Its a bureaucracy. One of the things they do is grow, by accumulating more power and influence to themselves, by puffing up their importance. They are aided by media - Fear sells. Tragedy sells. (Sex and violence also sell, but not relevant here) - and a populace seeking entertainment.
This a true thing, presented in deceptive format. It lacks context.
Yes, 43 states have reports of salmonella traced to backyard flocks. Yes, there have been 163 reports of illness, including 34 hospitalizations.
According to the same source (different page) , there are an estimated 1.35 MILLION infections, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths from Salmonella each year.
Context matters. The current outbreak represent just 0.128% of the total Salmonella hospitalizations expected this year. and 0.012% of the total expected infections in the US.
Does it benefit some number of people at the margins??? People who bought poultry last year and remain mostly ignorant of salmonella? Probably. Is the expense of the CDC tracking and reporting on this (and the media magnifying it in the public eye) worth the illnesses it might avoid, the possible deaths and hospitalizations? Maybe. That's a political discussion. Is the cost of this message, in people who might abandon a backyard flock out of fear, or similar irrational behaviors not considered? Also a political discussion. Might the message have tie-on affects, related to other illness avoided by the simple expediency of sanitation? Yes.
and to lighten the mood of this post,
I present an amusing (to me) video with political overtones - don't watch it if you may be offended.
All we can do is educate ourselves, and make the best decisions we can with the information available, understanding that none of us get out of here alive - not acting has costs of its own. Life, while it lasts, is the only game at the table, one way or another, you've got to play the hands you are dealt.
.
!
