OK, I am truly not a paranoid person (really!), but the news today from Indonesia where 7 people in one family have died is promting me to share a bit of info I have from a very credible source. Below is info from a friend (yes, someone I actually do know) who works for the Feds as an information specialist in charge of public information. They are, indeed, preparing for bird flu in this country. Stock up, Ladies!

Here's the note:

It's not a slam dunk that it will happen (if so probably late summer) . . . but if this doesn't happen, something similar will. We're due for a pandemic.

Three things scare me. First, our immune systems won't really help us much. That's why 1 out of 2 people who get it are dying. Second, if indeed we identify any successful vaccines or anti-viral medications, the supply will be tiny. Third, someone can be infected between 2 to 8 days before showing symptoms.

The time to get serious is when either of the following occurs:

Human to human transmission
Bird flu shows up in North America

Those two warning signs should trigger a few things:

1. Stop all unnecessary travel.
2. Wash your hands frequently . . . and stop shaking hands in business meetings and other settings
3. Stockpile some supplies . . . If there is widespread absenteeism, infrastructure can start to suffer, i.e. power, phones or water could go out. We're planning to have a 3 week supply of canned goods, plus one gallon of water per day per person for 3 weeks.

Your best and maybe only defense will be limiting contact. Hate to sound alarmist, but if a pandemic breaks out, it could get very, very ugly.