Avian flu closes B.C. school | Globe and Mail

[Ediacara]

Avian flu closes B.C. school

By MARK HUME
Globe and Mail Update

Vancouver — An elementary school in the Fraser Valley has been closed because of a suspected exposure to avian influenza at a nearby duck and goose farm, provincial health officials confirmed yesterday.

The 700 geese and 40,000 ducks on a farm next door to King Traditional Elementary School are thought to be infected with an H5 strain of avian flu – the same virus that crossed the species barrier from birds to humans in Asia earlier this year.

But Dr. Perry Kendall, British Columbia's chief health officer, said last night that there is no indication anyone at the school has become ill.

More at the Globe and Mail

[HEyHEY]

1. Hey I interviewed Mark Hume once!

I did an article on the competition for the Western Market for national Newspapers. He was the bureau chief in Vancouver (or maybe it was for Western Canada) at the time. Really nice guy too.

Anyway, I would like to take this moment to say - I don't think this problem is being taken care of properly...however I don't think it's a danger to people - a serious one anyway.

[Snow]

2. Ya know what, HeyHey (or however it's spelled)

I don't know what they're doing about the outbreak - I would assume quarantine of infected & exposed birds, probably killing the sick ones, etc - but veterinary epidemiologists are real sparse on the ground. The two founders of the field are Drs. Hollis Erb & Janet Scarlett, both at Cornell Vet School - they're both vets with PhD in epidemiology. Hollis trained at the only school in Canada that offers a PhD in veterinary epidemiology, Guelph. You could drop them - or the people at Guelph - a note, ask about how this should be handled if you're concerned & think you might have a story.

[HEyHEY]

3. Well for starters

They can stop bringing the birds outside of the quarantine zone to dispose of them. And if they do insist upon bringing them outside of that zone..they can at least use more than Cat litter to seal the containers that the infected carcasses are held in. After that, they cna give the people handling the birds a little more than just a paper towel suit to wear before they enter the disposal area... then they can try sanitzing the wheels of vehicles that have been in there.

There is a lot to this stuff that is pure bullshit.

[Occulus]

4. Ohshit.

Better hope it hasn't spread.

[HEyHEY]

5. oh, it has

I figure just a matter of time before the wild birds begin showing it.