Like A Homing Pigeon, Bird Flu Is Coming Back

The virulent bird flu virus H5N1 might be on the verge of triggering a devastating pandemic, like it did in 1997. The canarys in the coalmine are actually minks, in Spain, which succombed to H5N1 last October. USDA recorded 110 outbreaks in other mammals in 2022-2023. Will it reach pandemic status in either poultry or people? At this point, nobody knowns for sure, but it may be wise to prepare for the worst.

More:

“Tracking the bird flu, experts see a familiar threat — and a virus whose course is hard to predict,” Helen Branswell, STAT

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Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Image Disclaimer:This blog post is not intended to substitute for the advice of qualified physicians, virologists, epidemiologists, airline reservation clerks, ornithologists, pharmacists, travel agents, or licensed health, veterinary, and aviation professionals. Contact your health care provider if you suspect you have a medical problem, buy only AMA-certified poultry feed, and confirm departure time before going to the airport.

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High-Ticket Turkeys This Thanksgiving

A nationwide pandemic has raised the price of your Thanksgiving turkey this year. No, not that one. Rampant Avian influenza killed millions of birds practically overnight and forced farmers to euthanized hundreds of thousands more to curb further infection. All told, six million turkeys were killed, about 14 percent of the nation’s total turkey production. Prices will rise this year, perhaps as much as 70% percent.

— “Turkeys will cost more because 6 million of them died during bird flu outbreak,” By Erica Werner and Laura Reiley, Washington Post

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Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.