Posted on 01/03/2007 7:39:44 AM PST by rellimpank
What are you talking about? You don't have to "worry" about it, but there is something you can do about it.
What? Sure, you have no control about when or if such an ugly thing happens. But, you can make personal preparations to protect yourself and your family if it does. These preparations also have the advantage of protecting you from other unpleasant eventualities as well.
If nothing ever happens, at least you will have peace of mind knowing you are doing what you can for those whom you are responsible for - rather than waiting on the government to do it.
They are not asking for US dollars to help. Instead, they are destroying infected flocks as quickly as possible. The poor, who depend on those flocks for food, are buying cheap chickens of uncertain health from China, which has an aim of vaccinating all poultry in that country.
I understand your concern about finances. Trust me on this, not much is being spent. Most of what is spent, is spent by states on a state or county level.
I have no interest in convincing you of anything regarding avian flu, and no interest in arguing about it. You must think what seems right to you. If you think that too much is being spent on AF, then I encourage you to make an effective protest.
So you believe it is the responsibility of the poultry industry to protect you?
The poultry industry is extremely proactive in precautions against AI outbreaks because it means their bottom line, and any public health benefits are only a secondary issue.
The last "major" outbreak of bird flu that broke out in this region occurred in 2004. It caused the destruction of flocks on 3 farms in Maryland and Delaware and the quarantining of them for close to a month, and the refusal of numerous countries to accept any poultry exports from at first this entire country, and then even longer from just this reason.
Even small outbreaks have serious national and international financial consequences.
Which is precisely what is done here by the poultry industry, and great financial cost.
Granted the primary goal of the industry is to protect their own bottom line, but when you get right down to it it also is in the best interest of public health overall.
As you well know, I agree with you 100%. Thanks for adding verifiable local color to the information here, Gabz.
I was using the term "worry" to mean "be concerned".
But on another note, you said:
"...you can make personal preparations to protect yourself and your family if it does. These preparations also have the advantage of protecting you from other unpleasant eventualities as well."
I choose not to, for the same reason I choose not to be what used to be called a "survivalist". Making those kind of preparations changes who you are, and on what you focus every day.
I pursued a career as a radio talk show host about ten years ago. I stopped the pursuit for, among other reasons, the fact that it would force me to focus on all the bad news. I have a hard time shaking it off at the end of the day.
I'll "worry" about avian flu when at least 500 people have died of it on american soil - within a 3 month period. Until then, I'll give it as much thought as being hit by a meteor. If I was in the poultry industry, naturally it would concern me more, just as SOX concerns me now.
>>So you believe it is the responsibility of the poultry industry to protect you? <<
No. It is the responibility of the poultry industry to protect the poultry industry.
Interestingly, the last major outbreak you described was an event I was not even aware of. Apparently it did not affect me in any discernable way.
Life is too short. I must choose my battles. This aint one of them. Yet. When and if it becomes one, I will fight it. ;)
BTW, I haven't had a flu shot this century. I turn 53 in less than a month.
Judith, as you well know, I rely on folks such as yourself for the human medical information on this. All I am capable of addressing is the economic factors involved in regard to the US commercial poultry industry.
Someone sitting in a city with no connection to agriculture or public health is understandably going to poo-poo this kind of thing, because they are so far removed from it. Where I live it is not uncommon for the subject to come up at the local coffee shop or watering hole because folks around here are in the midst of it.
OTOH, I wish the city folks, of which I used to be counted as, wouldn't be such ostriches. The 2004 outbreak in Maryland and Delaware was traced directly to a "fresh" market in New York City.
One of the things so many people fail to realize is that often humans are the major culprit in spreading the disease from bird to bird. Shoes, clothing, even vehicles can spread it. That's how they were able to trace the 3 farms in 2004 back to the same source.
My husband services computers, if he has to go to a Perdue hatchery his vehicle is "decontaminated" at the gate and depending upon where the machine to be serviced is located he may have to shower, don special clothing, and then be decontaminated before leaving the building, and his vehicle is then sprayed again before he can leave the grounds.
This is serious business. so while I understand folks blowing off the human to human pandemic idea, bird flu in general is not something to be taken lightly. And all of that is said without even addressing the issue of wildfowl that add to the problem :)
As I had said in a previous post, outbreaks of bird flu are not uncommon, they just tend to get local and maybe regional coverage.
Apparently it did not affect me in any discernable way.
If you eat chicken on a regular basis it has. The prices have been skyrocketing not only because of outbreaks, but because of the additional precautions being taken to prevent them.
Not only have I not had a flu shot this century, I've never had one, neither has my husband who is your age.
Certainly, it is your choice. But one doesn't have to be a "survivalist" to take elementary precautions for possible unfortunate events.
Making those kind of preparations changes who you are, and on what you focus every day
If you are talking about a "survivalist" world-view, probably. But most people don't live at that extreme, nor should basic and common sense preparation be scorned as "survivalist". Just ask the people in hurricane country. Once basic preparations are made, one can go about living a normal life - and there is less stress if the "worst" happens.
I'll "worry" about avian flu when at least 500 people have died of it on american soil - within a 3 month period
Such a scenario is possible if it never gets into the contagious human-to-human mode, in other words it stays at it's present smoldering state. But, this virus continues to change and the concern is if it changes to a widely infectious mode (and it may or may not), it will become pandemic. At that point, it will probably be quickly past the "500 dying in 3 months" stage with blinding speed.
But, your preparedness is your choice. I'm sure if worse comes to worse the government will take care of your needs, as well as those of your neighbors. So, "unconcern" is certainly an option. Maybe for you, it's the best one. But even our ham-handed government doesn't think that is the best option.
I had noticed the strong price increase in chicken. Also the price of chicken feed grain has skyrocketed due to diversion into the ethanol fuel scam.
People that don't do the minimum preparation for self reliance for unseen events are the ones that end up straining the system in a disaster.
What on earth should I do to prepare for a thing that has yet to actually affect anyone remotely near me?
I live in Seattle. I don't prepare for the dangers of South Africa, Florida or Thailand.
I am prepared for an earthquake though. ;)
Neither have I, and I have a decade on you.
My concern isn't for whatever flu is presently running around out there today (I've a touch of it right now) but which one yet isn't, but really might, and is much, much more than just another crummy flu bug one has to annually put up with.
I assume you meant "what" instead or "why".
I don't know your specific situation, where you live, what resources are naturally available to you, where your individual "holes" are, etc. Only "you" can know or game that. But it shouldn't take either long to figure it out or expensive or hard to fix now, and one doesn't have to descend into "survivalist" mode to do it. That can be saved for later, if the worst happens and you haven't adequately prepared at all...
However, if it were me, I would be preparing for enforced widespread quarantine (our State already has announced this in it's pandemic plans) at home, possibly for a few months as it is likely food and other basic home use resources may rapidly become scarce - much like just before a snowstorm or hurricane - and they may be that way for a while because of supply line disruption if a pandemic arrives and it has to burn it's way out, which will take time.
And, hey, if nothing ever happens, I can eat cheaply for a while and not lose a thing.
Ok, I have a gun and know where all the local mormons live, so food and water are covered.
What else should I do?
Never mind. I really have been completely unsuccessful at taking the avian flu thing seriously. I probably should drop off this thread...
BINGO!
I live in a rural area, if I don't at least have enough fuel, water and food on hand just for the simple issue of a power failure or local flooding, I shouldn't be living in such an area.
But the interesting thing is that I learned all of that living in a city.
See? You do have a Plan! ;>)
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