Like anyone who's neither an idiot nor willfully ignorant, I've followed the avian flu issue with enough depth and interest to know that it's scary as hell. Yesterday I happened to pick up a copy of the International Herald Tribune (it was in the lobby of the Zurich hotel we stayed in after a week of skiing in the Alps; yes, I know, life is tough) and read a scary piece about how avian flu has turned up on a poultry farm in France, forcing French health authorities to quarantine a farm family. The family's young daughter was away from home when the outbreak was discovered and she's not allowed to return home, and because the local postman is afraid, he leaves the family's medicine on the road near their farmhouse.
And then I read a scary piece about how avian flu is likely to make its way around the globe, written by Laurie Garrett, who apparently has written a scary book about the topic.
Her analysis is fascinating, but so is her solution -- mainly because it relies heavily on the longtime footsoldiers of grassroots environmental activism. Writes Garrett: "One of the best untapped resources in this epic battle against influenza is bird-watchers, who are among the most fanatic hobbyists in the world."
Avian flu is spread by migratory wild birds, traveling well-known flyways; the wild birds infect domestic poultry. For now, people catch it only if they come into contact with infected birds. But anyone who knows anything about the subject says it's just a matter of time until the avian flu mutates so it can be passed from person to person. And when that happens, the old joke -- "I opened the door and in flew Enza" -- will be grim indeed.
When wild birds are infected with avian influenza, they die, just as poultry does. And that's where birders can be useful, Garrett says:
The major bird-watching organizations and safari clubs ought to work with the World Health Organization and OIE, the World Organization for Animal Health, to set up Web-based notification sites, where birders could report sightings of groups of dead birds, and the movements of key migrating species.
Ornithologists and climate experts should immediately sit down with pandemic planners and virologists, creating lists of known H5N1 carriers and plotting their most likely global movements. As the birds appear in new regions of the world, birders and professional wildlife surveillance personnel should issue alerts, which should be swiftly confirmed and form the basis of government response.
When carrier species are sighted in a region, swift action should be taken to minimize contact between the wild birds and their domestic kin. In such a way, it might be possible to limit avian deaths to susceptible wild birds ...
The way to minimize contact between wild and domestic birds is to move domestic bird indoors or, if that's not possible, to keep them in pens, behind fences, and under netting.
Garrett is quick to say that birdwatchers alone won't keep the world safe from avian flu. But she does think they can help minimize a frightening pandemic. More than a century ago birders organized themselves and fought hard to save egrets and herons from being destroyed. The various Audubon societies and clubs are their legacy. Now they might have a chance to save more than just birds.
Comments
View as Flat
Biodiversivist Posted 2:46 am
01 Mar 2006
In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Help acquire and protect ecological hotspots, give to a conservation organization: http://www.saveourbiodiversity.com
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Mike from 10000 Birds Posted 4:14 am
01 Mar 2006
A birder surveillance network seems of little use, and may even be counterproductive. I find Garrett's statement, "In such a way, it might be possible to limit avian deaths to susceptible wild birds ..." to be somewhat chilling. Though I've learned a lot about birds in the past few years, I'm no more qualified to identify an avian suffering H5N1 as I am to diagnose West Nile by sight, which is to say not at all. This level of scrutiny should be left to trained scientists. Mobilizing well-meaning birders to report suspicious sightings would lead to a lot of dead healthy birds, and by a lot, I mean thousands or more.
I'm also going to take issue with the premise of that argument, and your post in general that "Avian flu is spread by migratory wild birds, traveling well-known flyways..." A large and growing group of scientists, government officials, and other interested parties have acknowledged that the avian in avian flue is overwhelmingly of the poultry variety. An NGO called GRAIN just released a report that starts with this announcement:
"Small-scale poultry farming and wild birds are being unfairly blamed for the bird flu crisis now affecting large parts of the world. A new report from GRAIN shows how the transnational poultry industry is the root of the problem and must be the focus of efforts to control the virus."
I strongly recommend that any discussion of H5N1 frankly acknowledges where the true peril lies. I'm confident that Grist readers are more open-minded than the general populace, or better yet, the poultry industry, regarding the uncomfortable, potentially hazardous realities of industrial poultry farming.
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caniscandida Posted 6:34 am
01 Mar 2006
The thought, which is a definite possibility, that H5N1 may evolve into a form that can be transmitted between individual susceptible mammals, is indeed "scary." Secondarily, though, and not ethically insignificant, it would be tragic if in a state of panic anyone got the idea that it would be marvelously effective to start slaughtering migratory birds.
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birdboy Posted 7:38 am
01 Mar 2006
Our fears could have disasterous effects for already threatened wild birds. If the poultry industry is the main threat, let's go after them with our big government spending. Perhaps it could draw attention to that industry's very real environmental and ethical problems.
a liberal in redsville
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bookerly Posted 5:28 pm
01 Mar 2006
And given the nature of modern globalization, there will be a pandemic sooner or later (SARS, despite the hype, was not it, and bird flu, is not currently passing from human to human (which is what it will take for it to enter the possible pandemic class)). So, it makes sense to build the infastructure to prepare for it. And if it takes a little fear to get that in place, we have all learned, post 9/11, that fear sells.
The hype is needed to get people to pay attention and do something. If we would act rationally without the hype and fear, some of those millions of birds would still be alive. But we won't, alas. So, they die for our sins.
Because if it isn't bird flu, it will be something else.
But an immediate panic? Well, maybe we should, since otherwise, we seem to do nothing.
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bendictpaul Posted 9:46 pm
03 Mar 2006
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BearSpringsBlossom Posted 11:58 pm
05 Mar 2006
the immune system is not strong enough.
All the chemicals, pestizides and fungizides,
all the things we put in our animals to get more
milk, more meat, less deseases, mercury
and hundreds of other chemicals are weakening our
immune system.
It weakens the immune system of the birds too.
In the moment bird flu spreads only from animal to animal. We know of dead cats and tigers killed by bird flu. And we know of many DEAD children killed
by bird flu.
Untill today bird flue cannot be submitted through the air.
The main concern is the the virus will mutate.
When a human has a human flu virus and gets in contact with the deadly bird flu virus, both viruses
are together in one body. The risk of mutation will
be much higher.
What can we do????
Avoid contact with bird flu infected birds, especially when we have a flu!!!
Children and older people have a weaker immune system - they should be very careful!
When we find a dead bird, don't touch it!!!!!
Call authorities!!! or our group - we can contact
the right persons who have the protective clothing
to handle the problem.
Heat up your bird meat to boiling temperatures!
Humans can get bird flu by contact.
There are studies how many people will die
if the virus mutates. Lowest number 2 Million - highest number 1.5 Billion humans.
Bear Springs Blossom Nature Conservation, charitable non profit org. 501(c)(3)
Peter Bonenberger
pres.
May all your weeds be wildflowers!
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Valkyrie Posted 12:56 am
09 Mar 2006
Chicago Master Gardener (11+ years)/TreeKeeper (#467, 5+ years)
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