This is from Fla_Medic. 

Good job Fla_Medic!

New bird flu cases in Kurdish Iraq

Al-Sulaimaniya, Iraq/Cairo (dpa) - A fresh bird flu scare has erupted in the Kurdish region in northern Iraq with reports of 162 suspected cases almost two weeks after a 15-year-old girl died of the deadly strain.

In the Thursday issue of pan-Arab daily al-Hayat, the head of the pre-emption committee in the Kurdistan Province Najm Eddin Mohammed announced that 162 people have been admitted to the diagnosis center on suspicion of contracting the virus.

Mohammed told al-Hayat that the virus has proliferated throughout Rania, a region southwest of al-Sulaymania on the border with Turkey, and described the influx as a "crisis."

http://tinyurl.com/ae7ua - http://tinyurl.com/ae7ua

I suspect that this is what happened in Turkey also but the government there cracked down so hard on the release of any new info that it was not allowed to be reported, same as everywhere. Folks in light of this it looks like we are staring into the face of the pandemic! And it's only going to get worse! Maybe it has already re-combined due to the flu season and gone H2H! One things for sure WHO is not going to report that that's the case until they have their back against the wall and nowhere to go!

Meewee

Is this cluster of outbreaks the beginning of H2H?

Will WHO drag their feet in changing the alert level to a 4?

Lots of questions and not enough time.

Hopefully we will heard from someone who has a soldier there that can enlighten us on what really is happening.

Rick...I, too, am prepping because I do not want to be in the middle of the "mad rush"!  I live in the North and when they predict snow the stores are jammed.    I, too, feel Dr. Niman know what he is talking about. 

This 162 suspected cases...not much out about it.  I guess we will have to have patience.  I can't believe how the info is always sooooooo confusing!

I don't care what level they give it right now. WHO just updated their numbers and only show 1 death in Iraq. They are still waiting on 2 other tests to be returned from last week. I can't wait until it can be confirmed about what is going on in northern Iraq. WHO won't even be there until early next week and if there are 162 people that are suspected then that sounds pretty alarming to me. How can 162 people in a small area become ill all at once if it is not even just the regular flu?

I hope tonight we can get more information. This is the closest I've been to the edge of my seat. I don't want to have to depend on the WHO to tell me anything because I think that will be too late. They have to confirm and substantiate everything which takes too darn long if you ask me. If you are smart you will read between the lines or go with your gut instinct.

I don't want to have a knee jerk reaction but at the same time I don't want to get caught empty handed either. I think you need to be independent in your decisions because if you wait on WHO to raise the level then I feel it will be too late. Read as much as you can about it. Google like crazy and learn. Educate yourself and be proactive because the world will be reactive to this.

Okay, off my soapbox but dog gone....this is getting intense....I need a glass of adult beverage.....hey one more thing to add to my rations!

I believe the numbers will fall out in the next 24 hours.  I believe internet users will have advance notice over main stream news.  I believe it will take a drastic measure to panic most Americans.  The 162 in Iraq will not do that, even if true - just my thought.  The adult beverage either way has a long shelf life.