Alison O'Connor: Mistrust of official guidelines on the flu outbreak can be contagious

Nations and health officials are working to protect everyone, but too many people see conspiracy.

John Snow was a doctor in London in the 1800s. He believed there was more to people dying from diseases, such as the bubonic plague, than simply pollution or poverty.

In the summer of 1854, the city’s Soho district, which was filthy and had not yet been reached by the sewer system, was hit by anoutbreak of cholera. Dr Snow discovered the source of the outbreak was a public water pump.