Perhaps you’ve heard about the “Bird Flu” which has infected US dairy herds, been found in milk, maybe killed some cats and caused pink eye (‘conjunctivitis’) in a single farm worker.
Is this a big thing? Is it worth worrying about?
Short answer: No, it’s not yet worth worrying about from a personal health standpoint.
Longer answer: I have concerns about both the origin of this particular H5N1 clade and the government’s responses to it.
There’s a non-zero chance that this virus came about as a consequence of lab experiments. Of course I bring the receipts.
The government’s immediate response of requiring testing of all dairy cows crossing state lines to be tested for Avian Influenza will create huge issues for a smoothly functioning culling, transport, and meat plant processes.
This is one more huge cost pressure on already shaky dairy operations which have been struggling for years under low prices and rising expenses.
Not to worry an mRNA vax will be ready in a couple weeks.
Snip from article: “…health officials remain concerned due to its high mortality rate, which hovers around 50%, according to the World Health Organization.”
I really hope horse dewormer turns out of be effective again, just for the “Karmic symmetry”. Nothing would make both sides of the debate more sincerely happy.
I remember after Ukraine events in 2014, Zero Hedge articles were being written about how all the 1980’s TV shows and Movies were being rebooted for the same reason the Cold War with Russia was:
We are just plumb out of ideas in this culture.
Even the people who suffered terrible mental anguish and isolation during Covid will embrace another pandemic for the simple reason that it is familiar, and doesn’t call on them to take any responsibility beyond pledging allegiance to the authorities.
edit I think the difference this time will be the ferocity we will see from the higher ups but also from the authoritarians at the school/condo board level of society. They were just plain mean last time but this time they will bring their Camp Guard A-Games, so we gotta be ready.
Sporadic human infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus, with a wide spectrum of clinical severity and a cumulative case fatality of more than 50%, have been reported in 23 countries over more than 20 years.1 HPAI A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b viruses have spread widely among wild birds worldwide since 2020–2021,2,3 resulting in outbreaks in poultry and other animals.2 Recently, HPAI A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b viruses were identified in dairy cows, and in unpasteurized milk samples, in multiple U.S. states.4,5 We report a case of HPAI A(H5N1) virus infection in a dairy farm worker in Texas.
I kept thinking that next potenial pandemic or the fear mongering efforts associated with one (real or imagined) would occur closer to the election.
Then I thought well maybe its not the election alone, its could be the WHO treaty, which last time I heard would be implemented on or around May 27, 2024.
Kind of late for our elected representatives to speak up. Its probably an ass covering endeavor anyway. “See we tried to stop it.”
Which is one of the reasons I am raising rabbits. I am just one confirmed case of avian flu away from losing my small commercial flock and my main farm income. The Canadian gov’t has declared that any flocks within 5 km of a confirmed case will be killed. End of story.
It is also interesting to me that it is mentioned several times that pasteurization helps… in a time where more and more people are starting to catch on to the “raw milk is healthy” group! We can’t have people drink raw healthy milk of course…
