Poll finds Americans worried about bird flu

The Harvard School of Public Health released the results of a poll by Bob Blendon and his team that asked Americans about their views on avian flu. The results are not particularly surprising. The majority (57 percent) say they are worried about the possibility of an avian flu pandemic. An equally large number (68 percent) say they would stay at home with their children if a pandemic did break out. That, the polls authors concede, would likely be bad news for the economy. The  poultry industry also got a shot of bad new: 46 percent of respondents said they will stop eating chicken if a pandemic does break out. Importantly, there is solid support for the idea of quarantines with 83 percent of respondents saying they would be willing to be quarantined for two to three weeks if they catch the virus.

- see this article from the Houston Chronicle
- see the report from the Harvard School of Public Health

PLUS: Some public policy wonks are raising the alarm about conditions in the U.S. poultry processing industry, where uninsured and migrant workers are common. Poor supervision of workers, who often go without access to basic care, could pose a significant threat if H5N1 spreads to the poultry population, they argue. Article

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