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The potential for a global epidemic of human-to-human transmitted avian influenza has, over the past few years, produced a raft of textual response. One among many, and one of the few fictional texts focused specifically on bird flu, is Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America, a made-for-television movie that aired on ABC during sweeps week this past May, 2006. While not a commercial success, it is notable for two important factors: in the first place, its enactment of certain national fantasies about citizenship and national belonging, played out in its idea not of the illness itself, but of recovery from it; and in the second place, its location (and self-location) within a constantly evolving, everexpanding set of authorized discourses about influenza, transnational movement, and national responses, discourses emanating from medical journalism, popular science, and government officials.

The film opens with text and voice-over that stakes its claim to be a part of, rather than on the border of, officially sanctioned statements about avian influenza. Large-print, all-capitals white text appears on a plain black background in the manner of an emergency warning or a newsreel, and is read by a deep male voice, stating that “The H5N1 virus is currently infecting wild birds and poultry in 48 countries in Asia, Europe, the middle east, and Africa. Human cases have been limited and have resulted in approximately 125 deaths.” It goes on to limit the threat in a manner that simultaneously opens up other possible outcomes:“According to experts [….] So far, there has not been a known transmission of the disease in the form which could fuel a pandemic.[…] Scientists continue to …