Comments on: Winter Flu Season Brings New Bird Flu Outbreaks Across Asia http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/12/18/winter-flu-season-brings-new-bird-flu-outbreaks-across-asia/ 80beats is DISCOVER's news aggregator, weaving together the choicest tidbits from the best articles covering the day\'s most compelling topics. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:35:40 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Eliza Strickland http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/12/18/winter-flu-season-brings-new-bird-flu-outbreaks-across-asia/comment-page-1/#comment-16077 Eliza Strickland Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:26:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/12/18/winter-flu-season-brings-new-bird-flu-outbreaks-across-asia/#comment-16077 Chris: Given that these outbreaks are occurring at commercial poultry farms, the industry can't afford to let the virus run its course through the populations. Plus, then they'd run more risk of humans coming down with the virus. So in the outbreak in China, for example, it's possible that only a small number of birds were found dead at one farm. But when the farmers realized that those few died from H5N1 avian flu they'd have to slaughter every chicken who had even a slim chance of getting infected, including those at surrounding farms. That's the quickest, surest way to control a disease outbreak. Chris: Given that these outbreaks are occurring at commercial poultry farms, the industry can’t afford to let the virus run its course through the populations. Plus, then they’d run more risk of humans coming down with the virus.

So in the outbreak in China, for example, it’s possible that only a small number of birds were found dead at one farm. But when the farmers realized that those few died from H5N1 avian flu they’d have to slaughter every chicken who had even a slim chance of getting infected, including those at surrounding farms. That’s the quickest, surest way to control a disease outbreak.

]]> By: chris http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/12/18/winter-flu-season-brings-new-bird-flu-outbreaks-across-asia/comment-page-1/#comment-16060 chris Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:14:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/12/18/winter-flu-season-brings-new-bird-flu-outbreaks-across-asia/#comment-16060 This is a very scary disease, but it seems to me that killing off the birds is a mistake. Wouldn't the ones that survive be fitter and have antibodies against the virus? This is a very scary disease, but it seems to me that killing off the birds is a mistake.

Wouldn’t the ones that survive be fitter and have antibodies against the virus?

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