Avian Flu

Gorse Fox has noticed a number of recent searches of this Blog for information on Bird Flu. As a public service he will share his current views:

• Bird Flu WILL hit the UK in the next few weeks, when the migration of birds from the Niger delta arrive in our airspace.
• Bird Flu may or may not infect farmed or domestic poultry
• Bird Flu will be contained
• The media will try to spread panic
• Questions will be asked regarding vaccination of poultry - because people do not listen to the answers
• Vaccination does NOT cure bird flu, it masks the virus allowing it to spread further undetected. Allowing the virus to be seen, then culling the infected birds has a far higher chance of eradicating the virus.
• This is likely to become an endemic problem and last for several years, coming in waves with bird migration.
• The virus is UNLIKELY to infect humans this year, unless they are in close proximity to infected birds
• Any human pandemic is most likely to start in the far east and be spread by air travel, not by birds.

[File under: Avian Influenza, Bird Flu]