USDA: Bird Flu at Texas Farm Is Deadly

[chasqui]

USDA: Bird Flu at Texas Farm Is Deadly

By T.A. BADGER

SAN ANTONIO - A strain of avian flu found on a Texas chicken farm is considered far deadlier 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 about 50 miles east of San Antonio, poses little threat to people, said Dr. Nancy Cox of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


"Nonetheless, as we move forward in this particular situation, we have to keep an open mind," Cox said.

On Friday, state officials said the outbreak was a low-pathogenic version of bird flu, meaning it posed little risk to humans and only low risk to chickens.

However, it was reclassified as high-pathogenic after genetic testing during the weekend, DeHaven said

more:

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/02/23/ap/Headlines/d80t96100.txt

[rfkrocks]

1. Chicken Hawkius (new gop virus)

all the gop chicken hawks better watch in case the virus mutates into awolian yellow bellied bush flu

[havocmom]

2. Nice turn of a pharse, way to make an entrance!

Welcome to DU, rfkrocks! Looking forward to reading more from you/.

[JaySherman]

3. LMAO

Good one! Welcome to DU! :hi:

[Unforgiven]

4. Naaah

We couldn't be that lucky. ;)

[sal]

5. I live 20 m from Gonzales

Nobody knows whose farm it is. But I suspect Tyson. And if so, I wonder if these birds came from somewhere else?

And if it is Tyson, and the problem is larger, what happens when Tyson can't sell chicken? Tyson is pretty free and easy with their campaign contributions,too, besides running very poor shops for their workers. In other words, will there be a fix?

[havocmom]

6. Tyson in the area? Interesting. Thanks for the post

Certainly is an issue that needs to be watched. If you find out about which farm it is, can you post? Thanks

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

7. One of the dirty secrets of this administration is that there was

a Bird Flu outbreak in Virginia two years ago. H5N2 also, IIRC. Tyson was hit very hard there, lost tens of thousands of birds, and their whole turkey breeding line.
So for USDA to say the last time we had bird flu was 1966 or whatever is total bullshit.
They got away with no media coverage in 2002, thanks to the complacency of media whores post 9/11.
Let's seem them hide it this year.