HEADS UP AVIAN INFLUENZA ALERT

[WalnutHill]

Like most viruses, Avian Influenza mutates rapidly. That's why it's still a huge threat and will continue to be as it crosses hosts and creates still more mutations. It's really hard to create a vaccine against something that is constantly changing. Even the common human influenza has so many strains they just make a best guess at what will be the greatest risk each year, and create vaccines for those strains. The vaccine does nothing against new strains or other strains not included in the vaccine.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Yes but much quicker and less painful than dying from the disease.

They've been working hard to come up with a vaccine - nothing yet.

An old article but interesting timeline of HPAI since 1955
http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/Comm...ons2012/Swayne-HPAILPAIStrategies-FED2012.pdf
It also says no one strategy is effective for control.

Now it appears that it has become airborne.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...phe-mounts-amid-concern-virus-may-be-airborne

They also eat tree sap, pollen and insects.
I watched a ruby throat hover next to a big spider web and as the baby spiders hatched it picked them off one by one till they were all gone.

I would have thought the culling would somehow be more humane. Suffocation isn't very quick. I've read in eastern asian countries they take live birds and just pile them in trashcans and let them die that way.
Looks like there is a vaccine available from those links. Wonder why the US doesn't use it? I'm sure it would never be available to small scale operations. :/
That article speculates air borne transmission, nothing for sure. Seems like surrounding backyard flocks would all be infected if it was indeed airborne. Haven't seen any reports of that happening and they are keeping lists on infected flocks.
That's cool and interesting info on the hummingbird. I love watching the little things. Hummingbird wars break out around the feeders! I still wonder if they would be a vector. I've never seen one on the ground and I would think they tend to drink dew or nectar, not water from ponds and such. I know they tend to follow the same routes every year and will come back to your feeders during migration if you put them out. I would hate to disappoint them.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I think the foam also serves to contain the virus and any dust it is attached to.
Sort of like killing 2 birds with one stone.

Raptors and finches have been found to be carriers.

Hummingbirds do tend to rely on the feeders. It's a problem if they stay around too long in the fall and there's little food for them.

Interesting thing about hummingbirds. In the US, there have been about 22 species reported but we only have the Ruby Throat around here.
Costa Rica, a country the size of West Virginia has 52 species of hummingbirds.

 

[chicknmania]

No, that's the odd thing about this virus. It is very persistent in the cold, but has a very short life in hot weather. Come on, summer!

Amen to that! It's been so cold here! WE had record low two nights ago. Slow warmups are best in most cases, but this time....maybe not so much...

 

[chicknmania]

I hate summer! Too hot!

I wonder if hummingbirds are safe? I haven't put up my hummingbird feeder yet and was thinking of doing so. I took down bird feeders years ago. Anyone think hummingbirds are susceptible? They don't stick their beaks in anything but nectar.

Hopefully they will be ok, and all the wild birds, as much as possible.

 

[chicknmania]

I heard that about the foam on an NPR radio show where they were interviewing Government officials about the virus. You would think that using all that foam would be an expensive way to do it, and that some sort of gas would be cheaper and more humane.

Hummingbirds probably do not drink much water from ponds, etc. Many birds don't. Raptors don't, either..their source of liquids is mainly blood from their prey. I think that is right about hummingbirds getting theirs from nectar and dew.

 

[MrsBachbach]

I think the foam also serves to contain the virus and any dust it is attached to.
Sort of like killing 2 birds with one stone.

Raptors and finches have been found to be carriers.

Hummingbirds do tend to rely on the feeders. It's a problem if they stay around too long in the fall and there's little food for them.

Interesting thing about hummingbirds. In the US, there have been about 22 species reported but we only have the Ruby Throat around here.
Costa Rica, a country the size of West Virginia has 52 species of hummingbirds.

Probably an abundance of tropical flowers! Paradise for them.

 

[WalnutHill]

I've been to Costa Rica twice and the hummingbirds are amazing. All the wildlife is amazing. Tiny as the country is, about half of it is parks and preserves. Yes, there is an abundance of tropical flowers, year round.

 

[chicknmania]

On the news today they said they are calling out the Minnesota National Guard to truck water to these farms to make the foam to kill the birds. Guess making the foam requires a lot of water. Ain't this grand? Ugh.

But I also heard that temperatures as low as 70 degrees F can kill the virus.

 

[WalnutHill]

On the news today they said they are calling out the Minnesota National Guard to truck water to these farms to make the foam to kill the birds. Guess making the foam requires a lot of water. Ain't this grand? Ugh.

But I also heard that temperatures as low as 70 degrees F can kill the virus.

Here's an article:
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/04/26/national-guard-troops-mobilized-in-fight-against-avian-flu/