Contagious bird flu strain found in Texas (new information)

[Occulus]

from http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4352205/

USDA says flock at poultry farm has been destroyed
The Associated Press
Updated: 09:22 AM PT Feb. 23, 2004

SAN ANTONIO - A strain of avian influenza found on a Texas chicken farm is far more dangerous to poultry than originally thought and has spread to live bird markets in Houston, federal officials said Monday.

However, the flu is not the same strain that has killed at least 22 people in Asia, said Dr. Ron DeHaven of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The highly contagious strain, found in Gonzales County in South Texas, poses little threat to people, said Dr. Nancy Cox of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

more...

I'd say this qualifies as bad news.

[Sgt. Peppers]

1. Everything bad inters Florida or Texas

wow what a surprise.

[Ripley]

2. Thanks for the update.

As someone pointed out in the other bird flu thread, how can this just appear in Texas, British Columbia and Maryland and no place inbetween?

Do they even have a clue as to how these particular chickens got infected?

I remember reading "The Coming Plague" in the early 1990's. This sounds very serious to me. A pandemic is overdue historically anyway.

This is one of those times I won't blame the Bush cabal for spreading fear...this is real. :scared:

[asjr]

3. How do people know if a chicken

has the flu? Does it sneeze?

[Snow]

4. These things are usually spread by wild birds....

chickens don't really live in isolation from the rest of the world; it's just that the way they're kept makes them really susceptible to outbreaks when a flu bug gets into the flock.

[StClone]

5. West Nile Virus

In birds and mosquitoes has spread the breath of the country in less than four years. Migrant birds can fly across the country in days and as vectors they may be unparalleled.

[mac2]

7. This is what happens when we allow animals and plants to ....

cross borders without inspections or guidelines. This open border and "free trade" will kill us all yet.

We import food with insects that spread into our society.

[mac2]

6. Mismanagement by Federal Agricultral Sec. Ann "Venom"

Is this why Purdue closed one of their plants?

Bad health of workers, working conditions...too many animals in one area is very bad. Contaiminating water and land is why out of hand. All this for profit to "feed the world".

I'm outraged that people aren't complaining to their representatives. I don't even hear it mentioned on CSPAN.

Fish, beef, and now chickens are not healthy to eat. Whole agricultrual industries wiped out by mis-management by corporations for profit. Our vary lives threatened.

Get this group of incompetant leaders of the White House while we still have our lives.

Fire her!! She's responsible for gross neglect of our food supply.

[SpiralHawk]

8. Something positive you can do now

Join - or even start -- a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).

in the face of Big Agro and the Mutant "food products" it is foisting on you and your family (sans labels to give you any clue about what you are eating) many people are moving toward CSA.

It's a big change, but it ensures clean, healthy food -- and supports a local enviro oasis, and gives local people good honest hard-working jobs on the land. Local economy:

Read all about it:

From Rodale's TheNewFarm.org

Part I
Community Farms in the 21st Century:
Poised for Another Wave of Growth?
http://www.thenewfarm.org/features/0104/csa-history/part1.shtml

Part II
CSA's World of Possibilities
http://www.thenewfarm.org/features/0204/csa2/part2.shtml