You might have to be an avid reader of medical journals—or a poultry farmer—to notice that the United States is in the midst of a slow-motion disease disaster.

The disease is avian influenza, and though it has not, as yet, affected any people, it is wreaking havoc nonetheless. As of Monday, almost 26 million chickens and turkeys have either died, or been killed to keep the disease from spreading. Three states—Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin—have declared states of emergency. Layoffs have begun at poultry farms, and the industry is warning that there may not be enough surviving turkeys to  fill tables at Thanksgiving. The federal government has released $330 million in emergency funds, and in Minnesota, the National Guard