Recently posted related news:
<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/bird-flu-spread-cattle-poultry-pandemic-cdc/" rel="nofollow">https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/bird-flu-spread-cattl...</a> (America Lost Control of the Bird Flu, Setting the Stage for Another Pandemic)<p>HN post: <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42496619">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42496619</a> (no discussion though)
Not exactly related, but there was just a recall put out on some pet foods because of bird flu. Seems a house cat died from it. And several more died from raw milk.<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/12/25/bird-flu-pet-food-recall-northwest-naturals-cat-death" rel="nofollow">https://www.axios.com/2024/12/25/bird-flu-pet-food-recall-no...</a>
It’s really sad. Some of the remaining cats are still recovering. And they’ve had to throw out all their feed as a precaution (very expensive). They’re looking for donations to survive.<p>What’s scary though is how it spread. They had less than 40 animals spread out over 5 acres. It’s odd that it affected most of their cats.
I wish reporting like this, and research behind it, gave more consideration to the animals' living conditions.<p>The article mentions that large cats were kept separate in 30'x40' (around 10m by 12m) enclosures. They eat whatever the zoo provides, meaning the animals don't have free choice as they would in the wild.<p>Everyone I've met over the years who work at zoos absolutely love the animals and care deeply about the job. They would notice any visible or behavioral indicators of stress.<p>That said, though, those conditions aren't natural. It could simply be that germ theory is correct and the animals were perfectly healthy until the pathogen was introduced. Its also possible, though, that keeping wild animals isolated in confined pens isn't a good situation regardless of husbandry practices.
As a homesteaders, very frightened by this. Many farmers I know gladly feed their poultry raw chicken scraps, eggs, etc. It takes one sick animal to lose dozens.
For those in California, our union, University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) has blown the whistle on the inadequate avian bird flu testing in the state. There is only one lab rated in the state of California at UC Davis that is responsible for timely testing of poultry and dairy. You can read the article at the following: <a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-12-01/lab-workers-conducting-californias-avian-flu-testing-report-mismanagement-overwork-burnout-amid-outbreak-season" rel="nofollow">https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-12-01/lab-worker...</a><p>We had an informational picket at UC Davis two weeks ago, and you can find more details at our website at <a href="https://upte.org/news/upte-members-at-uc-davis-blow-the-whistle-on-dangerous-lab-conditions-in-the-facility-testing-dairy-and-poultry-for-bird-flu" rel="nofollow">https://upte.org/news/upte-members-at-uc-davis-blow-the-whis...</a><p>The University of California system has failed to keep the health and safety of our food supply in safe and working order, with lab testing sometimes waiting weeks for turn around, causing avian bird flu to spread and causing mass culling of chickens, and tainting diary, and increasing the likelihood of animal to human spread.
UPTE members at CAHFS are raising concerns about severe understaffing and unsafe working conditions that jeopardize their critical role in testing for diseases like Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1).
After five out of seven lab workers quit since January due to inadequate compensation and a lack of support, the timely and accurate monitoring of our nation's food supply is at risk, potentially leading to catastrophic outbreaks affecting poultry and human health. Your can support us by urging CAHFS management to address these issues and protect the health and safety of our communities.
You can help by emailing the Dean of Veterinary Medicine, Dean Dr. Mark Stetter to support staffing and safety at CAHFS using the following link: <a href="https://upte.org/cahfs" rel="nofollow">https://upte.org/cahfs</a>
The normalization of eating dead animal flesh and using other animal products is one of the greatest threats to humanity.<p>It’s the greatest source and risk for pandemics. The horrible conditions in which the animals are raised means they’re far bigger consumers of antibiotics than humans, greatly reducing the efficacy of antibiotics for humans. It’s one of the larger direct sources of greenhouse gas emissions. It’s one of the greatest sources of water and land pollution. It’s one of the largest reasons for deforestation. And it’s one of the largest sources of land use and clearing while providing only a tiny fraction of the world’s calories (and protein, for that matter).<p>You don’t need to be an ethical vegan to recognize there’s something horribly wrong here.