H1N1 flu is still spreading. In North America, the number of cases may have passed the 100,000 mark; and cases in Japan may tip us into a pandemic. Yet Europe claims it doesn鈥檛 have evidence of 鈥渟ustained transmission鈥� of the virus.
That鈥檚 hardly surprising, as Europe isn鈥檛 doing the relevant tests (see 鈥淓urope is failing to test for circulating swine flu鈥�). Do governments fear that if they discover the virus is spreading, people with sniffles will swallow antivirals unnecessarily and spawn a drug-resistant strain? Whatever the reason, mad cows taught the UK that refusing to see 鈥� and tell 鈥� the truth about disease is unwise. If H1N1 is spreading elsewhere, it is unlikely to peter out in Europe. The authorities have had years to draw up pandemic plans. Yet they appear as ill-prepared to track the spread of this virus as they are to make a vaccine for it.
