Comments on: How Bad is the Minnesota Turkey Epidemic?

By: Glenna Manley

Glenna Manley — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 15:04:04 +0000

This so called “bird flu” is much bigger than anyone truly realizes. I have first hand knowledge of how this began and how it has become a cover-up to something much bigger. Right after Thanksgiving is when this whole “sickness” actually started, but the public was kept in the dark of the nature of this illness.

By: Celeste Lamosse

Celeste Lamosse — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 14:33:36 +0000

How sad these birds are being suffocated to death with foam. No one seems to mention the inherent cruelty in the everyday lives of animals we deem food. Vote 3 times a day with your plate, for health and kindness. Vote vegan.

By: 10,000 Birds | Avian influenza H5N2 in the Mississippi and Pacific Flyways

10,000 Birds | Avian influenza H5N2 in the Mississippi and Pacific Flyways — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 13:44:18 +0000

[…] to 5% of turkeys being farmed in Minnesota have been or shortly will be destroyed, and the virus is also affecting chickens. The virus is mainly found in the upper plains and […]

By: G

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 05:44:15 +0000

I heard on NPR today that some chicken farms in WIsconsin were affected, and that the notoriously anti-science/anti-labor creep Gov. Walker declared an emergency. I felt like sending him a postcard telling him there’s no proof that avian flu even exists, any more than for climate change (he’s a vicious denialist).

In outbreaks of avian flu in China, there have been isolated cases of bird-to-human transmission and one or two arguable cases of human-to-human (“H2H”) transmission over the years, but all of these have involved extensive close contact and questionable sanitation. The probability of bird-to-human or H2H transmission in the US is very very low.

The thing that scares public health scientists is the risk of a mutation in the virus that makes it easily transmissible H2H. That would of course be a paradigm case of a novel influenza that could burn through human populations like the 1917 flu. But the fact that scientists are on red alert about this risk also means that the moment any such activity is detected, it will make instant headlines.

I’m not worrying about this situation. If something bad happens, we’ll find out in time to prepare. More likely, the known measures to cull infected flocks will work as they have before, and the damage from this will be limited to the economic losses of farmers, which hopefully will be covered by insurance or by federal emergency relief.

By: R.S Sitwala u14341451

R.S Sitwala u14341451 — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 21:41:44 +0000

I find it insightful reading your blog. This new strain of avian influenza is it a mutation from N1H1 and Is the perhaps a vaccine for H5N2 under way to help reduce cutting down the large number of turkeys in Minnesota.

By: RossN

RossN — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 20:31:01 +0000

Reminds me of the other Turkey crisis that happened from 1915-1923. This April 24th is the 100th anniversary of when the GENOCIDE went into full speed.
1.5 million Armenians were killed.
750,000 Assyrians were killed.
500,000 Greeks were killed.
– and would you guess it, none of them were muslims!

By: dean

dean — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 18:55:12 +0000

This hasn’t been mentioned in Michigan at all (at least not in my section of Michigan).
The big news has been the “dog flu” epidemic that, so far, has danced around states near Michigan but hasn’t gotten in.

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 18:23:47 +0000

It is very rare for this strain of influenza to jump to humans. It is not considered a very likely possibility at all.

By: Siyanda

Siyanda — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 18:17:59 +0000

I love turkey and when I heard about this, I was moved as it directly affects me. It would be horrible for anyone to be infected by some sort of virus from turkey or chicken at that. Has research been done to find out weather or not this type of bird flu affects humans and if so, how badly?
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