In My Local Newspaper Today.....

[Lin Hansen]

Hi Everyone,

The following article was in this morning's local newspaper, The Jersey Journal. Thought you all might like seeing it:

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Pigeons aren't expected to be bird flu carriers

http://www.nj.com/search/index.ssf?/...?xclude&coll=3


Monday, April 24, 2006
WASHINGTON - City folks, don't worry. Nobody expects pigeons, more common than manhole covers, will bring the deadly bird flu virus.

Pigeons are not immune from the virus. But tests indicate the birds pick it up only when they are exposed to very high doses, do not always become infected under those conditions and are carriers only briefly.

"Pigeons aren't a big worry," said Rex Sohn, a wildlife disease specialist at the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis. "But to make absolute predictions that pigeons won't be susceptible to this virus, in whatever form it arises in North America, is not something you want to say."

Government scientists looking for the first signs of the H5N1 bird flu strain in the United States are focusing on wild migratory birds, not resident birds such as pigeons, starlings and sparrows that stay close to home.

In February, a 14-year-old pigeon seller in Iraq died after coming down with bird flu-like symptoms. Authorities said three of his cousins also were hospitalized with similar symptoms.

There have been no pigeon die-offs in parts of the world experiencing H5N1 outbreaks, according to USGS wildlife disease specialist Grace McLaughlin.

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Linda

[feralpigeon]

Hi Lin,

I'm glad to see that this story is getting picked up by other newspapers accross the country. I still wonder what happened to the 14 yr old boy and if they determined that he was exposed elsewhere?

fp

[Trees Gray]

Wow....i'm thrilled that this informative and factual information is getting into all the newspapers!

Perhaps the 14 year old had other health issues. Also, there have been cases where youngsters have died, but not parents, due to their immune system not being fully developed as with grownups.

[Reti]

That is great news for our dear pigeons.
CNN had a similar story on yesterday.

Reti

[Lin Hansen]

And the following was in the New York Daily News today:

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It's not easy to pigeonhole bird flu, gov't expert says

WASHINGTON - Checking pigeons for the avian flu is probably for the birds, a government official said yesterday.
Scientists looking for the first signs of the H5N1 bird flu strain in the United States are focusing on wild migratory birds, not resident city dwellers such as pigeons, said Rex Sohn, a wildlife disease specialist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

Pigeons are not immune from the virus. But tests indicate the birds pick it up only when they are exposed to very high doses.


The Associated Press


http://www.nydailynews.com/04-19-200...p-348100c.html

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I'm very glad that this news seems to be getting around to let people know that pigeons would not be the prime suspects re avian flu.

Linda

[mr squeaks]

Well, guess what? Almost the SAME article that you first posted, Linda, was in MY local paper! And the same Rex Sohn was quoted!

ALSO, as a side bar, there was this:

STUDY FINDINGS

--There have been no pigeon die-offs in parts of the world experienceing
H5N1 outbreaks, according to USGS wildlife disease specialist Grace McLaughlin

--Three studies since the late 1990s by the Agriculture Department's Southeast Poultry Reseaarch Laboratory in Athens, GA., have produced "more questions than we have answers," said the center's director, David Swayne.

--In one experiment, researachers squirted into pigeons' mouths liquid drops that contained the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus. The birds got about 100 to 1,000 times the concentration that wild birds would encounter in nature. "We couldn't infect the pigeons," Swayne said.

--In 2004, the lab did two more experiments, Using samples from a pigeon and a crow that had both died in Thailand, researchers gave 12 pigeons similarly high doses of the bird flu virus. Seven become infected and one died. Five others did not become infected.

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While I'm glad to hear that pigeons are not prone to this disease, I sure feel sorry for the "guinea pigeons!!"

[Camrron]

These are all good news articles for pigeons. There is some good rationale to getting this kind of information out to the public as well. Those in the business of monitoring for outbreaks of bird-flu, agriculture folks and government bodies will not want to be inundated with phone calls from people who have come across sick pigeons and are in a panic about it. This kind of information serves well to reduce public fears, reduce costs of bird collection and testing and ultimately (hopefully) will also save pigeon lives.

Cameron

[feralpigeon]

Originally Posted by Camrron

These are all good news articles for pigeons. There is some good rationale to getting this kind of information out to the public as well. Those in the business of monitoring for outbreaks of bird-flu, agriculture folks and government bodies will not want to be inundated with phone calls from people who have come across sick pigeons and are in a panic about it. This kind of information serves well to reduce public fears, reduce costs of bird collection and testing and ultimately (hopefully) will also save pigeon lives.

Cameron

That's what I was thinking, why in the world now, are they coming out w/these stories? But when I stopped to think about it, it made good financial sense as the cost of addressing concerns that could border on hysteria when cases begin to arise would be outrageous for pigeons and would glut the scientific community when other birds would be more strategic to monitor....

fp

[Feather]

This article was in my local news paper today. Linda, I hope that you don't mind if I use your thread, but it had the perfect title.

http://dailybulletin.com/news/ci_3770488

Feather

[TAWhatley]

Thanks for that link, Feather. I think that lady definitely learned from the END epidemic, and it's very good that she is taking such precautions. Many people that bring a bird here want to come in and see all the birds, and I have always said no .. partly because there would be a never ending stream of people wandering around my yard but mostly because I don't want anyone bringing anything harmful in on their person or clothing/shoes.

Terry

[Feather]

Terry,

Actually, this fell right in line with your preachings. I just thought it would fortify what you have already posted.


Your Welcome, and Thank You back,

Feather

[Lin Hansen]

Feather,

Didn't mind at all!

Good article....thanks for posting it.

Linda