SECOND FLOCK INFECTED - Avian Flu Spreads in Benton County

Tri-City Herald ^ | January 6, 2015 | Kristi Pihl

[steve86]

Not my backyard but close to it.

Curious that the crew is wearing hazmat suits but "humans can't catch it"?

Humans infections are asymptomatic (generally) but read about "genetic reassortment" - i.e. where a human is infected both with human influenza and an avian variety and the two flus transfer genetic material between one another thereby creating a hybrid flu that can both infect and create symptoms in humans.

This is why they don't want humans to catch the infection, symptoms or not.

[steve86]

PING!

[steve86]

[PROCON]

Stay safe.

carefully placed them into the carbon dioxide-filled cans to kill them.

Egads, they used that earth killing greenhouse gas?! </sarc>

[steve86]

PING!

Mom, feel free to refine my comments re: reassortment.

[steve86]

I’m definitely not taking my pet birds outside but it’s too cold anyway.

[Veto!]

I hate to see animals die like that. But of course, they are dying anyway and best put out of their misery, to say nothing of stopping the infection in its tracks. I wonder how many chickens that are sold in Spokane stores come from that area.

[steve86]

Hi, I don’t ever remember hearing about commercial poultry here but I guess it is possible. Likely would be enclosed if so.

[KoRn]

When folks post ‘locally oriented’ stories like this, they should at least tell us WHERE it is. (had to go to the “contact us” link on the source newspaper’s page to find where it was)

[steve86]

For others: Benton County, Washington State, (south central-eastern part of state)

[Oorang]

When I read this a couple of days ago I was hoping you didn’t have any backyard chickens or ducks. We do have a lot of wild turkeys in our yard on a daily basis. Interesting to see how this spreads.

[Red Badger]

They can spread it.................

[Red Badger]

Would be nice for you to tell the rest of us!................;^)

[fivecatsandadog]

Thank you. I jumped through a few hoops to figure out which side of the rock we’re talking about.

[KoRn]

ok...

It was on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. :p

/s

[Red Badger]

There’s a Benton County Mississippi where I grew up..................

[steve86]

That isn’t the issue - it’s reassortment.

[steve86]

Hi, there is a “duck pond” at a commercial development about a quarter mile from my house (closer than the flock in the story) and no doubt infected wild birds have been through there. Columbia River 1 mile away also.

[steve86]

Yeah, I complain about the same thing.

[Red Badger]

Hilton Head Island?

I know they have wild boars there, so it must be swine flu................