The Birds are not to Blame By Grattan Woodson, MD, FACP
At a recent family get together the subject of bird flu was raised. My brother proudly announced his intention to destroy all the mallard nests he and his neighbors could find in nearby wetlands. Apparently, one of his neighbors informed him that ducks always returned to the place the hatched to lay their eggs and that destroying the nests and eggs would reduce the number of waterfowl returning the wetland in the future. My brother and his neighbors decided this would be a capital idea. Furthermore they decided to shoot all the adult mallards they encounter as well. I was shocked! What s stupid idea this was. These fools thought they could protect their loved ones from pandemic bird flu by slaughtering the migratory waterfowl that pass their way. Not only is this a fool’s errand, it is also an act of animal cruelty that in no way will do a thing to protect them from bird flu. What’s more these wetlands are located within suburban Atlanta where discharge of a firearm is illegal. They will probably be in violation of hunting regulations as well given their intend to perpetrate their deed during the mallard’s nesting season.
I love my brother and his family and know and like his neighbors too. They are intelligent well-educated folk who think that wiping out the ducks transiting their neighborhood they will protect their family and community. This well-intended act of course is ridiculous and in fact is a crime against nature and humankind. Bird flu does infect about 1 in 20 mallards and yes, they probably are one of the ways the bird form of the disease moves around the world. But they are not to blame for the coming pandemic and killing off a few hundred mallards that nest nearby will do nothing to protect their families or friends.
The H5N1 virus that is currently in circulation among the avian population is a terrible disaster. Millions of birds have died from it already not to mention the 250 million poultry that have been slaughtered by man in an attempt to stop its spread among domestic flocks. The avian world is presently in the grip of an unprecedented influenza epizootic that is destined to spread to every corner of the earth within the next year or so. Yes, that means to the US and to the birds that frequent my brother’s neighborhood wetland.
Wild Fowl Worldwide Flyways: The Influenza Highway
This is certain because our homes lie smack in the middle of the Atlantic American Flyway that begins in Nova Scotia, Canada and extends to Key West, Florida. The northern terminus of the flyway intersects the Eastern Atlantic Flyway that waterfowl wintering in Western Africa use during the summer. The American and African birds meet up in Nova Scotia where they engage in extensive congress. During the exchange, viruses are passed from the Africans to the Americans and vice versa. Studies of the H5N1 gene sequences isolated from avian and human sources from Eurasia contain sequences of American origin confirming the affect of past congresses between these two wild waterfowl populations. That the highly pathogenic strain of H5N1 will arrive in the Americas, Australia and the Antarctic, the only continents so far unaffected, is a certainty. In fact, this is likely to occur soon if not already.
While the dye is cast with respect to the eventual worldwide spread of the current version of bird flu, it is important to point out that the disease the birds are carrying is not easily transmitted to humans and not the disease that will ultimately stalk us. The pandemic influenza virus that eventually adapts to humankind will be related to the avian version of H5N1 but unlike it in many respects. In fact the human pandemic will be caused by a virus that is not able to be infect birds and will not be carried by them. This virus will be carried and transmitted by humans to other humans primarily but could also infect related mammals like swine, dogs, and cats.
These flyways have been frequented by these waterfowl species and their ancestors for hundreds of millennia and hopefully will continue to do so far into the future. That humankind has elected to reside within these geographic areas has been a considerable annoyance to the avian community. Our relentless encroachment upon the wetland homes of our feathered brothers has been a cause for extinction of more than a few avian species. Despite our thoughtless actions, these brave waterfowl have adapted to their shrinking range of safe nesting areas. To think that well-intentioned bird flu vigilantes would take the futile step to massacre hundreds, thousands or even millions of innocent waterfowl is a horror on par with those that man commits against our own species from time to time.
Wild waterfowl are not the cause of bird flu. They are the present principal victims of this scourge today. While the epizootic within the avian population may precede a pandemic within the mammalian world including humankind is an interesting observation. We should be thankful for this observation because it provides us with an opportunity to prepare for the advent of a human pandemic. Killing ducks in the hopes of preventing a pandemic is tantamount to killing the messenger. It is a senseless act that does nothing other that harm an innocent victim of the epizootic without doing anything to prevent the bird flu virus from becoming pandemic.
I agree Doc. My partner volunteers several days a week at Riverview an all volunteer park. I have asked him not to go near dead ducks and geese, the live ones stay away, to wear a mask and gloves when working down there and disenfecting his shoes and clothing before entering his home. Basic precautions if your around wild birds alot, for the rest of us..I’m not to concerned about birds giving me the flu. It will be people that spread PI.
Well, Doctor, it sounds like your family is just like the rest of ours - misled, misguided, while we remain misunderstood.
Thanks Dr. Woodson for bringing this up.
Do you have any recommendations for those of us with bird feeders?
I plan to continue to put out feed but wasn’t sure if I should: gradually cut back to discourage such close proximity between the birds possibly lessening the chance of them passing along a/the virus to each other, gradually cut back to possibly lessen their dependency on my feeders in case I run out of grain due to a long SIP, or gradually cut back in case HP H5N1 is easilly infecting mammals as well as birds, ie. the less feed outside on the ground, the less chance for the deer, turkeys, fox, raccoons, coyotes, cats, and birds (& other night wanderers) to be congregating and infecting each other through their paws, through sharing saliva in common drinking puddles, etc..
Thanks!
By the way, I’ve bought many copies your newest book and have handed them out to my local doctors, my closest four neighborhood families (in proximity), and a couple of friends. I haven’t heard a single word back from any of them, not even a ‘thank you’. Of course I did drop the neighborhood copies off with a note (and the fluwiki address) just a few days before Thanksgiving. They are all probably furious with me for possibly ruining their holiday (if they even opened them up!!! I may be flattering myself that they did.) They think that I’m a nut anyway so… oh well. I love all the info you’ve written esp. regarding treating children and my all of neighbors have kids. *I’m* happy that they now have your book!
Plus there’s always that slight but hopeful chance that they’ll prep and not be at my door when the heat’s turned up!
Many people are always looking for an excuse to kill someone or something when they are unsettled. Its sad. They give more consideration to a new plasma TV than they give to whether or not another living being should die.
The Doctor – at 20:03 “To think that well-intentioned bird flu vigilantes would take the futile step to massacre hundreds, thousands or even millions of innocent waterfowl is a horror on par with those that man commits against our own species from time to time.”
and Fiddlerdave - at 00:49
I so sadly agree. I’m honored to call the ‘others’ my sisters and brothers too.
Can The Doctor give local authorities a head’s-up? These kill-the-birds ideas are the consequences of officials’ not doing their own homework, and not educating the public all along. Wetlands, firearm, game people, public health people might also need a stern talking-to, quickly.
Give the public more rational things to do -now!;
such as be sure they have enough food, know how to get safe water, and have some meds and skills and tools to cope without 911, and or withouth electricity for a few months if they have to, and be brainstorming ways to help each other without infecting each other. That should keep the public busy…
I think we are going to see avian HP H5N1 spread across the Americas very soon. In fact, I am surprised that this has not happened already. This might be due to current El Nino weather event that has kept artic air further north this fall. At the moment however, a powerful blast of artic air has managed, for the first time this season, to move down from Canada into the US. Will this lead to the wild waterfowl carrying HP H5N1 to finally migrate south? Who knows but we shall see shortly.
When HP H5N1 sweeps through our area, it will be very important to avoid contact with all wild species of birds to help prevent human infection. The practical advice KimT – at 20:24 gave her husband to prevent him from becoming infected or bringing the virus home to the family is sage and something we should all plan to do. I would add that whenever anyone is in the vicinity of a wild waterfowl habitat they also wear a N-95 mask and latex gloves. The Indonesians that became ill with H5N1 in the summer of 2005 while visiting a Zoo in Jakarta had no direct contact at with birds. They simply walked past their open cages. In my opinion, the infection was likely the result of their inhaling dust that had contaminated bird feces mixed in. The fecal dust was probably swallowed leading to the cases seen. The HP H5N1 has receptors for the human GI tract but not the upper respiratory system, so I don’t think they would have been infected any other way.
I am very concerned that children and pets could become infected with HP H5N1 if they play with dead birds or other animals in the yard. It will be important to teach our kids about this and instruct them to come tell us if they see any dead birds or animals nearby. Dead animal carcass should be removed with great care and properly disposed of. The adult caring out this procedure should be suited up as suggested by KimT and placed the carcass in a plastic garbage bag that can be sealed for safe disposal. I plan to use a pitchfork to move the carcass into plastic yard refuse bag to prevent any direct contact. We will need to keep our pets inside as much as possible to avoid them becoming infected and spreading it to us. I really worry about my dog since she lives outside and won’t like being inside most of the time. The Korean health authorities decision this week to kill all the domesticated cats and dogs within a zone around the infected poultry farms sent shivers up my spine.
The paper N-95 mask is labeled for use once then discarded. This is the safest way to use them but will be a waste of a scarce resource during the pandemic. While not recommended by the US FDA or the manufacturer, in my opinion, these masks can be safely recycled and used over and over again. There are several ways this can be done. First is to place them in the microwave oven for 1 minute on high. This will kill all bacteria and viruses caught within the mask’s three layers. The second is to pasteurize the mask at 190 F for 1 hour in a conventional or solar oven or in a pot with a lid heated by a fire. This will also kill all the organisms within and upon it but be careful that the oven doesn’t get too hot, burning the mask. The last method is to saturate the mask with a 1:10 household bleach solution and letting it air dry. The last approach will result in deterioration of the materials used to construct the mask and therefore will not support recycling for more than a few times as is the case with the other techniques. Once deterioration of the material can be seen, they should be discarded.
Grattan Woodson, MD, FACP
Why stop at birds ?
S. Korea is including dogs, cats, mice and chickens.
Why not start culling fluffy and fido ?
Yes this is sarcasm.
H5N1 HPAI is not here yet.
HOWEVER, when it does get here, you may see authorities doing EXACTLY what your relative wants to do now.
FAO Special Report Show the local authorities (and the media, and the local vets, and pet stores, and shelters) the Recommendations, and say, Don’t wait to tell the public until we are informed H5N1 is in our area; pet owners’ habits, and, the public’s adjustment reactions, have a steep learning curve to get over with. Better done now than tried during a crisis.
Dr. Woodson, I like the plan that several people have voiced about building a dog run that has a covered roof to protect the ground underneath from contamination so that their dogs can step from thei back door of the house into the run & enjoy being “outside” without being in an uncontrolled environment.
I’m pleased to say that the new cat that we took in in April is finally an indoor cat…I’ve had cats all my life & I’d NEVER seen a cat that wanted OUT as bad as this one would every morning after I started making him stay in at night. He would potentially give himself a severe case of whiplash looking at me and at the back door and back at me so fast and for so long each morning…and dig at the back door, etc. but somehow we got to the point where he’d be in for 2 days, then out for a couple of hours, then in for 3 days, etc. until we finally got to “you’re never setting foot on grass again so get used to it!”. He’s finally getting over being mad at me after 2 months :-)
Thanks Doc Woodson. We do not live in an area with ducks, but there is a flock of about 100 wild turkeys that roams this region. Sometimes they will wander through our front or back yards, as well as through the surrounding fields, gardens & woods. It appears we will need to be very alert and careful. I don’t see any way to totally avoid spread of the virus in birds and wildlife over the long term, even if the virus is not lethal for them. After thinking this through, it appears we might need to be as cautious regarding animal contact, as we will need to be regarding human contact. Oooy.