Murder Most Fowl

Bird flu has always been deadly for large populations of birds and other animals. But, in the past, these breakouts of the virus H5N1 had a controlling factor. To be blunt: Dead birds don’t fly. This reality helped localize the spread of the scourge. But “the virus evolved so some wild birds are able to migrate just far enough to reach another bird community or mammal population to pass the virus on before dying.” Even researchers have been surprised by the adaptation. According to one virologist, “We’ve gone from this concept of dead birds don’t fly to this new virus that seems to be a bit more like dead bird flying.” NPR: How bird flu is spreading in the wild. “If the natural reservoir for this virus was any other animal species than birds, we might expect to see it only located on a certain continent because animals don’t swim across oceans. They don’t climb over mountain ranges. The one animal species that does is birds.”

+ In the animal kingdom, this news could be described as a global catastrophe. But what about humans who so far have mostly related to the virus by way of high egg prices? Are we prepared for the worst case scenario? Will be even know about it? NYT (Gift Article): C.D.C. Posts, Then Deletes, Data on Bird Flu Spread Between Cats and People.

+ Given the dietary habits of Super Bowl weekend, it’s worth wondering: Why are egg prices surging — but not chicken wings? “Chickens raised for meat — known as ‘broilers’ — live on different farms than those that produce eggs. And while broilers are not immune from avian flu, they haven’t been hit nearly as hard as their egg-laying cousins.”