Birds, like the rest of us, get a flu that is specific to the species. You may remember a few years ago of a flu that went through a lot of chickens in eastern MD. They killed a lot of birds trying to stop the spread of the disease. Though it killed many chickens it didn't kill any people.
The reason many our concerned about the bird flu in China is it has crossed the bird/man barrier. Some people are catching the flu from their flocks. This is new. This too isn't too big of a deal but the concern is if it changes slightly more it will be transmittable person to person. If the strain of flu mutates slightly more it may be able to cross this barrier and this is when you could have a pandemic. This may never happen or it could happen tomorrow. I am putting it into the category of wait and see.
The reason so many are greatly concerned at this point is the fault of the media. Just like anything else the media is blowing this way out of proportion. Be very very afraid is their motto. Just think about how they make a big deal about the snow storm that never happens.
At any rate, I am betting that the health department is assuming the bird flu you have is the common variety. So if it has passed it is gone so don't worry about it.
My 2 cents.
Vic
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Can there be bird flu in Virginia? Has anyone observed any strange behavior in any turkeys this season? My uncle told me yesterday that he saw a hen beside the road slouched over. He stopped and she took off running about 20 feet and stopped. He went up the road and turned and came back and she was slouched down again where she had stopped at. He said he was able to get a good look at her when she was beside the road. She wasn't bleeding no feathers out of place nothing. The worrying part about this is 3 days ago we had a chicken get ill. He was not able to stand without toppling over right afterwards. He went 3 days and got worse and worse before we killed him to stop it from spreading. Well today my dad calls me and said that we have another chicken doing the same thing. Unable to stand up and has no energy. I went up and looked at the bird she is wobbling back and forth and spinning her head around and around. My father called the health department and I contacted the Department of Game. The health department is supposed to send someone out to look at this new bird. I have not heard anything from the Game and Fish yet. Lets all hope and pray that this is nothing major....... I'll keep you updated on what if found out.
But you know its like everything else deny deny deny. Prevent panic, sweep it under the rug until its to late. That’s the way our government works on most things now a days it seems.