Via the Iowa State Daily: Avian flu could hit hard on campuses. Excerpt:

An outbreak of avian flu in the United States could threaten college students more than other segments of the population, a disease control expert said.

Dr. Nancy Cox, chief of the influenza division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said influenza outbreaks can severely affect college students because infections spread more easily in environments with high concentrations of people, such as dorms.

"We have seen large outbreaks occur in university and college populations during pandemics in the past," Cox said.

She spoke at the Iowa Community Conference, an annual meeting of community leaders from throughout Iowa's 4th Congressional District, which was held Thursday at the Scheman Building. Rep. Tom Latham, R-Iowa, hosted the conference, which featured presentations designed to prepare Iowa communities to face new challenges.

It's encouraging to see at least some post-secondary institutions start to think about H5N1, but educating educators is always a challenge.