AVIAN FLU UPDATE:

One of the biggest brokerage firms in Canada is sounding an alarm over the potential economic disaster that could result from an influenza pandemic. . . .

Some of the repercussions projected in the report, were a pandemic were to break out, include:

A dramatic slowdown in the economy, equal to the Great Depression. A rampant decline in spending would result from people panicking, which would put a sudden stop in spending.

High levels of unemployment, with many people unable to work.
Travel restrictions on the free-flow of goods and people across borders. “In a world that depends so heavily on global trade, this would have a very damaging effect on economic activity,” said Cooper.

Regardless of whether avian flu breaks out, a new flu pandemic is a near-certainty at some point. (Via Newsbeat 1, which also has a link to the PDF of the full report).