Avian flu
Originally from: Hilary Peters
Is no one interested in bird flu, or are we all silenced (as I am) by the hideous parallel with Foot and Mouth? Intensive farming has thrown up another proof of its own unfitness to survive and all we worry about is the threat to human life. Cruelty does not feature at all as something that needs to be eradicated.
Originally from: coleen
Hi Hilary,
We can go on slaughtering animals until dooms day, but until we stop housing animals in over crowded, dirty, and inhuman conditions then nothing is ever going to change. The animals are the one's that pay the price for our mistakes. (Look how many Civic cats got destroyed because of the latest SARS cases). Easy to blame those that cannot speak..
We import some fifty thousands tons of chicken from these Countries – it turns my stomach just thinking about it – never mind eating it (which I do not). I am afraid I do not hold Thailand and other such Countries high on my list for animal welfare standards or health standards – but the meat comes flooding in and the consumer goes out and buys it.
I just hope that this bird flu never rears it's ugly head here in the UK, because unlike fmd this can and does kill people. That is worrying – there would probably not be a bird left (any bird) when this Government had finished!
I often wonder why we are looking at ways to visit the Moon and Mars, when we cannot even get living here on Earth right. We seem hell bent on self destructing in our greed and total lack of respect for any other life form.
Coleen
Originally from: Joyce
I think you have hit the nail right on the head, Hilary!
I have seen a news item about putting live birds in sacks and burying them in a pit..... sorry can't remember which forum!
Intensive farming is an abomination.
Joyce
Originally from: Farmtalking
From: ...
Originally from – http://www.oie.int/eng/info/hebdo/a_current.htm#Sec1
HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA IN THAILAND
(Disease never reported before to the OIE).
Emergency report
Information received on 23 January 2004 from Dr Yukol Limlamthong, Director General, Department of Livestock Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Bangkok:
Date of the report: 23 January 2004.
Nature of diagnosis: clinical, post-mortem and laboratory.
Date of initial detection of lesions/clinical signs: 20 January 2004.
Estimated date of primary infection: 19 January 2004.
Outbreaks:
Location No. of outbreaks
Banlam Sub-District, Bandplamah District, Supanburi Province 1 farm
Description of affected population: laying hens aged about eight months in one ventilated house (traditional farming practice).
Total number of animals in the outbreak:
species susceptible cases deaths destroyed slaughtered
avi 66,350 8,750 6,180 60,170 0
Diagnosis:
A. Laboratory where diagnosis was made: National Institute of Animal Health, Department of Livestock Development.
B. Diagnostic tests used:
– haemagglutination inhibition test,
– agar gel precipitation test,
– virus isolation.
– intravenous pathogenicity index test.
Positive results obtained on 23 January 2004.
C. Causal agent: highly pathogenic avian influenza virus type A, subtype H5.
Epidemiology:
A. Source of agent / origin of infection: under investigation.
B. Mode of spread: under investigation.
C. Other epidemiological details: the infected farm comprised eight houses, six of which were constructed over a fish pond. There are two other small layer farms nearby, but no infection could be detected in either of them. The farms are surrounded by rice fields.
Control measures:
– stamping out;
– quarantine;
– movement control inside the country;
– screening;
– zoning.
Vaccination is prohibited.
*
Originally from: Farmtalking
The following has been on Farmtalking for some days – http://www.farmtalking.com/news._defra--011203.html
See this message board or the 'News' pages on Farmtalking for latest updates too!
Originally from: Hilary Peters
Absolutely, Coleen.
I say this so often to minimal enthusiasm. It is really encouraging when someone else says it.
Thank you.
Hilary
Originally from: coleen
Hi Hilary,
My theory is that the next big 'bang' will come from us. We will wipe ourselves out, through our greed and self preservation that we exploit regardless of who and what else suffers.
I think that the scares we have seen, BSE, FMD, SARS, AVIAN FLU to name a few, are warnings that we cannot go on the way we are.
If we look outside animal diseases we are incredibly fortunate that aids does not spread in the way that SARS does. Aids is wiping out huge parts of Africa and other Third World Countries. No vaccine and look how long Aids has been with us. How long before we face something like this that is as serious as aids, and spreads like SARS.
No matter what the World Heath Organisation does and says, no matter what restrictions our own DEFRA put into place, you cannot stop people from travelling and spreading whatever it might be. We should all be concerned – but I guess most are busy looking after number one, or to ignorant to even realise what is going on. Did we not say these very same things throughout fmd...
I feel sick at the sight of all those poor birds being bound in sacks and buried millions and millions of them. To hell with Thailand's economy. Get the welfare right, and this would never have happened, or at least it could have been contained.
Keep saying it Hilary. I am with you all the way. If man chooses to make his living from animals, then the least he can do is show them respect and compassion. Neither of those cost anything – only human decency. I somehow think that got lost, along the way.
Coleen
Originally from: Hilary Peters
Dear Coleen,
I've been having a computer virus. I wanted to reply sooner.
I agree the way we behave it's highly likely that we will wipe out the human race and maybe take the planet with us. There's a part of me that says we deserve it.
But there's always the other side. Respect and compassion are part of the whole human package and surface just when they are least expected.
It's a bugger isn't it?
Love, Hilary
Originally from: coleen
Hi Hilary,
There are good people on this group who care, and I guess there must be more out there who we cannot reach. If we have 'faith' and I guess we all must have , or we would simply pack in, and call it a day. Then we have to believe that one day the abusers will meet their reckoning, and the abused will stand up and be counted. It is hard to see that happening at this moment in time – but I reckon if and when it comes – it will be one heck of a showdown!
I think the World has gone 'virus' mad – not just in the human and animal kingdom. They are coming in like crazy via email.
Best Wishes
Coleen
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