(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . The Price of eggs is nothing compared to what is being lost [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-02-18 this piece by Katherine J Wu in The Atlantic brought me to tears this morning: Months later, the bird-flu outbreak continues to rage. An estimated 58.4 million domestic birds have died in the United States alone. Farms with known outbreaks have had to cull their chickens en masse, sending the cost of eggs soaring; zoos have herded their birds indoors to shield them from encounters with infected waterfowl. The virus has been steadily trickling into mammalian populations—foxes, bears, mink, whales, seals—on both land and sea, fueling fears that humans could be next. Scientists maintain that the risk of sustained spread among people is very low, but each additional detection of the virus in something warm-blooded and furry hints that the virus is improving its ability to infiltrate new hosts. “Every time that happens, it’s another chance for that virus to make the changes that it needs,” says Richard Webby, a virologist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Right now, this virus is a kid in a candy store.” Wu made this point which brought it home to me: Some locals in the Southeast have already told Nemeth that they’re feeling the absence of vultures, as roadside deer carcasses begin to fester in the sun. the weird warm weather has brought out the rutting skunks, raccoons, possums—I saw roadside carnage all along my route to the grocery 30 miles from my house—and NOT ONE turkey vulture. I can’t begin to tell you how strange this is. I’ve lived in the sticks on the Cumberland Plateau for over 20 years and the big birds circling high above dead deer, calves, and roadside carnage are a constant presence, going about their business, doing their job. But the for last few weeks I haven’t seen any. the only reassuring news I have for you is one I looked for right away: Low Risk of Avian Flu to Songbirds Although there has been widespread transmission of avian flu to wild bird species including waterfowl and raptors, transmission to songbirds and other typical feeder visitors has been low (less than 2% of all cases reported in wild birds). That means there is currently low risk of an outbreak among wild songbirds, and no official recommendation to take down feeders unless you also keep domestic poultry, according to the National Wildlife Disease Program. We do always recommend that you clean bird feeders and birdbaths regularly as a way to keep many kinds of diseases at bay. All of us who keep feeding stations for wild songbirds should read this article, much great advice. But here are some reports from around the world, which should have all of us worried as the reports are devastating: from the Sacramento Bee Bobcat dies after being first wild mammal to test positive for avian flu in California from Peru: The virus has killed tens of thousands of sea birds in Peru alone, including some species that are considered endangered in the country, and scientists worry other vulnerable species like the Andean condor might also become infected. Hundreds of sea lions and a dolphin have also been infected, which raises concerns regarding transmission to humans and is especially worrisome if it is confirmed that mammals can infect each other. from Spain: Bird flu outbreak in mink sparks concern about spread in people from USA Today: Though most cases were detected in Oregon, positive tests in mammals were confirmed in the following states, according to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services: Alaska Colorado Idaho Illinois Montana Nebraska New York Washington Meanwhile in the United Kingdom, the Animal and Plant Health Agency found positive cases in otters and foxes. The agency also said a cat tested positive in France, and the highly contagious pathogen caused a large outbreak in a Spanish mink farm. I am not worried about humans. A pandemic flu WILL COME for us sooner or later. But I am worried about all the other creatures, great and small, that make our world a wondrous place [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/18/2153696/-The-Price-of-eggs-is-nothing-compared-to-what-is-being-lost Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/