I've been reading about bird flu on BBC online since it all began. My concern from the start has been how this will impact how we, as humans, will treat birds. We have seen how domestic birds in infected areas are treated, stuffed into sacks and buried and burned alive. Will our fear cause us to start killing wild birds? Birds are an extremely important part of the ecological chain and we can't decimate the wild population without hurting ourselves. I rescue wildlife as well as cats and I worry that when the virus reaches the U.S., people won't be willing to pick up injured birds and take them in for rescue. I've started carrying a pair of latex gloves in my purse - it makes good sense to protect from psittacosis anyway. But I won't stop picking up injured birds.
I hope we can discuss possible impacts and implications on this thread. Kirsten has posted a new thread in the Cats General section for information on bird flu and cats.
Just found on BBC online:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4721598.stm
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