Avian Bird Flu

[McManus]

What affect will this have on the import of feathers?

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Swing hard, in case they throw the ball where you're swinging. Duke Snider

That is a good question.

Luckily we have some good hackle producers stateside.

-ST

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[url=http://www.flyfishingwis.com:07324]www.flyfishingwis.com[/url:07324]

[Royal Wulff]

RW here,

I have my own rooster.

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"We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours." -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-

[Rich Ward]

can you imagine what would happen if Hoffman and the rest got infected. It would require (I think) the destruction of there intire stock of birds. 1000.00 cape anyone?

Rich

[Donald Nicolson]

From the reports we are getting over here, it appears that migrating birds are the carriers especially ducks. The nearest outbreaks have been in Rumania and Turkey which are still quite a way off. These countries are on the main north/south migration routes from Siberia. Here in Scotland most of the wild fowl come down from Greenland and Iceland.
As the transmission is between wild and domestic ducks, heed JCs warning and don't kiss a duck.

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Donald/Scotland

[Pete Hiatt]

Joe is praying for avian flu. That is my hero and mentor, Joe, of Joe's Worms & Juicy Grubbs, and Special Protein Drink. Joe says you can kiss his worms as much as you like.

[MR.JML]

I would think for those tyers that use exotic
plummage (& already pay a high price for these feathers), it would be one swift kick
in the Boo Boo.......Boo Boo !!!!!

[Eight Thumbs]

I wonder how much of an effect the flu would actually have on American fly tyers. Most tyers that I've observed in local shops reach right for the Whiting 100's or Metz saddles when they tie. I honestly don't recall seeing an Indian or Chinese neck in the last couple of years.

I have sixty or seventy imported hen and rooster necks that I collected over 30 years ago, mostly from Herter's and Fireside Angler. At $15 for a dozen rooster necks (color selection their choice), they were a pretty good deal. Because the genetic hackles are so good and easy to tie with, I seldom use the imported stuff. In smaller sizes, like #14 and smaller, the usable portion of the imported hackle is very small and several feathers are needed.

Does anyone know the percentage of necks and saddles that are still imported? I think we can survive the bird flu with flying colors. 8T

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You had better learn to be a happy camper. You only get one try at this campground and it's a real short camping season.

[Rich Ward]

For those of you who think that this flu is not coming to the US have there head in the sand. if it is not here now it will be. This is a very uneducated shot in the dark but here goes. the first case of bird flu in us migaritory birds.... before feb. of next year. Reason the migaratory birds that head south to Asia summer with the birds that fly down the western flyway in the US.

Rich

Avian Bird Flu (Influenza), is a very serious concern to medical personnel, throughout the world. Influenza?s are caused by a virus, and there are no permanent vaccine's or medicine?s, to treat or cure a virus. Most influenza?s are a cross-over from swine to humans, but influenza?s are also found in other animal groups (poultry is a prime source).

Every year there is a flu shot offered to the public, this is vaccine is determine a year ahead of the flu season, by an international commission on what strain of influenza will be the main concern for the next influenza season. It is basically a crap shoot, to get the right vaccine produced, ahead of time.

Influenza?s mutate, the influenza organism has the ability to genetically change and can become resistant to previous vaccines. Different influenza?s can vary on their effect and how they effect the infected person.

The last deadly outbreak of influenza of 1918, 25% of the population became infected by the Spanish Influenza, and it killed 675, 000 people in the USA. The death toll was 20 times the total deaths from influenza in the previous 10 years before 1918. Throughout the world no country was spared this pandemic.

The only persons who have become infected by this Avian Bird Flu (Influenza), have been people who have handle infected live poultry. Lets hope (and pray), this Influenza virus, does not mutate.

There are two means of decontaminating a item of infectious organism?s .

1. A solution, comprised of 1 part chlorine bleach - to - 9 parts water mixture. Used to clean suspected surfaces, or to soak suspected materials in.

2. Irradiation Exposure of the item to a radioactive material in a shielded room. Irradiation is used in Europe for all food products that can carry infectiou organisms. In the USA all spices have been irradiated since the 1960?s, and recent years been approved for other food

Senior Instructor of Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Warfare.
U.S. Army, Retired

[This message has been edited by Steven H. McGarthwaite (edited 19 October 2005).]