Buddha: Bird Flu outbreak "alarming"

"It is alarming, but not yet time for panic. Therefore I have also alerted police to intervene so that in these affected areas there will be no movement of birds or marketing of birds. We will also kill birds within a radius of 5-10 kms of the affected area."

I am soooo sure the government will alert us when it IS time to panic, right? If there is a hierarchy of scare levels, like in the US with colors, it might go something like this--

Level 1: Dead Calm with snoring
Level 2: Slight arousal
Level 3: Something's up, I can smell it in the wind
Level 4: I hear bells, alarm, Will Robinson!
Level 5: Now is the time to panic!! Say this thru a megaphone while standing through the sunroof of a Humvee.

And now, from the bird flu anticipation division

Avian influenza .. Out of control

CAIRO, 13 January 2008 (IRIN) - Fifteen new suspected cases of the deadly H5N1 strain of the avian flu virus were reported last week in five governorates in Egypt as government measures to strengthen national pandemic preparedness provoked mixed reactions in Cairo's streets.

Jakarta actually has a hospital in which they have staff manning the Bird Flu Anticipation Division?

In response, the government’s Supreme National Committee for Combating Bird Flu met last week to discuss the current outbreak and to implement measures to combat the spread of bird flu.

"Supreme National Committee for Combating Bird Flu"? I'm glad it wasn't just the Moderately Significant Sub-Committee for Dealing with That Bird Sickness Thing.

I don't know why I'm worried about bird flu. I just am. Now I'm also worried about the penchant for over-naming the response teams.