I was just wondering how many if any of the rest of you have any chickens or other poultry that you raise or even bird feeders and what your plans are if (when) the flue reaches the US or even you region, this on the assumption that it is still in its present form of being in the birds and barely transmitable to humans? We have a small flock of chickens that we raise for meat and eggs, we have already talked about it and figure that the risk would not be worth keeping them around if/when the flu gets to the US. We pretty much figure if it hits US soil we will kill all but the 2 birds that are kind of pet yard birds and rather than take any chances just burn them and if it reaches the mid west then the last 2 would go the same way. It may be over cautious or even paranoid but we decided its far better to be paranoid and loose a few dozen chickens than to take a chance on being dead. What are you alls thoughts on it?
I am not sure how the flu in its bird from would reach the states. I believe the bigger risk is it becoming transmitable in human-human and then the method of travel around the world would be via airplane and fairly quick. I would wait on the chicken slaughter until you knew if the HV51 virus was found in the US bird population. As a precaution, for about $200 bucks you can get 4 high quality rabbit hutches and start the bunny breeding program to replace the chicken meat with rabbit meat should the worst happen.
Already have the bunnies in addition to the chickens. Actualy I had heard that it has already surfaced in Columbia (South America) and from there migratory birds could carry it here. We arent killing them off at the moment but just kind of set the plans for it in case the flu dose make it to the US. I kind of like the birds for keeping down the bug population and the better farm fresh eggs, other than that I would just go with bunnies to replace that type of meat and shoot more big critters.
that's my thought too. Migratory birds that will be coming back in the Spring could have it. Different Climates and conditions do strange things to Virus'. This is definitely one to watch...
And anyone who has asthma or heart problems and the like. It could be devastating or it could be hullaballu about nothing. It will all depend on whether or most truthfully when it starts to become a human to human contact flu. If we haven't figured out how to combat it by that time then we definitely will be in trouble.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051025/ap_on_he_me/bird_flu_developments_2 Major Bird Flu Developments By The Associated Press 1 hour, 47 minutes ago Major developments Tuesday in the bird flu outbreak: • Indonesia confirmed the country's fourth human death from bird flu — the 62nd worldwide. • Health ministers from 30 nations and the heads of the World Health Organization and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, meeting in Canada, urged developed countries to put aside some of their influenza drugs for less-developed ones. • China reported its second outbreak in a week among fowl. An outbreak sickened 2,100 geese and killed about 500 of them in eastern Anhui province. • Thailand said it will deploy 1.3 million health workers and volunteers across the country. Chickens showing symptoms of the virus will be killed; people with symptoms will be sent to health clinics. • Sri Lanka temporarily banned poultry imports from countries affected by the bird flu. • Vietnamese media said the country is considering a prohibition of live poultry in all urban areas, and Australia said it will give Vietnam $2.25 million to tackle bird flu. • The European Parliament urged EU nations to urgently complete contingency plans for battling a possible flu pandemic, and some called for more coordinated action. • European union" veterinary experts endorsed an EU-wide ban on the import of exotic birds and stricter rules on the movement of private pet birds. The EU commission still needs to adopt the measures. • Croatian authorities said they shot down a sick swan in a nature park where six dead swans tested positive for bird flu last week. Samples will be tested. • In Germany, officials said preliminary tests on wild geese found dead there were positive for bird flu. More tests will be done to see if it's the deadly H5N1 strain. • Tests on a dead swan in Slovenia would be known by the end of the week; initial results were negative. In Hungary, six dead pigeons and a swan were tested. • Russia's top veterinary officer warned that a new, more dangerous strain of bird flu could reach the country with migrating birds next spring. However, he cited a WHO forecast saying the threat to humans was low. • Bulgaria banned imports of live fowl, poultry products and eggs from Macedonia and Croatia after birds died in both countries from various ailments. • Poland earmarked nearly $100 million in case of an outbreak, in addition to $33 million already allocated for vaccinations, masks and protective clothing for health care workers. • Spain banned open-air breeding of fowl near 18 marshes where migrating wild birds tend to gather. Zoos in the areas must also keep birds indoors and vaccinate others that need to stay outdoors. Open-air bird markets were banned. • France told poultry farmers in 21 regions near wetlands to bring free-range birds indoors. • Authorities in Romania said they will expand and speed testing of flocks. The H5N1 strain was confirmed earlier this month in two Romanian villages. • The Dominican Republic said it has banned live bird imports from countries hit by the disease.
