Bird flu: An ill wind from the East

It’s not a question of if, but when; bird flu will break out of Asia and the world is pathetically unprepared to deal with it. And if the rapidly evolving disease mutates into a form that is easily transmissible among humans, millions will die in the ensuing pandemic in poor and rich countries alike, including an estimated half a million in the US. Vietnam recorded its 39th fatality on Thursday.