wmartin

Two papers pre-published online, in UK journal Ibis, telling what we've known for some time here: wild birds wrongly blamed for spreading H5N1.

Review is at:
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2007.00699.x
- notes that FAO has blamed wild birds even after apparent that poultry trade legal and illegal is major means of spread.
FAO has much to be blamed for; I think doing very well to be avoiding intense criticism (for instance, was warned years ago that feeding dead chickens to farmed fish could lead to problems with flu, but heavily promoted this).

Viewpoint at:
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2007.00711.x

Also new - a commentary from Russia on whether the country has declared war on birds:
http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20070327/62707409.html

and, in Malaysia, something HK Govt yet to promote - a crow shooting contest, with over 1000 crows shot in recent event (which started partly after reports of crows w H5N1 in Pakistan)
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/3/28/central/17250485&sec=central

I've long believed that H5N1/wild birds has been shameful, somewhat akin to witch hunts of days long gone in UK/US. Not yet over.