Charles Bronson vs. bird flu

[Cocoa]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-asecflbirdflu11101105oct11,0,6295901.story?coll=orl-home-headlines

Florida plans to more than triple the number of chickens and other fowl tested for avian influenza, stepping up a surveillance program that might give the state early warning of a deadly strain of bird flu.

State Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson said Monday that the agency has tested backyard flocks and poultry farms for more than 20 years, but beginning this month it will significantly boost its random testing.

"We just want to do everything we can," he said, to avert what heath authorities fear might be a pandemic on the scale of the 1918 Spanish flu.

The primary defense against killer bird flu, Bronson said, is the U.S. ban on imports of chickens, birds, ducks, other fowl and feathers from parts of Asia where the bird flu is found.

more...

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Cage match?

:think:

[UTUSN]

2. Bird Flu - a Way of Introducing Martial Law n/t

[Field Of Dreams]

3. Could this turn into "Deathwish"?

vigilantes run amok killing chickens.

[trotsky]

4. I'm thinking no, but does anyone know for sure...

can avian flu be transmitted from birds to humans via mosquitoes, like West Nile?

[mcscajun]

5. There's been no mention of that in any of the reports.

It's been direct bird-to-human transmission so far.

No evidence YET of human-to-human transmission.

[trotsky]

6. Heh, as you note, the key word is "yet."

If viruses weren't able to mutate like crazy they wouldn't still be with us. Maybe when (not if) it mutates to spread human-to-human it might have a tradeoff in deadliness. Probably our best hope.

[Lasher]

8. The virus might not ever mutate from human to human

Here's what National Geographic says in their lead article this month:

"Maybe H5N1 will never learn the trick of racing from person to person like the milder flus that empty offices and classrooms each year. Maybe it simply can't. Or maybe efforts to eradicate the virus—largely fitful and underfunded so far—will succeed. But experts are urging the world to prepare for the worst."

http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0510/feature1/index.html

The link above leads to an abbreviated version of the story. I have read the full article, and it is quite chilling. Already we know that roughly half the infected people die.

Since the virus has spread from birds to humans, I believe it would indeed be possible for mosquitoes to infect people, if they first fed on birds, then humans. But this is speculation on my part.

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. Funny title --

I envisioned a story about a vigilante killer stalking the subways of NY, hunting down murderous chickens.

Death Wish VIII - Epidemic

[nvliberal]

9. I thought Bronson died several years ago.

Oops, wrong person.

[Cocoa]

12. Zombie Charles Bronson vs. bird flu

:scared:

[porphyrian]

10. So, the poultry industry is in bed with Jeb!.

Not that I'm surprised, it's just good to know.

[lectrobyte]

11. Bronson would kick bird flu's ass.