11 Jan DEVON MAN FIRST HUMAN IN UK TO CONTRACT BIRD FLU VIRUS
A 79-year-old Devon man has now been given the all clear after being the first human case of the H5N1 bird flu strain known to be passed to a human in the United Kingdom.
Alan Gosling lived nearby 160 wild ducks, several of whom would come and go from inside his home. Recent record bird flu outbreaks across Europe led to at least some of the birds and in turn himself contracting the disease.
Alan Gosling is reported to have pleaded with authorities to not kill his beloved bird friends who he was extremely bonded with, later stating “I haven’t got any birds to talk to now, the ducks have gone. They were my family they were, I had a few in here and they were very close. I’m disgusted with the way they killed them.”
The H5N1 virus is highly contagious among birds and kills over 50% of the humans it infects. Thankfully. the current strains are not highly contagious among humans however diseases continually mutate so bird flu remains one of the greatest concerns for infectious disease experts with Wales Online reporting “The WHO fears that although transmission is rare, in cases where it has happened it increases the chances of the virus mutating into a form that can be passed from one infected human to another, and consequently leading to a flu pandemic.”
European health officials are warning people to not touch sick or dead birds, meanwhile all authorities support business as usual with 2.7 million dead chickens and 30 million eggs being consumed daily in the UK alone! Other UK health advice includes washing hands thoroughly before and after handling raw poultry, using different utensils for raw and cooked birds and cooking dead birds and eggs thoroughly before eating them, among other band-aid recommendations 🙄 We are unaware of any official advice incorporating the encouragement of plant-based eating – the absolute least they need to be doing.
Whilst strains of bird flu viruses are passed to and from migrating birds, it is our subjugation and farming of animals that poses the greatest risk, providing the perfect environment for mutation and spread. Climate change has also been raised as a potential factor in the increase of bird flu strains and outbreaks across Europe – ironically also caused predominantly by animal agriculture.
H5N1 was first discovered in farmed geese in China in 1996 and the first outbreak resulting in human deaths occurred in a poultry farm and live animal market in Hong Kong in 1997.
It really is difficult to read these stories and not think of the words of Leonardo De Vinci “I awoke only to find that the rest of the world was still asleep.”
Recently passed pandemic legislation in Victoria has given power to authorities to kill people’s animal friends with no requirement for proof that disease is even present.
Our hearts go out to Mr Gosling and his duck friends.
Related articles
The Guardian – First UK person to catch H5N1 bird flu strain is named.
Live Science – U.K.’s first human case of H5N1 avian flu detected in man with pet ducks
Daily Mail – Britain’s bird flu ‘patient zero’ gives thumbs up
The Guardian – Minister confirms UK has been hit by record bird flu outbreak
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