# Bird flu expert says 50% of population could die: WTF??

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-flu-expert-says-50-of-population-could-die-wtf/348771>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [March 17, 2006, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-flu-expert-says-50-of-population-could-die-wtf/348771 "2006-03-17T16:34:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-flu-expert-says-50-of-population-could-die-wtf/348771/21 "2006-03-18T07:06:47Z")

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> [@Wesley Clark](#):
>
> Humanity mosied on down the road after the Black death and we’d do the same even if half the world died of H5N1. It would be a tradegy the likes of which we can’t imagine, but civilization would go on.

Yes, yes, I understood your point. I just thought it was humorous in a grim way…

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**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-flu-expert-says-50-of-population-could-die-wtf/348771/22 "2006-03-18T07:28:09Z")

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> [@tomndebb](#):
>
> Between H5N1 and BSE, I’m investing heavily in pork and in vegetarian cookbooks.

Assuming the safety of the pork supply could be rather tricky, no? Sis?

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**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-flu-expert-says-50-of-population-could-die-wtf/348771/23 "2006-03-27T08:53:37Z")

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[QUOTE=Jackmannii]  
We shouldn’t forget that [the swine flu pandemic](http://www.haverford.edu/biology/edwards/disease/viral_essays/warnervirus.htm) of the mid-'70s killed hundreds of millions of people.

QUOTE]

Don’t listen to Jackmannii, people!  
It was hundreds of billions!  
Why didn’t anybody get prepared! It was predicted by the world’s leading health authorities!!!  
More to the OP, though. I think that most “leading authorities” usually have some interest in making wild statements, or are just plain loco. IIRC, there are a bunch of Nobel prize winners that come up with some of the most bizarre, off the wall ideas as well as their Prize winning performances.

In addition, in an epidemic, it \*could \* be spread to outer space. Probably, however, the mortality rate will be no where near 1%.  
hh

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