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The
Daily Gyro January 17, 2006 Flu Season, Duck Season, Flu Season, Duck Season, Duck Season, Flu Season Is bird flu a Medusa or some Clash of the Titans kraken monster? Is the plan to ride some sort of Pegasus to shoot down all the birds before they get to Greek shores? Greece and Cyprus have long been victims of invasions from the East, but the latest threat from neighboring Turkey may be the hardest one against which to defend – bird flu. Since bird flu was discovered in Turkey in recent weeks, having taken several lives there, Greece and Cyprus have both been preparing for it to spread. On Monday, Greece tasked 200 army veterinarians to defend against a possible outbreak. (Why does the Greek army need vets? Mad cows on the loose? Herding stray cats in the villages?) The Greek Agriculture Ministry is spending $1.2 million to equip local authorities with masks, goggles, gloves, disinfectant and other supplies. Besides the army vets, three 10-member mobile units are ready to report to any areas with suspected cases. This outward show of readiness is in contrast to statements from the Greek Health Minister Kaklamanis last week that there is no need to panic over the spread of bird flu. In his comments to Greek newspaper Naftemporiki, the minister also added that the European Commission had approved Greece’s action plan against bird flu, codenamed: “Perseus”. Being firm believers that a codename should mean something, we’re stumped on the Perseus moniker. Is bird flu a Medusa or some Clash of the Titans kraken monster? Is the plan to ride some sort of Pegasus to shoot down all the birds before they get to Greek shores? Speaking of shooting, Cyprus last week imposed a ban on duck hunting, citing migratory birds as the most likely method of bird flu transmission. We’re a little confused about the strategy here. Are these ducks just flying over Cyprus on their way somewhere else? If they make a pit stop on the island, wouldn’t it be better to shoot them down before they hit the shore? Maybe instead of worrying about migratory ducks they should be worried about migratory people.
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