LANL scientists to talk bird flu
By ANDY LENDERMAN | The New Mexican
December 5, 2006
Santa Fe lecture will be 7 p.m. Dec. 15 at SFCC
People can protect themselves from bird flu, or an avian influenza pandemic, and scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory want to help.
A global outbreak has yet to occur, but there are many things to learn about the potential catastrophe, including its background, current status, biology and government policy, according to lab officials.
Lab scientists are hitting the road this month for a series of free public lectures in Taos, Los Alamos, Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The first "Frontiers in Science" lecture is 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Taos Convention Center.
"What we're going to provide is a scientific understanding for the public so they can interpret the information that's being provided," microbiologist Gary Resnick said.
Health officials around the world are currently watching the avian influenza virus H5N1, which is commonly called bird flu.
The general concern is the virus could someday mutate and spread quickly from human to human, starting a massive outbreak called a pandemic.
Government officials, including the New Mexico Department of Health, have worked on emergency plans in case the disease ever overwhelms the government's ability to handle it.
For example, a massive outbreak could impact the number of police, firefighters and hospital beds available to help New Mexicans who get sick. As much as 30 percent of the population could become ill in New Mexico, according to one state report.
"We're starting to understand that these very robust social systems -- you can't depend on them during a major catastrophe," Resnick said. Instead, communities and individuals may have to depend on themselves.
"This is very much in line with the growing understanding that one can't depend on the federal cavalry to ride in and make everything well," Resnick said, speaking of large-scale disasters.
The lab has been heavily involved in avian influenza work.
Researchers have used supercomputers to model how a bird flu pandemic could sweep the country and infect as much as 54 percent of the country.
And lab researchers continue to work on The Influenza Sequence Database, an effort to help scientists study how the virus evolves.
After the Taos lecture, the others are scheduled for:
_ 7 p.m. Monday in Duane W. Smith Auditorium at Los Alamos High School.
_ 7 p.m. Dec. 13, at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, 2401 12th St. NW, Albuquerque.
_ 7 p.m. Dec. 15 at Santa Fe Community College, 6401 Richards Ave.
By ANDY LENDERMAN | The New Mexican
December 5, 2006
Santa Fe lecture will be 7 p.m. Dec. 15 at SFCC
People can protect themselves from bird flu, or an avian influenza pandemic, and scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory want to help.
A global outbreak has yet to occur, but there are many things to learn about the potential catastrophe, including its background, current status, biology and government policy, according to lab officials.
Lab scientists are hitting the road this month for a series of free public lectures in Taos, Los Alamos, Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The first "Frontiers in Science" lecture is 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Taos Convention Center.
"What we're going to provide is a scientific understanding for the public so they can interpret the information that's being provided," microbiologist Gary Resnick said.
Health officials around the world are currently watching the avian influenza virus H5N1, which is commonly called bird flu.
The general concern is the virus could someday mutate and spread quickly from human to human, starting a massive outbreak called a pandemic.
Government officials, including the New Mexico Department of Health, have worked on emergency plans in case the disease ever overwhelms the government's ability to handle it.
For example, a massive outbreak could impact the number of police, firefighters and hospital beds available to help New Mexicans who get sick. As much as 30 percent of the population could become ill in New Mexico, according to one state report.
"We're starting to understand that these very robust social systems -- you can't depend on them during a major catastrophe," Resnick said. Instead, communities and individuals may have to depend on themselves.
"This is very much in line with the growing understanding that one can't depend on the federal cavalry to ride in and make everything well," Resnick said, speaking of large-scale disasters.
The lab has been heavily involved in avian influenza work.
Researchers have used supercomputers to model how a bird flu pandemic could sweep the country and infect as much as 54 percent of the country.
And lab researchers continue to work on The Influenza Sequence Database, an effort to help scientists study how the virus evolves.
After the Taos lecture, the others are scheduled for:
_ 7 p.m. Monday in Duane W. Smith Auditorium at Los Alamos High School.
_ 7 p.m. Dec. 13, at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, 2401 12th St. NW, Albuquerque.
_ 7 p.m. Dec. 15 at Santa Fe Community College, 6401 Richards Ave.