Bird Flu - "Where are you?"

[Davaroo]

The Eagles used to sing a song called "Dirty Laundry," the point of which was that bad news is the only kind that makes an impact.

Is the government in on a conspriacy here, with avain flu? Of course they are, or not, depending on your point of view.
If you actually read what they say, you'll say no.

If you do some research, you'll learn the the flu epidemic of 1916-1918 killed millions of people, something like 6 million in America alone and quintuple that worldwide. Maybe more, I dont recall the exact numbers. It has been said that it likely came from an avian source, too, just like all influenza's do.
Things were very different then, economically, medically and sociologically - but people aren't. There is precedence for a pandemic.

I was wondering, because I have been out of chicken touch for awhile and so wanted to hear what was new on the Flu Front.

And a big tip of the hat to my old friend, Spotted Crow!

{{{muwaaaah!}}}

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Sorry but this is incorrect.

Avian influenza (bird flu) is quite common in North America, mainly among migratory ducks etc but it does show up in domestic poultry from time to time.

The only thing that there's no reported instances of in N.Am. is the H5N1 strain that can be fatal in humans.

I do not think people should panic about avian flu in any way shape or form, but I do think it's a good idea to have correct information.

And personally I would bet good money that at some time in the next century, who knows whether it will be this year or 99 years from now or what, there probably *will* be a global flu pandemic of some severity, and chances are reasonably good it will derive from some strain of bird flu. Based on past track record. That does not mean we should all run around in a panic, or Kill All Birds, or anything like that - it's just something to be aware of on your radar. <shrug>

Pat

 

[speckledhen]

Hey, David, buddy! Good to see you around. Nope, bird flu faded away. NEXT!

 

[greyfields]

I know H5N1 was in England this year; and an untold ammount of people have died from it in the Far East pretty recently. I don't think we're out of the woods on this one. I just hope the preparations being made help minimize the impact to smallholders like we are.

I was in England during one of the foot & mouth culls, where hundreds of thousdands of animals (it may have been millions) were culled, buried or burnt. You could smell it pervading the countryside. It was gut wrenching.

I am all for any system in place for tracking animal movement and identification. The absence of such system means government officials will have no choice but to draw circles on maps and order "kill it all".

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

They bird flu is not really something to be scared of. As long as us the owners of chickens try to protect our birds and the goverment keeps an eye out on it comming to our country we shouldnt be scared. We should only be prepared. the time to be scared is when it comes knowing that everyone did there best to stop it. Hopfully they did. I just hope the goverment doesn't do something stupid and hurt the owners of byc's.

 

[rhetoric]

The media tells us what is important. "The agenda-setting function." I don't know what actual human infections were this year, but last year they were considerably higher than they had been the year before, but reporting of it was down considerably. In otherwords, they got bored with bird flu as a news item and moved on to something else.

That year they were hyping it ("avian experts are saying it is surely going to go pandemic this year...") I was living with my family in Kenya and watching the news and seeing the people in England in yellow bio/hazmat suits disinfecting and sterilizing and quarentining and etc... and seeing the people in Nigeria in barefeet walking over piles of dead chickens throwing them in a pyre. Zioks. I tried not to get nervous about the chickens living in the compound next to us.

Incidently, a chicken (roaster) in Kenya was about the size of a large cornish hen, but the eggs were normal.

 

[EweSheep]

Good to see you David! Long time no see!

Bird flu hype is like a hiccup to me and a good head on my shoulders take the info with a grain of salt. Surely it did happen before but to me, its the third world country living situation makes it possible and the exposure of wild birds getting into the sewers, etc. made the disease possible.

Hopefully it would not be like the black plague of Europe at one time....

 

[hencackle]

Media hype set in place by big Pharma sells drugs and vaccines. The companies and people with the money control the media...it all boils down to greed.

 

[Davaroo]

Hey Cyn! Good to be here. I am really interested in getting another look at your humidity sert up in your Super Cyn-a-bator. Do you think that is something we can arrange?

 

[Beekissed]

I have never read any source in history that told of millions of people dying from avian flu in America. Six million???? My folks were born in that era, I'm sure they would have heard of that, don't you think? I HAVE, however, read sources that state that a total of approx. 300 people have been known to die from this virus in third world countries. I believe it is a scare tactic and the drug companies, mainly Merck, are getting millions! Not only do they develop and manufacture the vaccines but they are getting subsidies from the govt. to do so. Also, they are the manufacturers of the current microchip being pushed by NAIS. I've also read that the research of these pandemics are conducted by certain universities that get large contributions from.....you guessed it, Merck.

Here's a kicker. There is a cancer treatment protocol that is the legal method for treating cancer in all the states except California. If you have a child diagnosed with cancer and choose not to use these protocols, the state can remove them from your care. These protocols were developed by the Merck company. Who manufacturers the most chemotherapy meds.....well, Merck, of course. See a pattern? Don't believe everything you read in the media. Trust your gut instinct...ever personally hear of anyone dying from avian flu? Anyone you know even get sick from it? Then don't get your feathers in a ruffle! Its not worth fretting over.