has apparently mutated and is now killing large numbers of wild birds across 5 continents which did not previously suffer the large mortality rates that domesticated birds did. not good New research shows that a devastating new virus is one of the worst outbreaks in history: ‘[This is] uncharted territory’ (msn.com) Avian flu typically causes death only among domesticated birds, like ducks and chickens, killing up to 90% of the flock within an outbreak. But this time, it’s different. “What we’re seeing right now is uncharted territory,” Andrew Ramey, a wildlife geneticist at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), told Vox. The biology of the virus has caused it to attack wild species and even mammals. “It’s causing a high amount of mortality in a huge breadth of wild birds, which is not something that has been seen before,” commented Wendy Puryear, a molecular virologist at Tufts University. This is because the current avian flu virus has adapted to spread disease outside poultry farms and infect even more species in its wake.
that is the major concern. if it is infecting mammals, can it or when will it jump to humans? was the jump from domestic to many species of wild birds a small step or a large one?
At least we live in age where the public will trust the scientific community to figure out a new threat on the run, understanding the normal process and errors.
At this point Im starting to think the Dinosaurs were either killed by a virus or the stress of social media. Evidence is overwhelming those are the two biggest risks to the dominant species on Earth.
Experts Fear Bird Flu Outbreak Could Turn Into New Pandemic | Page 2 | Swamp Gas Forums This is bad but consistent with what I’ve been reading for months, that it has spread to wild birds and some mammals.
If a vax is required and produced for a new pandemic many will not take it and many if not most of those I will not mourn their passing. Not that I’m rooting for it.
The issue is if this had a high level of lethality like in animals, much higher than Covid, you’d have to shut everything down, and it would bring into question how society even functions if nobody can work.
Oh yeah we’re one step a way from the collapse of society or at least soup kitchen. Any # of things could do it several of them actively our fault. I’ve just got get 25 maybe 30 years before the shit truly hits the fan, then I”m OK. But I think I’ll see some really bad impacts from climate change.
I wonder if that's why we saw so few birds this summer in Western North Carolina (except hummingbirds, which were plentiful, and feisty).
I'll have to ask my wife. We did have 7 hummingbird's hang out for the summer at our place in Charlotte. The wife swears she recognizes 3 from last year. Anyhow, now you mention it we usually see cardinal, eastern blue birds, blue jays, and very occasionally an oriole. Either i havent been paying attention or they were more scarce. Lots of house wrens though.
GSK Secures mRNA Vaccines For Bird Flu, COVID And Seasonal Flu From Struggling Biotech CureVac Interesting that companies are already working on mRNA versions of a bird flu vaccine. CureVac’s vaccine pipeline includes a candidate shot for H5N1 influenza, a variant of bird flu that is tearing through poultry and cattle farms in the U.S. Given growing concerns of a potential pandemic in humans brewing, it is an area that could garner GSK interest and funding for rapid development in the near future, particularly given the easily modifiable nature of mRNA vaccines that make them ideal for responding to emerging outbreaks. Vaccine rival Moderna inked a deal to secure $176 million in U.S. government funding on Tuesday to test avian flu vaccines in humans with a view to bringing a “pre-pandemic” shot to market.
Here in Florida we’ve seen tons. More cardinals and crows than in years. Tom’s of herons and egrets too.
