The dreaded H5N1 virus has been detected yet again in some nearby farm(s) recently. The alarm has been sounded and once again, everyone is on the alert.According to reports, birds located within a 1km radius from the affected farm(s) will henceforth be culled as a precautionary measure under some procedure established by authorities.
Personally, I am very grateful that we have been largely shielded from the deadly effects of the very formidable virus. So far, there has not been any local casualty from the H5N1 enemy.
But I cannot help but feel very sad for the (innocent) birds which are being culled & which will be culled as a result of their infected cousins. Very cruel thing to do, don't you think? And in my view, this is a little senseless.
If the birds which are culled have already been infected, I can understand the need and urgency to kill them quickly in order to stem the infection. But the mandatory culling has been decreed to apply to all birds, healthy or otherwise, so long as they are located within the 1km radius. So it is a clear case of 宁可杀错，不可放过！
I am no scientist, definitely, but I always think there must be a better way to respond to an outbreak. Maybe culling is just the simplest and least expensive way?
For the time being (while culling applies only to birds), I am just thankful that I am not a bird.
3 comments:
Make no mistake, culling is not only for birds.
In history, many villages were culled in the event of epidemics. Did you not watch "Da Chang Jing"?
It may seem cruel, but it is the only way to do this, to protect the rest of the uninfected beings (humans or animals).
The scientists have not found an effective vaccine nor a cure. Therefore killing and burning the infected ones, are the surest way to stop the virus.
Of course, we can see that you are not a bird. Big bird or tweety bird.
:D
There, as expected, my point has been missed.
I do agree with culling infected birds to contain the infection. But the decree is not to cull only infected birds - it is to cull ALL birds within that defined area!
In fact, flocks and flocks of perfectly healthy birds have in recent times, also been culled just so that "cullers" could practise their culling and the procedure could be put to the test!
Likewise, pigs (healthy or otherwise) have also been culled some time ago because some contracted the Nipah virus.
My question is: is culling the ONLY way to go?
If culling can be morally/spiritually/logically (whatever -lly) supported, then shouldn't SARS victims have been culled? And people who have been exposed to those infected SARS patients - shouldn't they have been culled too??!?
And what about TB patients??
(Well, maybe if culling had applied to these human-diseases, our environment would not have been so crowded today....) Sadist thinking, lah.
As for culling of villages in 大长金, wasn't it clear that the culling was an unnecessary extremist measure adopted out of ignorance and pure unfounded fear?
So perhaps the current day bird-culling is really just a similar response based purely on our own lack of knowledge of the virus concerned?
Anyway, poor birds.
By the way, Big Bird and Tweety Bird are, like me, luckier - neither is a bird.
Hi,
Your pt is not missed.
And my comments were just my comments in addition to your points.
one thing I noticed about us, you and me. We take comments very personally and even think that they are "against" the original article.
Relax, that is not the case.
Whenever I type a response, there is usually a grin on my face.
:D
Sure! Big Bird and Tweety Bird are Birds! Just ask Joel.
Let me also add:
If pxP could cull the SARS victims (with no legal or political fallout), they will. You think they care about us, in the real sense?
Ha ha....maybe you do have a bird brain if you think like that.
(kidding dont fire back)
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