China confirms girl infected with bird flu

[waynesgarden]

The concern that scientists have is not with the (relatively small) number that have died since 2003. They know that is rare for this virus to jump from bird to human. The concern is that this virus now exists in over 60 countries and the possibility that the virus might mutate, as viruses have been known to do, into one that easily jump species.

PurpleChicken talks about " idiots who think that chickens are some huge vector of disease, something we know thay are not." If thinking that should the virus mutate and chickens could become that "huge vector of disease," then count me among the idiots.

The concern is about that potential and the interest in the scientific and medical community is one of preventing potential outcomes. It should be the concern of the poultry industry and backyard growers also.

I believe a lot of people think that any mere discussion of this topic threatens their backyard flock and the less said about it the better.

Wayne

 

[pips&peeps]

I would like to point out that if you thoroughly read the information about most of these cases, the person infected usually gets it from waterfowl, as they seem to be the vector for transmission.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
No, I was talking about the type of person who thinks that the average
backyard chicken can make them sick. Many of us here have actually
been asked aren't we worried about getting bird flu from our chickens.
I've had neighbors insinuate that they and their dogs became ill from
exposure to my chickens. That comes from general ignorance and
listening to the many reports in the main stream media, just as
Chickefortress suggested.

If you want to misconstrue a statement and take offense by it then be my guest.

 

[waynesgarden]

Maybe I don't spend enough time reading the "main stream media" to see know exactly what information you and ChickenFortress object to. I looked at the CNN report (CNN being "main stream" as far as I'm concerned,) and fail to see anything that is obviously incorrect or alarmist.

Again, I think that to some, any report by the "main stream media" on this subject is one report too many.

That there are some in the public that might ask you about their concerns isn't surprising. I've had people ask me the same thing, people that I wouldn't consider to be idiots. If I ignored information and current reports about the potential problem, then I'd be the idiot in trying to discuss it with those who ask.

Wayne

 

[nnbreeder]

In Asian countries people live with their poultry, bring them in the house at night to keep them safe from predators and theft. There having poultry is often the only income for a family plus it's a food source. They have constant contact with them so it would be easier for the virus to make that jump.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Unfortunately Wayne, there is AMPLE good reason to think that discussion of this topic DOES threaten backyard flocks.

First, because the more non-chicken people hear about and discuss the issue, the more communities are apt to adopt laws/policies that radically restrict or prohibit the keeping of poultry.

And second, because the more wound up about the subject people get, the closer you are to the threshold where something (like an outbreak of NON-h5n1 avian flu) causes the gov't to decide they have to come in and exterminate all domestic birds within a 15 mile radius, sort of thing. (Since the decision of whether to do things like that tends to boil down to p.r. and personal feelings more than evidence-based risk-based calculations).

Both of the above have happened in recent years and are not a totally imaginary concern.

The UNFORTUNATE thing is that the factual 'meat' of the issue is not being well transferred by the media to the populace, with the result that there is an enormous huge amount of misinformation floating around fuelling the above two problems.

Really, I'm with Wayne that this really should be an open topic for discussion... BUT AT THE SAME TIME I think the concerns of those who may think otherwise are not imaginary or unreasonable either. It's a rock and a hard place kind of thing, you knkow?


Pat

 

[orcasislandchickens]

This is not new news. Periodically China reports a few cases. Canada even had a few cases of bird flu several years ago, although investigations showed that they had ORIGINATED in china. Still there was a great deal of concern at the time. This was made worse for me because I was moving across the Canada/US border to the US and had a beloved pet parrot. Although I had the appropriate CITES documentation, health, and other paperwork (for transporting/importing "endangered species"), I was still not allowed to bring her with me because of the fear and panic at the time that she might bring in "bird flu". Not even a remote possibility in her case.

Jean is right. The vector of most concern is waterfowl. In europe where avian flu is a greater concern, backyard and small scale poultry owners are being encouraged to take some precautionary measures. These mostly center around insuring chickens do not intermingle with wild birds, especially waterfowl. They encompass closing and covering run areas, not feeding wild birds nearby, and other measures to reduce outside/inside spread of disease like having footbaths by the entrance to the coop area, and changing/washing clothing after handling chickens cleaning coops.

Many of us here on this board after dealing with other flock diseases have adopted many of these measures anyway. This is often more for our chickens sake, than our own. Disease transmission works both ways, and I am more worried about bringing something in to my chickens. Encouraging new owners to consider using SIMPLE measures that reduce the risk of ANY disease, along with introducing the concept of a closed flock is probably useful, in the manner that talking about preditor control is. But you don't have to panic every newbie with a couple of backyard hens either.

I also agree that the fear factor experienced by neighbors is a big deal. I have been confronted by nubskulls panicked my tiny flock will somehow kill them all. If I cough it is a big deal... So I am not in favor of anything that panics the poor dears any worse.

 

[orcasislandchickens]

Pat was posting at the same time I was and I strongly agree with her.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
Unfortunately Wayne, there is AMPLE good reason to think that discussion of this topic DOES threaten backyard flocks.

First, because the more non-chicken people hear about and discuss the issue, the more communities are apt to adopt laws/policies that radically restrict or prohibit the keeping of poultry.

And second, because the more wound up about the subject people get, the closer you are to the threshold where something (like an outbreak of NON-h5n1 avian flu) causes the gov't to decide they have to come in and exterminate all domestic birds within a 15 mile radius, sort of thing. (Since the decision of whether to do things like that tends to boil down to p.r. and personal feelings more than evidence-based risk-based calculations).

Both of the above have happened in recent years and are not a totally imaginary concern.

The UNFORTUNATE thing is that the factual 'meat' of the issue is not being well transferred by the media to the populace, with the result that there is an enormous huge amount of misinformation floating around fuelling the above two problems.

Really, I'm with Wayne that this really should be an open topic for discussion... BUT AT THE SAME TIME I think the concerns of those who may think otherwise are not imaginary or unreasonable either. It's a rock and a hard place kind of thing, you knkow?


Pat

Well said and well written post Pat.


The reality here is that the local news at 6 or even CNN is going to take
this story and run with it because it sells while at the same time
ignoring other significant threats to public health.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
Another great post with an interesting perspective. I have a beloved
parrot also. I can't imagine how frustrating that must have been for you.