Avian Flu: How to treat the disease and protect the susceptible.

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Welcome to the coop! I use the Forums and Articles tabs at the top of the page to do research. You can get lost for hours. It's nice to know you are minutes away from getting help with questions and emergencies!

 

[Blue Raptor]

Dear all,

Avian Influenza is of course a huge concern for all keepers of birds, especially those that are highly susceptible. We have recently learned of a root extract from an east asian plant that has much scientific evidence confirming its efficacy as a neuraminidase inhibitor - which basically stalls further production of the virus.

Many of you I hope will gain great comfort from the information in our article. We look after hundreds of wild waterfowl and have seen several rescued sick swans and geese recover whilst in quarantined isolation. The product is given to all at the sanctuary on a weekly basis - in their water and feeders so as to provide help prophylactically. If AI is a worry and you are able to protect birds I strongly urge you to read the article and consider using the product yourself. It is called Baicalin and is cheaply available as a food supplement. There are many places selling the powder on ebay.com but Amazon in the US didn't seem to show the product. This is the link we used before we brought it in from China in bulk - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Baicalin-Scutellaria-baicalensis-Certificate-Supplement/dp/B09N1RQHLQ

The article is a long read - but very much worthwhile. We are in the UK and have only recently released this information - but it needs to be spread far and wide.

https://www.thewaterfowlsanctuary.co.uk/articles/ai.htm

Welcome to BYC! Merry Christmas!

 

[thewaterfowlsanctuary]

hello @thewaterfowlsanctuary , welcome to BYC

Thanks for this interesting post, and the link to the article.
I am entirely in agreement with you about the futility/idiocy of the current culling practice as the principal response to H5N1, and I wish you well with your sanctuary.

But it's not obvious to me that this proposed remedy is efficacious. A review from last year was noncommital and wanted to see a lot more work on it first https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8493948/

Bioavailability is clearly a big issue; if it's soluble in alcohol, and not water or fat, is fermented feed a necessary adjunct? What sort of feed do you add it to?

Hello - and thanks for reading.

I used the product in the first place because I had read sufficient scientific reports suggesting that it was - and upon using it I found it was indeed.

I know how to handle them properly and so administer the product orally mixed at 1:40 - Baicalin:Water. I give every bird I rescue a dose of this and any I suspect as having AI go into quarantined isolation and receive a dose in the morning and again in the afternoon, and once they begin eating on their own I simply put half a teaspoon into their bowl.

There is a lot of research out there for the uses of Baicalin and I'd urge anyone interested to educate themselves further on the product. I have considered it quite the revelation product lately.

 

[swampfox440]

Welcome to Byc!

 

[Shadrach]

Hello the waterfowlsanctuary.
Welcome to BYC.
Nice spot for waterfowl. Are you on one of the small lakes?

 

[raingarden]

I'm not a fan of herbal remedies for anything because the efficacy is always suspect.

More importantly, why would you want to save a bird with AI and create a carrier that can infect other birds? Recovered carriers are a real problem with waterfowl.

 

[Tookie]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

 

[chrissynemetz]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[Perris]

I'm not a fan of herbal remedies for anything because the efficacy is always suspect.

blanket scepticism is as misplaced as blanket faith. Here's a paper on scientific assessments of some herbal remedies for coccidiosis
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2021.101542
Most of our medicines have their origin in plants, eg. aspirin, digitalis, and cancer treatments based on cabbage.

 

[raingarden]

blanket scepticism is as misplaced as blanket faith. Here's a paper on scientific assessments of some herbal remedies for coccidiosis
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2021.101542
Most of our medicines have their origin in plants, eg. aspirin, digitalis, and cancer treatments based on cabbage.

That is a very interesting and informative review paper pointing out the importance of good management and animal husbandry. However, is also highlights my concern that the herbal remedies are primarily prophylactics. When chicks are dying it is too late to go back and institute preventative measures and you need a silver bullet.