1 Million Chickens in TX killed to stop poultry virus, page 1

I wasn't sure which board to post this on... H5N1 is NOT mentioned, but please read on anyway...

linky:
www.kbtx.com...

"Chicken farm after chicken farm in the Robertson County community of Hammond is being quarantined and everything on the farm, disinfected.

The chickens are gone. They were killed, after some of the Sanderson Farms birds tested positive for poultry virus laryngotracheitis.

County officials said over a million birds were destroyed; 10 families' livelihoods were interrupted."

Here's what there is to know about the supposed pathogen, Infectious Laryngotracheitis Virus (ILT):

linky to source of all quoted material listed below:
www.ces.ncsu.edu...

exerpt:
"What is ILT?
Infectious Laryngotracheitis virus is a herpes virus that causes respiratory disease in
chickens."

"Where does ILT come from?
Though ILT can be found in chickens throughout the world, it does not survive for
extended periods outside the bird in the environment. ILT is susceptible to sunlight and
most commonly-used disinfectants. Once infected, chickens become life-long carriers of
ILT and can shed the virus during times of stress. Chickens are considered to be the
source of infection for other chickens. Virus can be transmitted over short periods of
time on equipment, boots and coveralls."

"How long does ILT last?
The course of the disease varies with the severity of the lesions, but most birds recover
in 10-14 days.
Will my birds die from ILT?
Again, the severity of the lesions is related to the mortality seen in flocks with ILT. Mild
forms of the disease result in very low morality (0.1-2%). Severe forms of the disease
result in variable mortality (5-70%) with average being 10-20%."

"What happens if my flock has ILT?
If you live in North Carolina, where ILT is a reportable disease, your farm will be
quarantined by the NCDA&CS. A quarantine means that you must have a permit to
move birds onto or off your farm until the quarantine is lifted. Your birds will be sent to
market as quickly as possible with travel to market via routes determined by the
Department of Agriculture. Lifting of the quarantine is accomplished when your farm
tests negative for ILT two times in a row with the tests being performed thirty days apart.
Before the first of these tests, your farm must be cleaned and disinfected."

The published paper answers two questions:

"Can people get ILT?
No, human health is not affected by ILT.

Is it safe to eat meat and eggs from birds with ILT?
Yes, because humans are not affected by ILT, and because the virus is destroyed by cooking, it is safe to eat poultry products from infected birds."

Even with those encouraging words, does anyone else find it disturbing that poultry with a high probability of being "infected" by a virus can still be used as a food source?

Edit: I searched before I posted and didn't come up with anything, but there's already a thread started...mods, I'm sorry!

Ezzi

[edit on 21-3-2009 by ezziboo]