Restoring Wetlands Key to Curbing Bird Flu

H5N1 bird flu started in domestic flocks and only then spread to wild migratory birds. The spread to wild birds occurred because industrialization and "development" forced wild birds into farming areas. Scientists recommend restoring wetlands to help stop bird flu's spreading in migratory birds.

Restoring wetlands and clearing poultry farms from migratory flyways could help curb the spread of bird flu by stopping wild birds from mixing with domestic fowl, a U.N.-commissioned report said on Tuesday.

The clearance of wetlands due to drainage for agriculture or hydroelectric projects is forcing some wild birds on to alternative sites such as farm ponds and paddy fields, bringing them into direct contact with domestic poultry, the report said. ...This increases the spread of the virus, which has jumped from Asia to Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

"There's a contraction for the habitat for wild birds and a natural situation arising which promotes the inter-mixing of wild birds and domestic poultry," said David Rapport, a Canadian professor and lead author of the report.

"So should a pathogen arise in domestic poultry, it becomes more likely to be spread into wild birds... because the health of those ecosystems has been compromised," he told a news conference in Nairobi.

Report: Restoring Wetlands Key to Curbing Bird Flu

Soficrow:

I too had been reading about how migratory birds were getting H5N1 from domestic stock... In fact, that appears to be well accepted at this point.

What I had not seen was a connection to wetlands...

Interesting find.

[edit on 13-4-2006 by loam]

couldn't those farm ponds and paddy fields be enclosed with netting?

the type of nylon mesh found at the outdoor & patio sections of your local Wal-Mart for example.

considering that the vast majority of natural occurring 'wet-lands' have been compromised or no longer exist, the management-philosophy of our many levels of government could easily legislate protection of water resources from the onslought of the undomesticated/migratory bird populations.

? what is being said is that less natural wet-lands increases
the interface between wild birds
and the food-cycle captive bird populations,
to the detriment of the human meat eaters

added edit:
99% of these bird/fowl food farms, do not let the 'product' out of their penned in lives.
i guess the article is referring to the miniscule populations of 'free range' fowl that is becoming the 'carrier' and is spreading the 'bird=flu' virus
as they wander to their local pond or paddy which was infected by the migratory birds.


pay-backs, eh?

[edit on 13-4-2006 by St Udio]

Originally posted by St Udio

99% of these bird/fowl food farms, do not let the 'product' out of their penned in lives.
i guess the article is referring to the miniscule populations of 'free range' fowl that is becoming the 'carrier' and is spreading the 'bird=flu' virus
as they wander to their local pond or paddy which was infected by the migratory birds.

It's the factory farms that breed disease - and bird flu spreads via water ...and into fish btw. The real issue is the waste from the factory farms making it's way into waterways.

Distance might do the trick. Maybe.

Heck of a can of worms here.