Mini Saga - Bath by the Fountain

Preamble:

Influenza – derivation to influence or to flow

The current bird flu is caused by the H5N1 influenza virus.

This can be carried by birds, which migrate annually between breeding grounds, and winter feeding; the cause of migration is a science in itself. On their flight they may stop to feed and to rest at recognised transits. These routes may be over thousands of miles. In Britain we have birds which visit as far away as Australia.

In Asian countries, you can find teeming millions of the poor; who depend largely on poultry for their protein. When people live in close proximity to large numbers of poultry, scientists have recently discovered that bird viruses can mutate and jump species, so affecting the human race.

Such an event occurred in 1918. I remember when such a virus reached County Cork, a place still almost post-famine and when mass emigration was rife.

Mini-saga:

Fly away birdie;

Where will you drop?

Bath ¹ by the fountain;

Eat the corn crop.

Clappers may frighten you,

As worms you seek.

Now, high rise and rubbish

Bins all over the place.

Even condoms and needles,

As the Afghanistan race,

Grow poppies to feed

Modern drug cultures and craze

Rose Lynch 8-Mar-2006

(¹ Bath city has a Roman fountain)