Emergency medicine physician Dr. Eric Larson, who is the director of the Disaster Preparedness Program at MUSC, discusses the likelihood as well as consequences of an avian influenza epidemic. He explains the mechanism of transmission along with effects of avian flu on the human immune system. Dr. Larson walks through the course of the illness in human beings and also addresses potential preventive and treatment measures in the case of human to human transmission. He concludes this emergency medicine podcast by discussing some of the resources set in place as part of the disaster preparedness plan for an avian influenza outbreak.