Many Nevadans seem to feel the matter of H5N1 -- or "bird flu" -- is much ado about nothing. They do not fear the disease, nor do they feel it will afflict very many Americans. I disagree with that assessment and urge you to consider some new information.

While the information refers to birds in Montana and Canada, you need look no farther than the wildlife management area near Alamo, the duck ponds of eastern Nye County around Railroad Valley or the habitat north of Yerington in Mason Valley as possible Nevada sources of the bird flu.

As a diabetic, I tend to rely on my endocrinologist from the Bay Area for information on such matters. More than a year ago, he sounded the alarm bell and suggested that I stockpile a couple of prescriptions in case the bird flu showed up. He gave me prescriptions for these drugs and, although my insurance would not pay for them, I paid cash up front and put them away in the refrigerator "just in case."

Recently I inquired, "Do you still think these drugs should be kept on hand in case a vaccine for this particular virus is not developed?"

Absolutely, he responded. And he passed along some information labeled "recombinomics commentary" dated just six weeks ago. I looked up his sources and found the following:

Colorado State University tested 66 Northern Pintail ducks. Hunters like me have seen plenty of pintails in our rural areas, including Lincoln, White Pine, Eureka and Lander counties. Sixteen were sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Iowa, and some samples tested positive for H5, some were positive for N1 and one was positive for both. H5N1 is the current designation for the feared bird flu.

The samples were collected about six weeks ago at Benton Lakes, near Great Falls, by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

"The above comments provide additional information on the screening program in the United States and help explain the difference between reports from Canada, which reported multiple H5 subtypes in 2005, and the United States, which reported only H5N1 in 2006," according to the report.

H5N1 was detected in Manitoba, H5N2 and H5N9 were positive in British Columbia and H5N3 was detected in Quebec.

To the south, according to the report, "The United States has reported H5N1 in Michigan, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Montana."

Former Nevada Department of Wildlife biologist Jim Lusk helps validate my concern. "If it comes out of the prairies of Canada, that's the breeding ground and that is where it all happens.

"I don't know if any flyway in the nation will be safe. Once it gets started up there, I don't know how it will be stopped."

Lusk added: "Certainly, wherever you've got water ... you would expect some of those birds to show up."

He said those birds up in Canada could pose a threat to the Pacific flyway, which includes Nevada.

There is an increasing number of reports about H5N1. A report form MSNBC.com dated a couple of weeks ago said, "Scientists have discovered a new strain of bird flu that appears to sidestep current vaccines." The new strain is said to be infecting people as well as poultry in Asia. It was detailed in the late October issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

According to MSNBC's report, "The new variant has become the primary version of the bird flu in several provinces of China and spread to Hong Kong, Laos, Malaysia and Thailand." It is being called H5N1 Fujian-like, to distinguish it from earlier Hong Kong and Vietnam varieties."

I have no greater trust of a doctor than I have for my endocrinologist. And I know no better expert on rural Nevada flyways, birds and other game than my friend, the biologist Jim Lusk.

Lusk said, relying on my reports from Montana and Canada, "If they've got it up there, unless it just dies and goes away, I think it is prudent to expect it to get worse and possibly show up here."

You can choose to accept these reports or ignore them, as most are doing at this time. Perhaps it is not prudent to be concerned until the disease hits closer to home.

It's your call, but I'm keeping my safeguards refrigerated and ready.

Bill Roberts is a veteran journalist in Tonopah. His column appears Wednesday. Contact him at broberts@reviewjournal.com.