Journals are, of course, only one source of information for health and scientific research, and may be over-relied upon, especially in emergencies. International bodies such as WHO provided efficient regular [4] updates during both emergencies, as did local health bodies such as the Health Protection Agency in the UK [5] and the Centers for Disease Control in the US [6] . Face-to-face meetings and teleconferences provide further mechanisms for sharing of information, and when linked to sharing of resources were powerful catalysts for accelerating influenza research. PLoS itself launched an experimental site, PLoS Currents: Influenza (http://knol.google.com/k/plos-currents-influenza#) for early sharing of information after only the lightest of moderation.