Posted on 02/10/2025 7:45:17 AM PST by bitt
Here we go again.
There has been a certain amount of news around about an outbreak of an H5N1 influenza. It's gotten the name "bird flu" because it's widespread in wild birds, and it's been running wild through domestic chickens. You may have noticed egg prices. They're not dying because the bird flu is killing them. Instead the Department of Agriculture is killing them so the bird flu won't kill them, leading to almost 140 million birds being culled in the last year.
So, failing any other message from this article, let me say:
DON'T PANIC
(Seriously, is there a friendlier font than Comic Sans?)
Of course, not everyone has taken that advice. Governor Gavin Newsom in California has already declared an emergency, and FACT, a humane farming advocacy group, says we need "urgent action to prevent a public health crisis".
So what is this all about?
This bird flu, or more formally avian flu, is an H5N1 influenza virus. The "H5N1" refers to specific surface proteins that affect how the virus can invade and infect cells. (Grok has a nice summary.) Basically it's like telling you a person has blue eyes and brown hair — it's just a description of the virus and how it interacts. What we do know is that this particular variant of the H5N1 virus subtype — I'm just going to call it H5N1 from now on — primarily infects birds. Now a whole lot of my reporting on Covid in 2020 actually applies here, so I'm going to link you back for the details, but the high points are:
it's an influenza virus. It's the flu. it's reasonably transmissible, with an R0 of about 2.8 — worse than most flu but similar to the 1918 "Spanish" flu, comparable to Covid, not nearly as transmissible
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
p
Fauci.
(Truncated excerpt) From Perplexity AI with the prompt to ‘describe bird flu in the style of The hitchhikers guide’:
“In true Hitchhiker’s Guide fashion, the advice for dealing with bird flu is simple: **Don’t Panic**—but do wash your hands and avoid cuddling chickens. Scientists have even gone so far as to tweak the virus in labs (because why not?) to understand it better, though this has sparked debates about whether they’re preparing for a pandemic or just tempting fate.
For now, the public health risk remains low, but if you’re feeling feverish after visiting a poultry farm, perhaps consult a doctor—and maybe pack a towel just in case. “
The answer, of course, is for the government to order all the Chickens to stay indoors and wear masks to prevent the spread of the virus. Better mask the cows too! /sarc
"Where can I git me some of that chirpin' vaccine?" -- Tweety Bird 🐦
I have my towel ready to go.
If it does become transmissible from human to human.
Meanwhile, quit cuddling with chickens
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People I know who have “yard birds” aren’t having birds die and they are eating them and selling with no ill effects. The PCR test that is being used is as flawed as the Covid test.
An outbreak of avian flu is currently affecting birds both on farms and in the wild. The Onion debunks common myths surrounding the virus.
MYTH: Bird flu only affects birds.
FACT: Bird flu can affect anyone with a beak.
MYTH: Bird flu has killed over 100 million chickens.
FACT: The chickens were struck down by God for their wanton and lustful lifestyle.
MYTH: Contracting bird flu is always fatal for humans.
FACT: If that’s what it’s going to take to make you stop letting pigeons eat directly from your mouth, sure.
MYTH: Factory farms cause bird flu to spread rapidly.
FACT: Chickens are encouraged to stay home from work if they’re sick.
MYTH: Infected birds are quarantined, humanely euthanized, and their carcasses safely disposed of.
FACT: The KFC Famous Bowl is now only $2.99 for a limited time!
MYTH: U.S. officials have linked the current bird flu outbreak to China.
FACT: U.S. officials have yet to decide which country to scapegoat.
https://theonion.com/bird-flu-myth-vs-fact/
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