Avian Influenza, the next Panzootic?
Victoria currently is experiencing an outbreak of Avian Influenza or ‘Bird Flu’. This disease, which is distantly related to the influenza viruses that infect people, can be deadly to birds. In order to stop it from spreading, all poultry on an infected farm will be culled. So far, hundreds of thousands of chickens have been killed. There are obvious animal welfare concerns as well serious economic and psychological impacts on the farmers. Unfortunately, there may be worse to come. Having lived…