#3939
Martin W
Participant

    FAO just put out press release, saying killing wild birds not good
    Unimpressive I think; just emailed their news room:

    Quote:
    Here’s an email I’ve circulated to some people who may be interested.

    “Following report of Ho Chi Minh’s wild bird slaughter, FAO now warning against killing wild birds in attempt to guard against H5N1.
    http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2005/1000166/index.html

    FAO surely in part responsible – thanks to chief vet Joseph Domenech widely reported on wild birds supposedly spreading H5N1, and never mind the lack of solid evidence (and people like Les Sims, a vet with extensive field experience of H5N1, inc for FAO, saying wild birds are by no means main culprit for spread). Hope Domenech is proud of his role in the witch-hunt vs wild birds.”

    – while perhaps Juan Lubroth can enlighten me as to just which waterfowl have been identified as “carriers” of H5N1. (I trust he wasn’t being sloppy, and just meaning main carriers of regular, wild bird flus?!)

    The answer, dear Juan and FAO news people: no wild birds identified as carriers of H5N1. Being dead or very sick doesn’t enable you to carry the virus. (Further, the drastic measures being taken in Ho Chi Minh are not just “unlikely” to help with H5N1 – they won’t do anything at all to help. But, some pest species may benefit, as in China during Mao’s war on sparrows.)