"Avian influenza is not a challenge. It is a predicament of extraordinary proportions. Doctors must say this loudly and repeatedly. Presently, we are largely silent. "

So says this brief editorial in The Lancet. Written after a meeting of 500 experts on the subject, it warns us that we are still woefully unprepared for a pandemic of a novel, highly pathogenic influenza virus. Despite public assurances from politicians, "experts in Singapore agreed that there are few truly effective and, most importantly, no coordinated global, regional, or national preparedness plans."

A reappraisal of H5N1 avian influenza. The Lancet, 367(9522), 13 May 2006-19 May 2006.

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