My grandmother died in Baltimore, MD, in 1918 of the "Spanish Flu". I am very leery of this new "bird flu".
You can prepare for the bird flu in a way that they couldn't. If you are concerned, talk to your doctor about a few prescriptions of tamiflu or relenza (if they still make that one.) Also, a prescription of broad spectrum antibiotics might be a good idea. Many were not killed by the virus but rather by secondary bacterial infections. I have a box of relenza from around 2001 that I have been holding on to. I know it has some side effects for some people, but I was on it in 2000 or so and it made the flu more managable and less dangerous. Perhaps planning ahead now before the supply crunch of a pandemic might be the best course of action.
Both my parents (bless their souls), were one year old in 1918, both survived the flu.
My great-uncle and namesake, from Rockville MD, died of it just days after having been inducted into the Navy. His portrait hangs in my office.
I believe the war was "called" on account of the flu. Everyone was running out of fighting age men.
Some notes from two different sources:
"The influenza of 1918-1919 was a influenza virus had a profound virulence, with a mortality rate at 2.5% ..."
From another source:
"Avian influenza is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses. ... and has a mortality rate that can reach 90-100% often within 48 hours. ..."
I've also read where the experts expect (hope?) the avian flu moratlity rate will decrease IF it ever goes human to human.