Michael Balarama wrote:
> Just dawned on me-that first there was mad cow disease-

BSE/vCJD is *very* different from avian flu. They're not comparable in
any manner.

> now bird flu-where is
> is not safe to eat chicken or eggs--

It's perfectly safe to eat chicken and eggs. The avian flu issue has
*nothing* to do with consumption, but with transmission pathways of
avian viruses from birds to people. The issue appears to be hyped given
the fact than transmission of H5-viruses to humans is very rare (i.e.,
~60 cases resulting in death thus far) and geographically-limited (i.e.,
Southeast Asia).

> I guess that is bad karma for eating meat--

How do you explain the fact that if an avian virus jumps across species
to affect humans, it presumably will affect vegetarians at least as much
as meat-eaters? It's an influenza virus and is spread by contact with
it, not by mere consumption of animals infected with it.

See:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/transmission.htm

<...>