What impact is bird flu going to have on fly tying? Should we be stocking up on feathers now?
It is in Asia, Europe and Africa. Far as I know it has not yet reached the Americas, but I won’t be surprised if that happens soon. I don’t know how it is transmitted --airborne or contact or what --but close contact with an infected bird appears to be part of the situations with all mammals who have caught it thus far.
I’m expecting this will lead to bans on importation of bird products. Even if there are not bans, I suspect a lot of us will be reluctant to use anything but known pre-bird flu feathers until we get strong reassurances of safety in handling them.
Anybody else worrying about this? Anybody have any facts to add? Or useful opinions? Should I be worried about buying any new peacock already?
“Bird Flu
Due to the outbreak of Bird Flu in the Far East stocks of Indian capes and some other feathers are starting to run out.
The ban on shipping of these materials is due to be lifted at the end of September so it is likely that these items will remain out of stock until early next year. Please contact the store for details on availablity.”
KAHUNA
[This message has been edited by Kahuna (edited 09 March 2006).]
I just tried to order turkey biots, quills (for quill bodies) and a few other things from Spirit River. I was told they were backordered indefinitely and bird flu was the reason given. After failing with Spirit River I tried Hareline but the result was the same.
I’ve been pursuing this a bit for work, and yes, the bird flu thing will have an effect on availability of certain feathers. It’s my understanding (haven’t verified this yet) that certain bird-source products from Asia are banned, and the person who said this told me it included skins on necks.
Europe has been hit fairly hard as the UK is already reporting a shortage of marabou with the existing supplies not being replenished. Since the U.S. raises turkeys in vast quantities, I don’t think that will have an effect here until such a time as our flocks are infected (if it ever happens).
Certainly, our domestic suppliers are taking care to protect their flocks, so we should be OK there.
I think what it boils down to is that some necks and feathers will be more expensive or hard to get.
I am very curious as to whether it is possible for flu virus can exist on a bird feather (like strung saddles or maribou) or even on a dessicated skin. Can anyone give a scientific answer to that question? I do not think this is possible. I believe that flu virus has to exist within a living organism and can exist in a freshly dead body or outside a body for a realitively short time (that is how it spreads obviously) but not indefinitely.
flyfshr, as far as I can tell, the virus CAN live on feathers and skins for a short period of time. Days I believe.
So far though, best as I can tell, the virus nees to be consumed in some way to transfer to humans. The fear is that it will mutate so that it can be transfered via the air.
Please note:- The information given above by Kahuna is from a UK web-site, so it is only valid for the UK. The US Customs should be able to give you the US ruling.
I think we are saying the same thing Ronn. One would have to be handling freshly killed or live materials in order to catch a virus from the material. So I wouldn’t want to be the poor person stringing the saddle hackle or processing the chicken necks but by the time the stuff makes it to your local fly shop no virus is going to be able to survive. As fly tyers we shouldn’t have to worry about our materials giving us bird flu. That is sure not going to stop the government from banning import of bird products, even if it is an essentially meaningless gesture. BTW I just read that the H5N1 flu strain is being found in bird predators in Europe and Asia. Keep your cat in!
flyfshr: It is not a meaningless gesture, to ban products or merchandise across borders, especially when it pertains to a strain of virus.
There are no general vaccine, to use for all virus, as a whole. They can make a vaccine for a specific strain of virus, but this takes many months of prior planning, and lot of chicken eggs to incubate the virus into a vaccine. The cost is very expensive.
You can get ill handling dead animal parts; fur, wool, hides and feathers; are major ways for disease to be spread.
I have been following the spread of this recent strain of Avian virus, and the reports in the papers, always say it is cause by migrating fowl. I don’t buy this line, of reasoning. The spread is too fast and too far in between where the reports are originating from.
I was involved with NBC (Nuclear,Biological,Chemical)Training in the military. What has been happening throughout the world, is something other than what is being reported in the news. I still have questions on how West Nile Virus, got into the USA, and traveled as fast and as far as it has!
I would recommend, avoiding using road kill, or dead animals found on the ground, for your own safety.
Bird Flu has not hit the UK yet. I have noticed no limitations on what I am able to purchase yet. Someone mentioned a shortage of Maribou but I have not noticed that.
I can understand Defra being reluctant to authorise importation of skins and feathers from the far east and Eastern Europe, but they are quick to reasure.
Defra say the only people at risk from Bird Flu are those working directly with affected birds. Poultry farmers and the like. They say there is no danger from eating meat. The virus is apparently carried in the lungs of affected birds rather like normal flu.
There is little or no panic here. I am a bird watcher and it is now when millions of migrating birds arrive in the UK. Already millions of Swans have arrived from Greenland and Russia. Other birds will be spending the Summer here. I have not heard of or seen any worries from anyone ringing or touching these birds.
I think it may be wise to accept the advice given above about roadkills and birds found dead. Leave them where they are.
While it may not have a major effect on U.S. supplies, there seems to be little doubt that imports from Asia will be stopped until such a time as fumigation/processing procedures are in place. I’m wondering if Jeremy’s experience doesn’t indicate that a lot of the dyeing and processing isn’t happening in Asia…
If nothing else, the effects of bird flu on fly tying will be interesting…and result in creative patterns.
And then we have the huge fly tying industry that takes place overseas. Will completed flies be banned?
Mick-- You’re right about the guy being from the Netherlands. I just saw an English-sounding name and his subject was the UK, so I made a hurried assumption-- which is sloppy.
On the other matter-- I think we have a miscommunication going. I wasn’t writing about bird flu in the UK but about the effects of bird flu on tying materials in the UK.
Running the risk of continuing this thread past its pull-by date, I should mention that there is a subsequent post (on the outdoorsbest thread) on the effects of bird flu on tying materials in the U.S. that is interesting. If the poster is right, then U.S. sources of tying materials won’t be a significant problem…
With any luck, the bird-flu/human pandemic will turn out to be similar to the Y2K scare in most of the world.
I’ve learned that the mention of flu is like rabies: most people think it’s just one type. Bird flu is far different than human flu, and they travel a different way. Humans transmit the flu by contact or airborne while avian flu moves mainly through the droppings.
I raise chickens here on our SE Michigan farm. I of course follow the bird flu hotlines closly. It is my understanding the flu can be carried by migratory birds and our chickens can pick up the disease from those birds droppings. Chickens will eat anything. We are encouraged to keep the birds cooped up and not let them have access to the possible migratory birds and their droppings. Some states require any hobby poultry owner with 4 or more birds to have a license. That is not the case here in Michigan (yet). In California, I have read the state has agents that seek out small time poultry owners (going so far as to drop by house to house in early morning hours and listen for the birds) so they can monitor the animals. Believe me, I take the virus very serious and monitor my flock. For what it is worth, Jonezee