Reuters AlertNet - FEATURE-Don't forget the killer diseases, experts urge

Reuters AlertNet - FEATURE-Don't forget the killer diseases, experts urge:

"While every human death from bird flu commands widespread attention, some experts are urging the world not to forget killer diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, which claim millions of lives each year."

Comment: As far as I can figure out, an epidemic of flu breaks out every year, and kills tens of thousands of people worldwide. Flu is a nasty disease, and worth the attention of researchers and public health officials. Every few decades there is an antigenic shift in the flu and a pandemic occurs. The last couple of these killed a few million people each. This is comparable to the numbers of people killed each and every year by malaria, TB, etc. I agree with the article cited above that, while it is important to prepare for the next flu pandemic, it is even more important that researchers and public health officials keep their eyes on the diseases that cause millions of deaths every year.

The Spanish flu that occurred around the time of the World War I appears to have been much more serious than other recorded flu pandemic, killing many tens of millions of people. Evidence is accumulating as to why it was so lethal, and that evidence may help to avoid another such pandemic. Few people are left who recall that pandemic, and we are prone to ignore possibilities of repeats of events that have not occurred in our lifetime. Bad mistake! But equally, we should proceed realizing that there is perhaps only one chance in a hundred of such a pandemic occurring again in the next few years. jad