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DavidUpInHere OP t1_iu8bf7r wrote

A few problems I had with this article is that it claims that Avian influenza is not considered dangerous to humans...

The Spanish Flu Pandemic in 1918 was an H1N1 virus of avian origin, and it killed 50 million people. So, I would say it is considered dangerous to humans.

But what is going around right now does not spread easily from birds to humans, it requires close contact or touching them or their droppings. BUT, if someone did become infected, while also infected with SARS-CoV-2 at the same time, humanity can potentially end up dealing with a recombinant virus emerging that could be Stephen King novel devastating.

Not trying to spread fear, any infectious disease expert has been concerned about SARS-CoV-2 combining with other viruses in the wild. Avian flu would be a big one.

Unfortunately the article also suggests citizens that find a sick bird to take it to a local wildlife conservatory. This is a bad idea, a regular person without PPE shouldn't be handling these sick birds right now...

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sector3011 t1_iu8mhly wrote

Bird flu has infected hundreds of humans over the last 20 years. Any time it can mutate to spread between humans, we just don't know when...

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Friedumb t1_iuaa7b0 wrote

If you find a dead bird with no sign of trauma; it's not a bad idea to call the authorities. Picking up and moving a dead bird is insane and should never be recommended when avian flu abounds.

The local authorities can test for West Nile as well as bird flu (quite a few other diseases as well). Which leads to heightened awareness and increased containment measures in the community.

Tldr: What I don't get is how do the cats know they are infected... Never see them touch a sick bird.

Edit: Nvm on the cat bit, https://www.livescience.com/57583-bird-flu-h7n2-strain-strikes-cats.html...

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