|  greenheron avian wildlife hospital
Giving wildlife a second chance
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Avian Flu- Sensationalism
I am Kimberly. I have lived in China for the last few years;
I happend to be in the area that was ground zero for
SARS and the last two bird-flu outbreaks.
There are some facts that need to be factored in
before you give into Sensationalism,
1. The bird flu that jumped species originated at a
chicken farm[in S. E. Asia] that restructured their
operation to factory-farm in order to increase
profits. They began to use battery cages and give
antibiotics on a regular basis mixed into the feed.
The people whom worked there are low paid and do not
have access to modern meds- They still have to work
when they are sick to make sure their families can
eat. Sick or dying birds were pulled from the battery
cages for them to take home to eat or sell to another
small market- but on paper it says they were culled
and disposed of-
2. Every case of bird flu found outside of
chickens[and pigeons] that infected a wildbird, killed
the bird within 72 hours-
They were unable to infect that many other birds
because symptoms restricted air inhalation and thus
interfered with physical activity where oxygen is
critical for circulation and warmth to thermoregulate
disital limbs & appendeges for long distance flight.
They would distance themselves away from flocks to
find a place to rest.
3. Birds and other wildlife have flu out breaks just
like humans and have all throughout history. The only
time it makes the news is when it affects humans or
the agricultural system. H7N1 in South Africa[1970s?]
killed many birds, but no people. Birds that survive
outbreaks emerge with an immunity and hopefully can
pass it to future generations.
4. All deadly outbreaks have been traced back to
poultry farms where chickens are in battery cages or
are packed in stalls and so numberous a dead or dying
bird is not easily spotted.
The news reports of 10,000 or 30,000 chickens dead-
did not die of the flu, chickens are given antibiotics
in their feed, so they can live with the flu dorment
and unable to thrive. What happend was a few of the
chickens were tested positive, so the whole lot was
culled. The WHO[world health org] was willing to foot
the bill, so places that could prove they had any sick
chickens could call outbreak and could collect on it.
People that had any flu that could never afford
medicene or a hospital stay only needed to say they
played with chickens. Thousands of people die of
untreated pneumonia. Jim Henson was stricken with
streptococcus pneumonia[creator of Kermit the frog &
muppits]died, had a cold for about two weeks, didnot
take it so seriously- many people get colds every
year.
5. Bird flu has never spread to a person from a wild
bird, even when birds that tested positive for H5N1
were handled without protection[not that I recomend
it].
This is the latest Sensationalism to keep watchful
eyes from focusing on the problems that factory farms
have ignored in the name of higher profits. Our[the
USA, I am American] agricultural system has progressed
to the point where it is having a destructive effect
on the natural ecosystem. They are not bringing
disease to us, we are killing them off with
unsustainable production. This practice creates a
small benefit for a short time and the pollution
becomes more toxic every year to wildlife that come in
contact with it.
This is the cascade effect that is beginning to make
its way back to us.
-Kimberly
\|/ kimberly pan
>') \|/ Director of greenheron/bird save asia
(\\ ('< greenheron00@yahoo.com
//\\ //) misc@greenheron.org
\\//\\ misc@nightheron.org
// Shenzhen, China
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