The following information could save your life. At least, it will make you think twice about buying a live duck from that street vendor you met in Chinatown.



Since 2004, by far the most talked about worldwide health issue has been the H5N1 virus, also known as avian influenza or bird flu. The recent breakouts in Asia, as well as the prospects of the virus to become the next pandemic, have grabbed our attention. Now that we live in the digital age, information travels instantly through the Internet like a virus (pun intended). Therefore one of the biggest symptoms of the breakout (bad pun intended) has been the vast array of information available on the Web on bird flu.



But what information can be trusted? Like most other topics, there is a lot of trustworthy information on the Web about avian flu, but, as is characteristic of the Web, there may be a great deal of junk to cut through to find it. For example, try Google-ing "bird flu cures". Chances are that you will find a lot of hoaxes and bogus cures and sites. Commercial sites have sprung up everywhere, taking advantage of widespread panic to sell any potion they can as a cure or defense against avian influenza. These sites have become smarter than ever, so sometimes it is hard to distinguish real from fake.



This problem gets worse in developing countries, where the threat is more real. In the third world the problem is often lack of access to good sites on the disease, whether that is due to socioeconomic constraints, limits to the abilities of internet connections, or restrictions enforced by non-democratic governments. It is these countries where the bird flu is most likely to hit, and where the least good information is available.



So the question remains, what information can be trusted? The best places to go for information on avian flu are government websites and sites exclusively dedicated to medical news and journalism. These sites do not try to sell drugs, so their information tends to be impartial and to have the people's best interest in mind. Medical newswires are read by professionals, so they need to have their information correct, because they could be legally liable if their information is wrong. Don't you just love America?

Here are some of the best online resources for info about avian flu:

1. www.pandemicflu.gov/: This website from the Centers for Disease Control gives good general information targeted to the general public, describing the dangers of the virus as well as practical preventative measures to take.

2. www.scidev.net/: The website from the Science and Development Network. Here you will find comprehensive article and updates on many scientific subjects, including bird flu.

3. www.medicalnewstoday.com/: This website provides constant updates and up-to-the-minute information on all things medical, including bird flu. A must visit site for the latest developments.

4. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/: The online database of the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. Here you can find truly in-depth information about the H5N1 virus. For those who want to know everything. Also see PubMed (5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi)

6. www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/: This is a truly comprehensive site by the World Health Organization about Avian influenza. The site provides all of the information needed for people around the world, including a fact sheet, an up-to-date map of where the virus is spreading, a protocol on how to contain the virus, what can be done to reduce risk of spreading the virus, and updates and articles on the latest developments.