Avian influenza found in South Carolina

[Weeg]

That's true
I didn't think it through, just read somewhere they didn't get it.

They definitely can't catch it, but theoretically they can spread it.

 

[589205]

I’m watching many groups of seagulls fly overhead as I type. Looks like they’re heading SW.

 

[589205]

Mother Nature is about to unleash another wild card on us here.

 

[Weeg]

Mother Nature is about to unleash another wild card on us here.

I know. So many of us thought we had it dialed, I'm thinking that Mosquitos are going to be a real problem, since they can travel to so many animals in one night. If blood doesn't carry the virus, than at the very least the mosquitos will be exposed to the feather dander.

 

[tripletfeb]

What about Mosquitoes? I didn't even think about insects!

Calm down peeps. I would think that if mosquitoes or other bugs could transmit it, it would have spread far and wide by now

 

[589205]

Calm down peeps. I would think that if mosquitoes or other bugs could transmit it, it would have spread far and wide by now

Don’t jinx us all

 

[Weeg]

Calm down peeps. I would think that if mosquitoes or other bugs could transmit it, it would have spread far and wide by now

In my climate at least, the mosquitos are just now coming back. They've been in hibernation or whatever it is all through winter, I'd imagine same in other climates unless they are warm.
I agree that "insects" in general probably aren't a concern, but I wouldn't eliminate the worry of mosquitos spreading it. Also, I'd assume they would only spread it through the area, but that could be the neighbors flock.

 

[saysfaa]

I don't wear my outside shoes into my chicken coop, so I guess I just assumed that large poultry facilities would not allow workers to wear outside shoes/clothing inside the poultry houses...but who knows? Maybe vehicle tires or something.

They have wheel washes for incoming vehicles. At the height of the last major outbreak, they had employees park a couple of miles away and shuttled them the rest of the way.

They have shoe wash stations and then a place to take outside shoes off and put plant (meaning the building the birds are in) shoes on - so that plant shoes don't walk where outside shoes have been. At least some people dedicate two pairs of shoes to work use only - one pair slipped on as the person got out of their car (so their street shoes don't touch outside their car while they are at the plant.)

Anyone coming in is expected (in outbreaks, required) to stay away from poultry for at least three days before coming to the plant and to report any contact if they had any.

I don't know if tracking the virus in is the only way it realistically comes in or if it is just the only way that anything can be done about. There already isn't direct contact with wild birds.

I expect the outbreaks are user error of some sort by people or vehicles coming in rather than anything like contaminated food or insects.

 

[saysfaa]

Oh. I netsearched why mosquitoes can't transmit flu. It is because the flu can't get from the mosquito's stomach to its saliva glands. Mosquito-borne illnesses have a way to do that.

 

[MadGardener]

We've been living with influenza for centuries. I think insect vectors would be a known risk by now.

I'm not a biologist. But I am a weird nerd with a lifelong interest in disease. Yeah. I know. Weird.

Viruses are unable to reproduce without a host. Generally a virus will infect a particular species and not cause death. Because killing the host is bad for a virus. It wants to spread.

Spillover events to different species are statistically rare (but more memorable to us). The new host has to be similar enough that the virus can enter a different kind of cell and hijack it to produce more virus. This would be easier between, say, two types of bird. Or two types of mammal as Covid is believed to have spilled over. Insects are way different. And an intermediary vector complicates things...a virus that is already spreading host-to-host is unlikely to change to host-vector-host. Because it doesn't need to, and the risk of death is higher.

It's a scary event. But I'm much more at ease facing a "devil we know" versus an entirely unknown virus. We can think of all the things that could go wrong and drive ourselves crazy. But focusing on changing our actions according to what is known is not only the smart thing to do, but will help us feel better. As always, my opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it.