Track that Swine!

So, apparently, we're all going to die. Not from Anthrax, not from Avian Flu, not from Mad Cow Disease, but from Swine flu. The new flu trend sweeping nation... and Mexico.

As my great-grandmother said to me yesterday, "I lived through the Spanish Influenza of 1918. No pigs are going to scare me." Thanks granny, that was great.

If, however, you are unlike my granny and are less concerned about Spanish flu and more concerned about Swine flu, we can help.

Inspired by Google's flu tracker that appears every winter to track cases of the flu around the country, Swine flu trackers have started to emerge. Individuals can report suspected cases or confirmed cases to keep the world in the know.

The CDC has also created its own emergency page to keep people updated about the latest porcine developments.

While all this newfangled technology does make it easier to track and possibly contain pandemics, it also makes the world a lot more paranoid. Since we can watch every case as its diagnosed, we sensationalize the news ourselves, no Hearst or Pulitzer necessary. Such an intense focus on one problem creates epidemic fear.

For the most part, however, I think these trackers are amazing ways of not only informing the world about new developments, but informing medical workers. It lets agencies like the Red Cross know where situations are the worst to provide help as soon as possible.