Bird flu cases rise to record high in Japan

Warnings against bird flu while the US government funds gain of function research on SARS viruses. I guess we live in a, kind of, funny world?

Every experimental laboratory of pathogens in every country that has them conducts gain of function research, ti is part of the basic tools for research, as long as there is a biosafety and ethical committees in the institution this will means the risk of any disease being produced and released is much less than the risk of it happening in nature.

Gain of function is what lets researchers develop drugs and vaccines in years or months instead of decades, so there is nothing "funny" about it being done while the risk of another zoonosis like bird flu is always present.

@wobot, you’re very right on that one!

My naive, amateur question is why not mass-vaccinate birds? Or aren't there such a programme? "Cull all infected and their neighbors as well" is based on a cost-benefit analysis? It's simply sad.

Around 7.75 million birds have already been culled this season as of Tuesday, with the number likely to exceed the previous record.

It's already a pretty big number which may affect poultry and egg markets.

Bird flu, an excuse to cull poultry to make the prices of food even more exorbitant.

Let us learn how to consume sustainably - we cull poultry and cattle and swine so the prices will go up - the common people should learn how to eat bugs. LOL

Chickens NOT coming home to roost.

Been mentioned a number of times before on this forum, the modern animal husbandry (read factory) industry is not only cruel in many aspects but is fraught with biological danger.

Housing/herding 1,000s of animals (billions in total) into tiny spaces, pumped full of chemicals - all for efficiency of economy is surely a biohazard incubator.

The majority of the population, as they buy their small slices of chicken pieces, pork & beef served on styrene trays wrapped in film, are oblivious to failings of the industry.

It's not a case of if, but when.

But Media, Govt and Inc don't like discussing the subject of zoonosis.

BobToday  06:55 am JST

Warnings against bird flu while the US government funds gain of function research on SARS viruses. I guess we live in a, kind of, funny world?

Very good point--it is a funny world.

Bird flu was also reported at a farm that raises emus in Fukuoka Prefecture in southwestern Japan, with about 430 of the birds being culled.

Good news for the chicken overall as this is not that large a number.

@ Eastman

It is a legitimate excuse. Convenient for the poultry industry, but still legitimate.

Bird flu, an excuse to cull poultry to make the prices of food even more exorbitant.

What evidence do you have for this claim? are the positive tests false? is this a conspiracy that is proven precisely by not having evidence of it?

Very good point--it is a funny world.

How is using a tool that allows for safe and effective development of tools against infectious diseases funny precisely when those infectious diseases are causing problems? do you also think the same of people developing better antibiotics while resistant bacteria appear on the headlines finny as well?

Avian flu has been hitting North America too.

The end of days.

The end of days.

Ha

hardly.

How many thousands of years have humans walked this planet?

Vegetarian. Worry about friends and family. Don’t eat animals. Not natural.

Rodney

Vegetarian. Worry about friends and family. Don’t eat animals. Not natural.

Even vegetables can have harmful bacteria, like in beansprouts.

A Salmonella outbreak which has sickened more than 150 people in Australia has been linked to raw mung bean sprouts.