Re: Bird flu on B.C. duck farm


Captain Compassion wrote:
> On 19 Nov 2005 02:52:09 -0800, "PerfectlyAble" <jrhw@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> >
> >Captain Compassion wrote:
> >
> >> Bird flu on B.C. duck farm
> >>
> >> By AMY CARMICHAEL
> >>
> >> VANCOUVER (CP) - A strain of H5 bird flu has been found in a duck on a
> >> commercial farm in British Columbia's Fraser Valley.
> >
> >The flu is coming. Government will want to safeguard those
> >most likely to die. Delaying the flu so it can adapt in the
> >human population for as long as possible. So that most virilent
> >transmitable flu viruses are also the more moderate
> >when they do reach the most susceptable to death
> >they aren't as fatal. Imagine a train wreak, the first few
> >carriages are a write off but if you can add design features
> >you can help delay the impact and lessen its force effect.
> >Couple to this moving all the old, young and ill to the
> >back carriages.
> >
> >Oh, sorry thinking out loud about evolution and government
> >responses to national security threats. My Bad. My liberal
> >upbringing isn't welcome in the New America, Zeit Heil!
> >
> Close the Canadian border and kill all the birds north of 48 degrees.

Yeah, invade Iraq will stop terrorism.

Bringing open debate to Iraq is good for a Democracy,
oh and please shutup Democrats where do you think you
live? In a democracy!

....and other moronic soundbites from the right. ;)

>
>
> >>
> >> B.C. government officials said Friday there is no risk to human
> >> health, but the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has quarantined the
> >> farm under strict protocols developed after an outbreak of avian
> >> influenza in the area in 2004.
> >>
> >> At this point, health officials say they are not sure which strain of
> >> the H5 avian bird flu was found in the duck.
> >>
> >> The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is visiting farms in a five
> >> kilometre radius around the infected premises near Abbotsford to test
> >> birds and is warning bird owners to practice strict biosecurity.
> >>
> >> "Due to the precautionary principle, it's really important to lock
> >> down as quickly as possible and make sure we quarantine before it
> >> spreads further," said Dr. Eric Young, deputy provincial health
> >> officer.
> >>
> >> "There is no evidence of any sickness in any of these birds on the
> >> premises. We know avian influenza is common in waterfowl. It appears
> >> to be a finding we might find in any duck. Unfortunately it's in a
> >> commercial duck so the CFIA is taking this very seriously."
> >>
> >> An outbreak of avian flu in 2004 eventually hit farms in a
> >> 70-kilometre-wide swath from the Vancouver's eastern suburbs to
> >> Chilliwack in the eastern Fraser Valley, forcing the slaughter of 17
> >> million birds.
> >>
> >> In the end, about three million birds were found to be diseased and
> >> the rest were allowed to be sold to consumers.
> >>
> >> The 2004 outbreak was of H7N3, a highly pathogenic strain.
> >>
> >> Most viruses are what's called low pathogenicity, posing little or no
> >> threat to human health and even modest threat to domestic poultry.
> >> Typically outbreaks of low path avian flu viruses lead to a drop off
> >> of egg production in domestic poultry.
> >>
> >> But two subtypes of viruses, the H5s and the H7s, are sometimes found
> >> in what is known as a highly pathogenic form. Those viruses decimate
> >> poultry stocks.
> >>
> >> Two weeks ago, the B.C. government announced it had discovered H5
> >> avian flu in wild birds in surveillance in Merritt that was conducted
> >> in August.
> >>
> >> Tests have determined about 174 ducks were positive for the H5 virus
> >> from more than 700 samples that were taken from young ducks.
> >>
> >> Officials said the results should simply serve as a reminder that
> >> avian influenza is present in wild birds. They are carriers of the
> >> disease and poultry producers have been told to limit exposure of
> >> domestic flocks to wild birds.
> >>
> >> Scientists say the virus may have always been in the wild bird
> >> population and that it's showing up more often because there is more
> >> surveillance now.
> >>
> >> Friday's announcement comes at a time of heightened awareness about
> >> avian flu because of the deadly H5N1 virus circulating in poultry in
> >> Asia and parts of Europe. The H5N1 in Asia is a high path virus.
> >>
> >> Canadian officials said they are reacting to the finding of the
> >> infected duck much faster than they did during the outbreak in 2004,
> >> which taught the industry tough lessons.
> >>
> >> Dr. Jim Clark, a director of animal health with the food inspection
> >> agency, said inspectors are on top of this outbreak.
> >>
> >> "We're going to be much more aggressive in terms of how we deal with
> >> this situation," he said.
> >>
> >> Because of advances in diagnostic testing, scientists know more
> >> earlier and are able to quarantine farms more quickly.
> >>
> >> "We quarantined this farm two to three days ahead of where we would
> >> have been in 2004. We are also doing more intense surveillance around
> >> the farm than we were in 2004," Clark said.
> >>
> >> A sample from the infected duck has been flown to the Canadian Science
> >> Centre for Human and Animal Health in Winnipeg, which contains one of
> >> the world's most secure laboratories for the testing of deadly
> >> diseases.
> >>
> >> It will take at least a day before the scientists can grow the virus
> >> and start to characterize it. And it could take up to a week for the
> >> lab to get definitive results. It's also possible the scientists might
> >> never be able to get a clear reading from the sample to determine what
> >> strain of the virus it is, said Clark.
> >>
> >> He said no decision has been made on whether to hold a cull and a
> >> decision will not be made until more is known about the infected duck.
> >>
> >> In the meantime, the agency is looking through records at the infected
> >> farm to see who has come and gone in the past 21 days. That will help
> >> inspectors figure out where the virus may have come from and where it
> >> may potentially go.
> >>
> >> The flock at the farm was kept outside, but was recently moved
> >> indoors, said Dr. Ron Lewis, the chief veterinarian of B.C. None of
> >> the other poultry on the farm are sick.
> >>
> >> The infected duck was pulled off the processing line for inspection,
> >> but for reasons unrelated to avian flu. As a result of increased
> >> surveillance, the duck was also tested for the flu virus.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> "The president and I cannot prevent certain politicians from losing
> >> their memory, or their backbone, but we're not going to sit by and
> >> let them rewrite history." -- *** Cheney 11/16/2005
> >>
> >> "War is God's way of teaching Americans geography" -- Ambrose Bierce
> >>
> >> "America is a vast conspiracy to make you happy." -- John Updike
> >>
> >> "Long term commitment in relationships is only necessary because it takes
> >> so damn long to raise children. Marriage may well be some kind of trick
> >> to keep the males around beyond sexual satiation." -- Captain Compassion
> >>
> >> "Progress is the increasing control of the environment by life.
> >> --Will Durant
> >>
> >> Joseph R. Darancette
> >> daranc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> --
> "The president and I cannot prevent certain politicians from losing
> their memory, or their backbone, but we're not going to sit by and
> let them rewrite history." -- *** Cheney 11/16/2005
>
> "War is God's way of teaching Americans geography" -- Ambrose Bierce
>
> "America is a vast conspiracy to make you happy." -- John Updike
>
> "Long term commitment in relationships is only necessary because it takes
> so damn long to raise children. Marriage may well be some kind of trick
> to keep the males around beyond sexual satiation." -- Captain Compassion
>
> "Progress is the increasing control of the environment by life.
> --Will Durant
>
> Joseph R. Darancette
> daranc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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