In an update on the avian flu crisis provided to AP by Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital, the urgency of restoring international cooperation in researching and overcoming infectious disease could not have been made clearer. Over 50 million chickens and turkeys have been slaughtered in the U.S. this year, setting an all-time U.S. record for spread of avian flu. It has also been spreading in Europe during the same time.
Some of the bare facts provided by Dr. Brownstein are: “It’s something we’ve been monitoring for two decades now…. Because this virus is so contagious, drastic measures have to be put into place … (resulting) in the death of millions of birds.” It is believed, AP notes, that the outbreak began from wild birds, which of course means—though AP doesn’t say it—that its origin could be anywhere on the planet. This strain, which is now defined as “highly pathogenic” was the first to appear in the U.S. since 2016, when it showed up in the Carolinas. It is now in over 45 states, with Maryland most recently added to the list. In 2015, an outbreak only affected 21 states.