Wild birds transport birdflu, but poultry trade is key route

http://www.agprofessional.com/show_story.php?id=40819
Wild birds do transport bird flu, but poultry trade is key route
Jun. 2, 2006

WASHINGTON, D.C., and ROME -- Migrating wild birds have played and will likely continue to play a role in transporting highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus over long distances.
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But the conference, attended by more than scientists from more than 100 countries, also recognized that the virus was mainly spread through poultry trade, both legal and illegal.

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The conference noted that the current outbreaks of H5N1 virus in eight African countries appeared to be poultry-related and chiefly based on trade in poultry for human consumption, including illegal trade. However, it called for further analysis for a more complete understanding of how the virus was introduced.



SOURCE: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations via PR Newswire.

Bird flu cases...they do that because their livelihood is at stake. We should offer them assistance and counsel so that we can asses the entirety of this epidemic.

on edit: Bird flu can be contained...but am worried of Africa and their lack of containing any given decease.

what methods?

mainly in central Africa; Nigeria, Cameroon, and Uganda...thees countries have reported BF, yet their governments have no means to detect and warn the population. They would want the international community to advise them of what to do. The only consultation they have received thus far was that of WHO...and the WHO told to kill every hen in their neighborhood...and that's is not feasible to the average farmer in Africa.

Therefore, I want the western nations to do something about BF...and help out the poor nations eradicate BF.

would that end the chicken factory farms and

thus, the bird trade?

Thus, 99% of the threat of a pandemic?

I see this idea on other websites, such as vegetarian ones, but i realize they are somewhat biased.. so i just ask for more input at this point. I am undecided.
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Their argument goes this way...

No one needs those factory farms. Workers can find more honorable jobs. Decades ago, there were no factory farms and we all survived somehow. There are many other sources of meat. Also, some may like to consider becoming vegetarians.


My question is, would a boycott help? I keep an open mind. Polite input is invited.

Its taking a while in the archive. Essentially, farm raised chickens are in an eclosed environment. In order for people to go into the chicken coop... they must wear contamination suits... spray themselves off before entering and then again upon leaving. It is the free range poultry that has to be watched for signs of the bird flu... they have more interaction with contaminates. I'm not sure boycotting a "white" meat should be so good. What is the alternative... fish (which are being overfished), pork, red meats. I guess we all better up the anti on some tofu recipes to get the protein we need...

you may be right.. hope so.

but i wonder if the claims of cleanliness might be just PR... i recall bad bacteria was found in "clean" fast food restaurant ice machines.. more bacter. than in their toilet water!

I think that because the chickens are bread in such close environment, they maintain these practises to make sure other bacteria and viruses don't break out among the population.

I just wish I could remember if I read it in USA today or if it was a local article in our paper here addressing the issue. If I come accross it, I'll post it.

I am reminded of the great Y2K threat and the Nile virus epidemic. Y2K was a fizzle and the Nile virus turned out to be not the threat that we thought it was. Also, although we whip ourselves into a frenzy over mad cow disease, the media continues to ignore the fact that occasionally people have contracted a illness similar to mad cow disease after eating deer.

I think I'll wait and see if there's actually anything to the bird flu before I get excited.

isn't the factory farms, but smaller farmers. They're the ones that may not notice the occasional bird dying, that will move things around in the backs of trucks and carts, and are more likely to get their birds from obscure corners of countries to obscure corners of countries. They're also the ones that are more likely to let their chickens out to come in contact with birds dying and dead from bird flu.

You have a few hundred thou chickens, and you notice when there's a few percentage points uptick in deaths, and there's none of this moving a couple of infected chickens here or there in the boonies. You simply can't afford it.

There's not really an argument in their 'argument': Very closely parallel statements could be made for paper, sewers, radio, and computers.

Chickens generally make a one way trip to market. Birds used in cock fights are mixed up with birds from other farms and then returned home. The handlers are exposed to chicken blood which appears to be the main source for bird to human transmission thus far.

(and sorry for the phrasing, but I don't know any other word for cock fights so keep your dirty thoughts to yourself!:)