Bird flu epidemic just won't fly in U.S.

[Guest guest]

Has everyone figured this out yet? Lightning kills more each month, malaria more

in a couple hours, abortion more every couple minutes.

Everyone has, but WHO, CDC and the USA government which has used this scam to

line the pockets of pharmaceutical supporters. UncBob

http://www.valleystar.com/articles/2006/07/02/opinions/opinion2.txt

Another view by Jim N.

Bird flu epidemic just won't fly in U.S.

Avian influenza (bird flu) has killed about 100 people since 2003, out of about

6 billion people worldwide, or about 0.00001 of 1 percent. This happened in

unique locations in Southeast Asia and under unique conditions.

Folks, there were more people who died during that period from tractor-related

accidents in the little state of Minnesota than in the whole world from bird

flu. There has been no threat of a pandemic (a pandemic is an epidemic over a

large area). There has been nothing to warrant a movie-of-the-week or the

recently announced federal government program of $7 billion.

We studied bird flu 50 years ago at Texas A & M and there has been no change in

the disease. There have always been changes in the virulence of the viruses

causing the disease. Like swine flu, bird flu is not a disease of humans. In

order for humans to contract infection from chickens, the following combination

of circumstances must be met:

1) The humans must have constant exposure and re-exposure to infected

bird droppings and/or other infected bird fluids.

2) The humans must behave in unusually unsanitary ways, such as infrequent

handwashing or bathing, infrequent changing of apparel, unprotected breathing

and/or lip exposure to chicken dust.

3) Chickens involved must be exposed and re-exposed to wild birds that are

infected with a virulent strain of bird flu.

The reason I mention chickens is because the cases causing bird flu in humans

involved chickens.

The conditions necessary for human infection almost never exist in the United

States, where 99.9 percent of all birds destined for human consumption are kept

in confinement, which excludes wild birds in a purposeful practice. No humans

are allowed within the bird space except those necessary for the care and

feeding of the birds or eggs. In order to get to the bird area, one must wade

(in boots provided by the farm) through a disinfected bath, both entering and

leaving the bird area. Street clothing may not be worn into the poultry area, or

work clothing worn outside of the poultry area.

The poultry caretakers are provided with adequate changes of clothing and

facemasks to avoid any possible re-exposure to disease.

You may wonder why the poultry industry is so concerned. It is

because of possible loss of their poultry population to not only bird flu, but a

host of other poultry diseases.

It is very significant that in no case has any infected human been known to have

transmitted bird flu to any other human. Not in my lifetime.

Also significant is the fact that it has been proven by large commercial

operators that the sanitation procedures above are successful, even within those

same areas where bird flu has been a problem for yard bird operators.

Most significant of all is that it is extremely unlikely that anyone in the

United States could ever get infected with bird flu from eating chicken, even if

the chicken actually had died from bird flu. The normal sanitary practices one

uses with any poultry meat - adequate cooking, especially - will kill the virus.

It would be more likely that one would get regular salmonella food poisoning

than bird flu.

So, one asks, why all the fuss about bird flu?

Simple: The only way the " drive-by " press can sell newspapers and keep their TV

ratings is by being alarmists and, once the people are alarmed, the elected

government thinks it has to respond, even if the money it appropriates is

eventually only partially spent on bird flu.

The bird flu is only a problem for the poultry industry, as it has

always been. There is no more likelihood of the virus to mutate into a human flu

virus than there has ever been. Sleep well; eat chicken.

Jim N. is resident of Harlingen.

Jul 02, 2006 - 16:15:58 CDT

Avian2005/

Click to join Avian2005

---------------------------------

Want to be your own boss? Learn how on Small Business.

[Guest guest]

If anyone is interested, you might care to write a letter to the editor

of the below newspaper telling them what a poor editorial this is--it

clearly should not have been published--and suggesting that they join

this egroup; if they wish to be prepared; if not, there will be room

for them in the graveyard.

>

> http://www.valleystar.com/articles/2006/07/02/opinions/opinion2.txt