Comments on: H5N1 in the UK http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html Science Blog from Freelance Science Writer David Bradley Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:14:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html/comment-page-2#comment-66206 David Bradley Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:53:24 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html#comment-66206 I have to agree, we avoid battery farmed fowl and always try to source our meat from known, local, non-factory sources. Not everyone has that option though, especially in the inner cities, but you're right, the fact that the Holton site houses hundreds of thousands of birds and important tons of turkey meat for processing is horrendous. It's not the rural livestock market in an eastern country or the farm where people exist in close proximity to birds and their faeces that will light the fuse, but sites such as this of which there are hundreds scattered across the Western world. I have to agree, we avoid battery farmed fowl and always try to source our meat from known, local, non-factory sources. Not everyone has that option though, especially in the inner cities, but you’re right, the fact that the Holton site houses hundreds of thousands of birds and important tons of turkey meat for processing is horrendous. It’s not the rural livestock market in an eastern country or the farm where people exist in close proximity to birds and their faeces that will light the fuse, but sites such as this of which there are hundreds scattered across the Western world.

]]> By: DV82XL http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html/comment-page-2#comment-66202 DV82XL Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:44:53 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html#comment-66202 Dave said: "Investigators have now reported that there were problems of hygiene associated with this site ...." The big hygiene issue with these massive poultry operations is that they exist. I live near one situated at an agricultural school where the birds were packed in so tight that a power failure one night in the WINTER caused the death of thousands from over heating. Personally, I think these operations are biological powder-kegs just waiting for some pathogen to set them off. DV8 Dave said: “Investigators have now reported that there were problems of hygiene associated with this site ….”

The big hygiene issue with these massive poultry operations is that they exist. I live near one situated at an agricultural school where the birds were packed in so tight that a power failure one night in the WINTER caused the death of thousands from over heating.

Personally, I think these operations are biological powder-kegs just waiting for some pathogen to set them off.

DV8

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html/comment-page-2#comment-66195 David Bradley Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:16:04 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html#comment-66195 Investigators have now reported that there were problems of hygiene associated with this site and gaps big enough for small birds or rats to enter into the supposedly sealed turkey sheds, so it seems the Hungarian connection may have been a red herring. Red herrings, of course, can't catch bird flu... Investigators have now reported that there were problems of hygiene associated with this site and gaps big enough for small birds or rats to enter into the supposedly sealed turkey sheds, so it seems the Hungarian connection may have been a red herring. Red herrings, of course, can’t catch bird flu…

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html/comment-page-2#comment-61787 David Bradley Thu, 08 Feb 2007 18:57:09 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html#comment-61787 The Holton bird flu strain could have entered the UK from Hungary, as it turns out to be the same strain, the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6344335.stm" rel="nofollow">BBC</a> reports. The Holton bird flu strain could have entered the UK from Hungary, as it turns out to be the same strain, the BBC reports.

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html/comment-page-2#comment-61741 David Bradley Thu, 08 Feb 2007 16:42:32 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html#comment-61741 Is that right? Bird flu aside, there's always salmonella from inadequately cooked poultry to consider. Is that right? Bird flu aside, there’s always salmonella from inadequately cooked poultry to consider.

]]> By: Andrew Sun http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html/comment-page-1#comment-61739 Andrew Sun Thu, 08 Feb 2007 16:33:46 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html#comment-61739 Cantonese (Guangzhou or Hong Kong residents for instance) like to cook chicken or fish to just done. Sometimes the chef controls the cooking time so that only the flesh part of the chicken is done, while the bone part is still bleeding, because overcooked meat is tough and dry. Cantonese (Guangzhou or Hong Kong residents for instance) like to cook chicken or fish to just done. Sometimes the chef controls the cooking time so that only the flesh part of the chicken is done, while the bone part is still bleeding, because overcooked meat is tough and dry.

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html/comment-page-1#comment-61226 David Bradley Wed, 07 Feb 2007 17:48:25 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html#comment-61226 A second Holton worker is being tested for H5N1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6339759.stm A second Holton worker is being tested for H5N1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6339759.stm

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html/comment-page-1#comment-60824 David Bradley Tue, 06 Feb 2007 20:00:24 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html#comment-60824 A vet who attended the Holton turkey farm where the H5N1 outbreak occurred fell ill with respiratory problem was taken to hospital for tests does not have H5N1 A vet who attended the Holton turkey farm where the H5N1 outbreak occurred fell ill with respiratory problem was taken to hospital for tests does not have H5N1

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html/comment-page-1#comment-60266 David Bradley Mon, 05 Feb 2007 18:40:34 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html#comment-60266 The UK government hopes to "stamp out" the outbreak of bird flu and return the country to its "disease free" status, David Miliband, Environment Secretary, says. The UK government hopes to “stamp out” the outbreak of bird flu and return the country to its “disease free” status, David Miliband, Environment Secretary, says.

]]> By: DV82XL http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html/comment-page-1#comment-59370 DV82XL Sat, 03 Feb 2007 16:38:44 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/h5n1-in-the-uk.html#comment-59370 Right at the outset I want to establish that I am no 'back-to-the-land' Green nor do I have any compunctions over slaughtering animals for food. I am also no vegetarian, my young daughter is however a recent convert. Last week she prepared a casserole normally requiring half of a kilo of ground turkey with a soy and mushroom based ground turkey substitute. I was drafted as a blind tester, unaware of the switch. I did not notice the change. She has also served us a similar ersatz ground beef, and chicken fillets, and again we were hard pressed to find a difference. The stuff is shockingly expensive, coming in at about eight times the price of the real product, but I do think this is the way we must go. Battery fowl, be it turkey, chicken, or laying hens, creates an ideal breading ground for disease, and one where the huge numbers packed in close quarters can pass these pathogens around with such speed that mutations can arise incredibly quickly. Add to this the general inefficiency of these animals as protein converters, and the very real problems with disposing of their feces, and I think we have to reexamine the logic of this whole industry. The fact is that acceptable alternatives exist, and if production of these where ramped up I'm sure the price could be brought down to levels perhaps even below the real thing. When we rail against polluters, and hazardous industries, and demand that they must pay the cost of the damage they do, we tend to think of the smokestack sector, or the mining sectors, but we also should keep some of our bile for agribusiness as well. Right at the outset I want to establish that I am no ‘back-to-the-land’ Green nor do I have any compunctions over slaughtering animals for food. I am also no vegetarian, my young daughter is however a recent convert.

Last week she prepared a casserole normally requiring half of a kilo of ground turkey with a soy and mushroom based ground turkey substitute. I was drafted as a blind tester, unaware of the switch.

I did not notice the change.

She has also served us a similar ersatz ground beef, and chicken fillets, and again we were hard pressed to find a difference.

The stuff is shockingly expensive, coming in at about eight times the price of the real product, but I do think this is the way we must go.

Battery fowl, be it turkey, chicken, or laying hens, creates an ideal breading ground for disease, and one where the huge numbers packed in close quarters can pass these pathogens around with such speed that mutations can arise incredibly quickly. Add to this the general inefficiency of these animals as protein converters, and the very real problems with disposing of their feces, and I think we have to reexamine the logic of this whole industry.

The fact is that acceptable alternatives exist, and if production of these where ramped up I’m sure the price could be brought down to levels perhaps even below the real thing.

When we rail against polluters, and hazardous industries, and demand that they must pay the cost of the damage they do, we tend to think of the smokestack sector, or the mining sectors, but we also should keep some of our bile for agribusiness as well.

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