It is frightening to many and interesting to a few, how the idea of a different strain of flu can catch the attention of the world and divert its attention away from war, economic disaster and need to provide health care for the multitudes.

The so-called "swine" flu is another variation of a disease that runs its course every few years and returns in a slightly different form the next time.  Vaccines developed for last year's visitation do not work on the new variation.  During some years millions have died without any cure at all either in the works or promised for the future.

The flu is not a cold caused by bacteria. It is a "virus" and has a life form that is difficult to replicate in the laboratory and is notorious for being able to shift its form so that vaccines will not work on new varieties that are sure to appear just as the former one becomes "manageable".  In fact, the flu is not really manageable.  It runs its course, kills many and then changes its form.

A book I constantly reread by Stephen King called, "The Stand", is based on the reality of biological agents being produced in Government laboratories for the next conflagration between nations.  In The Stand, the world is depopulated by about 9/10ths and is spread by a carrier who escaped a government laboratory deep in the desert of southwest U.S. and infects everyone he meets.  The rapidly developing spread of the virus becomes world-wide and that, for me, is the end of the story.  My interest was in how the survivors would reestablish the United States and re-invent society.

Interestingly, it is in Egypt that the government has involved itself in containing the "swine" flu by ordering the slaughter of hogs in that country.  The complication is that the flu does not really originate with the swine but with humans who spread it among themselves.  In Egypt, the Moslems do not eat pork or pork products but Christians do.  Christians raise the pigs and collect the communities' garbage which feed the pigs.  There is something other than the spread of this particular strain of flu working in that country.

If it is a germ, the cold or infection can be stopped by medication.  The virus that causes the various strains of flu over the years does not react to the agents that kill or control colds, Tuberculosis or other germ caused diseases can be cured but the flu virus is causing panic worldwide and probably justifiably.  We have learned a lot about microscopic life forms but the virus has yet to be tamed.