that would allow efficient human to human transmission of the virus. Ten years after the strain first appeared in humans, it has killed just 191 people. This is despite the most propitious of circumstances: millions of people and poultry living in very close proximity in South East Asia. Although these deaths are a tragedy for the victims and their families, it's as well to remember that a similar number of people die on the roads world wide . . . [Full text of this article]

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Dunnill, P. (2007). Pandemic preparedness is like house insurance. BMJ 335: 59-59 [Full text]  
• Chu, S. (2007). Evaluating pandemic risk. BMJ 335: 59-60 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Is your guess like mine?

Hilary Butler
bmj.com, 29 Jun 2007 [Full text]

Mo Delamothe

Elona Craggs
bmj.com, 29 Jun 2007 [Full text]

FAFfing about: BFF on bird flu

Greg Dworkin, MD
bmj.com, 29 Jun 2007 [Full text]

Re: Mo Delamothe

Tony Delamothe
bmj.com, 29 Jun 2007 [Full text]

Sir, do you have information that no one else has?

Nancy C. Owens
bmj.com, 29 Jun 2007 [Full text]

response to Tony Delamothe's questions

Greg Dworkin, MD
bmj.com, 29 Jun 2007 [Full text]

Yes, just FAFfing about.

Helen Neish
bmj.com, 30 Jun 2007 [Full text]

More response: Egypt, via WHO

Greg Dworkin, MD
bmj.com, 30 Jun 2007 [Full text]

Who cares about column inches?

Susan Chu
bmj.com, 30 Jun 2007 [Full text]

FAFfing about

Sheila A Edgar
bmj.com, 30 Jun 2007 [Full text]

Hope is not a plan. A plan is not preparedness.

Joel H. Jensen
bmj.com, 30 Jun 2007 [Full text]

Questions to Greg Dworkin.

Hilary Butler
bmj.com, 30 Jun 2007 [Full text]

False assumptions about the speed and limits of evolving viruses

V. Switzer
bmj.com, 30 Jun 2007 [Full text]

Re Hilary Butler's questions

Greg Dworkin, MD
bmj.com, 30 Jun 2007 [Full text]

Pandemic Insurance

Peter Dunnill
bmj.com, 30 Jun 2007 [Full text]

correction

Greg Dworkin, MD
bmj.com, 30 Jun 2007 [Full text]

Re: False assumptions about the speed and limits of evolving viruses

Edna Mode
bmj.com, 30 Jun 2007 [Full text]

AIDS was once jsut 191 victums

Kobie A Marou
bmj.com, 1 Jul 2007 [Full text]

On the nature of concerned peoples

Ellen Rice
bmj.com, 1 Jul 2007 [Full text]

Has the BMJ Gone a Bit Too Far?

Jay Ilangaratne
bmj.com, 2 Jul 2007 [Full text]

Evaluating Pandemic Risk

Susan Chu
bmj.com, 2 Jul 2007 [Full text]

A long fast?

Jane Lawrence
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AIDS is not such a big problem

Dave Null
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FAFfing about

Dr Frank Wells
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Envisioning the worst

David S. Fedson
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Promotional healthscares

John Stone
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re John Stone's comment

Greg Dworkin, MD
bmj.com, 6 Jul 2007 [Full text]

Re: Promotional healthscares

Susan Chu
bmj.com, 8 Jul 2007 [Full text]

Re: Promotional healthscares

V. Switzer
bmj.com, 8 Jul 2007 [Full text]

Re: Re: Promotional healthscares

John Stone
bmj.com, 9 Jul 2007 [Full text]

Re vaccines, predictions, etc

Greg Dworkin, MD
bmj.com, 11 Jul 2007 [Full text]

Re: Re vaccines, predictions, etc

John Stone
bmj.com, 13 Jul 2007 [Full text]

The State of FAF (Fear of Avian Flu)

Luc G. Bonneux, et al.
bmj.com, 13 Jul 2007 [Full text]