The real China threat?

A mystery disease has killed 17 farmers in China after they handled animal carcasses. Hot on the heels of bird flu and (earlier) SARS, this might make a trifecta of new and deadly diseases to have sprang recently from South China. Like the previous two scares, the suspected cause for this newest infection is a previously animal-only disease making the leap to humans through close proximity contact/improper handling. Although both SARS and bird flu seems contained (or is it?) without causing a feared pandemic, the way the Chinese government handled those crisises displayed a propensity for cover-ups that does not inspire confidence. Looks like they're up to the same ol' tricks of stonewalling the global health organizations.

Meanwhile, speculation continues. Is it a bacteria, as widely reported? Recombinomics suspects it's likely to be viral in nature.

Let's hope this story gets no bigger than this.

(Hat Tip: The Peking Duck)