Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that during the past two years, resistance of H1N1 and H5N1 to the drug Oseltamivir — marketed as Tamiflu — has increased sharply, indicating that the H5N1 bird flu virus has mutated and adapted. These scientific data suggest that a nightmare — the outbreak of a new flu strain among humans — will soon be upon us.
China may be able to conceal the spread of H5N1 from public view, but people in Taiwan, being such close neighbors of China, cannot afford to ignore the approaching nightmare, because H5N1 bird flu can cross national borders at any time.
Mayo Kuo is a Taiwan-based pediatrician. His elder brother Max Kuo is a US-based pediatrician.
TRANSLATED BY TED YANG AND JULIAN CLEGG
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