Avian Flu

Thanks for posting that, Marigold. I'm glad I was able to adopt my ex batts when I did- I can feel another "flockdown" lurking just around the corner :-(
 
Update on current outbreak; not good news.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59585618

And this, today;
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/09/very-concerned-uk-chief-vet-confirms-two-more-bird-flu-outbreaks
 
Same over here. A city park has just been closed to the public, after several swans were found dead or dying of avian flu.

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Saw a report on the news which said the UK avian flu situation is by far worse than they've ever seen before. And it's only December.

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Don't like to think that but maybe the days of free ranging "back yard" chickens are numbered. Fortunately if I decide to start again I have enough space to make a decent sized enclosed, roofed run.
 
There has to be a light at the end of this tunnel?...I turned 74 Tue of this week and we've all had to live through winter flu every year for as long as I can remember. If you caught it you went to bed for a couple of days and then got on with your life, talking to the supplier of our 9 pol we've taken under our wing (pun intended :lol: ) said that it's the same with this flu.

Every year there are outbreaks across the UK, but we get over it, you folks will know much better than us if this is correct?? I've read somewhere that it could be March??

Our girls are covered and only the wife & I are allowed anywhere near them....keeping our fingers crossed that we do our best to look after them all.

BJ
 
OH has been talking to someone who has been out today spray marking all the dead Svalbard Barnacle Geese on the Solway Firth, estimates are 20% of the population have succumbed to Avian Flu. due to be collected by DEFRA tomorrow.

5000 overwintering cranes in Israel have died of it.

I imagine it will be March/April before we will be allowed to let them out
 
Gosh, that's awful! I haven't heard too much news lately about avian flu here.

As for human flu, while it's regarded as a fairly mild illness for most people, it does kill hundreds of people in the UK and here, every year. And even if it doesn't kill you, some people become extremely ill. I was ill for over 2 1/2 years after a bout of flu about 25 years ago. "Post viral syndrome " the doctors called it. I imagine what they refer to as "long covid" must be a similar thing.

I think the thing with avian flu is that at the moment, it's extremely unlikely that you'd catch it from birds, and they'd rather keep it that way. With something like 80 to 90% mortality rate, the last thing anyone would want is avian flu mutating with a strain easily spread to people. Can you imagine a pandemic with 80% mortality rate??

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Yes - it’s odd, we haven’t heard anything about how much flu is circulating this year. There have been articles about how to separate common cold symptoms from Covid, but no mention of flu.
We both got a viral infection of some kind in October 2019, and we’re sure we picked it up whilst waiting at the annual flu clinic in what was then a crowded unventilated waiting room at the doctor’s surgery, with everybody chatting away before being called in for their flu vaccination. I was ill for several weeks, but more than two years later my husband is still suffering the effects. This was a couple of months before we knew about Covid, but as we know of several people in Whitchurch who were also badly affected, I do wonder whether Covid was circulating in the general population, undiagnosed, for quite a while before it made the headlines.
 
There's a bit more flu around this year than last, but not as much as normal years. Masks, social distancing and less international travel etc. mean flu isn't spreading.

And I suspect you're right about covid being around for longer than we think. In December 2019 I and several others in the family were so ill with some sort of respiratory virus. I remember spending a few nights when the only way I could breath was to sit up leaning forwards. I was using my asthma inhalers up to 6 times a day, trying to breath, and finally had to go to the doctor, when I felt I was going to end up in hospital. I could hear a creaking noise when I breathed. He gave me antibiotics and a hefty course of steroids - never had needed steroids before or since.

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Marigold said:
Yes - it’s odd, we haven’t heard anything about how much flu is circulating this year. There have been articles about how to separate common cold symptoms from Covid, but no mention of flu.
We both got a viral infection of some kind in October 2019, and we’re sure we picked it up whilst waiting at the annual flu clinic in what was then a crowded unventilated waiting room at the doctor’s surgery, with everybody chatting away before being called in for their flu vaccination. I was ill for several weeks, but more than two years later my husband is still suffering the effects. This was a couple of months before we knew about Covid, but as we know of several people in Whitchurch who were also badly affected, I do wonder whether Covid was circulating in the general population, undiagnosed, for quite a while before it made the headlines.
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Back in November 2018, 2 local farmers and one of the staff at the local feed suppliers shop were all taken ill with coughing, high temperatures, bad chests. The two farmers were on antibiotics which did nothing and they were ill for weeks. Lyn at the shop was so ill she was in intensive care for a month with an " unknown virus" as every test for something came up negative. She has since been told it was Covid. The two farmers who visit the feed suppliers and had been chatting to her a day or two before she was taken ill, are pretty sure that is what they had.
I wouldn't be surprised if Tony had it. Lyn is still suffering after 2 years
 
Marigold, in November 2019 we had a week in Edinburgh. We had already had our flu jabs. When we got home we were very ill and couldn't eat - our Xmas dinner of a lamb rack went in the bin. I've since wondered if we had covid, as it turned up shortly afterwards.

We had of course been in many crowded places, restaurants, pubs, museums etc.
 
What a sad story - about the aptly-named Alan Gosling, the man who is suspected of having bird flu, after keeping some of his 150 ducks in his house to warm his slippers.
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/bird-flu-buckfastleigh-devon-man-6454975
 
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