20060102

H5N1 - Deep fried!


I had a lovely eye infection for the last few days while I was in Bangkok which lasted a total of 12 days. I was considering wearing my new H5N1 t-shirt that I got at the Indy Book Festival in Bangkok just a while back, I had to scratch that idea since I had a touch of bronchitis (according to the US medical personnel) which they declined to treat. I had this weird suspicion they wanted to let me incubate... as I left the 'unmentioned facility' the employee let me know that they'd be sure to start me on Tamiflu if needed - that's great, but I was going out of town again for another week or so - nothing like preventative medicine. Apparently, no one will become famous for 'discovering' bird flu in my body this time. I was asked if I was near any poultresque type creatures - I said, no, not exactly...

This image was taken in early November on the edge of Cambodian civilization (where the paved road meets the unpaved). You cannot live your life in fear, you must heed the warnings, but use your own judgement as well (if it's good that is...). I'm not saying that I didn't shooo the chickens that walked under my dinner table, but don't let the media overload your sensibilities.

Well cooked chicken that you didn't handle/cuddle/kill beforehand will not harm you. In the end, the real danger will not be the chickens themselves, but people transmitting H5N1 around the globe to one another.

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