[jdumars]

link $this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he mumps outbreak is the nation's largest in 20 years, according to Allen. "We suspect it was importation from another country. There was an ongoing outbreak in Great Britain recently," Allen said. "But we can't confirm that was the source."

Still, he added, "Many of these diseases [mumps and others] are just a plane ride away." Mumps is caused by a virus and spread by coughing and sneezing, but it is not "as contagious as influenza or measles," Allen said.

Doctors say that dealing with the mumps outbreak provides a testing opportunity for outbreaks of other diseases, such as bird flu. It also tests a system put into place after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to deal more effectively with biological emergencies.

"We can take this mumps epidemic as kind of a fire drill for what might happen if bird flu suddenly became transmissible to humans and was introduced into the United States," said Dr. William Schaffner of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

[jdumars]

the masses have spoken.... link

[bobcousins]

And this is related to energy news because...?

[ashurbanipal]

The way the question is phrased--"could it be" just meaning "is it a logical possibility"--the answer is obviously yes. Of course that's one possibility. But I don't consider it very likely.