Countries ranging from the United States and Britain to France and Japan have suffered record losses of poultry in outbreaks of avian flu in the past year.
Wild birds including waterfowl like ducks can carry bird flu viruses without appearing sick and easily spread them to domesticated poultry like chickens and turkeys, experts said.Mammals including bears, seals, foxes and skunks have been infected with H5N1 avian flu, authorities said.
If one bird in a flock has avian flu, farmers usually cull all their birds to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus.As part of government response plans, infected birds are excluded from the food supply. Additionally, avian flu is not transmissible by eating properly cooked poultry and eggs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.
Dabbling ducks in Asia adapted over time so they could carry the virus without dying, said John Clifford, a former chief veterinarian for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The virus then made its way into breeding grounds and through migratory pathways around the world, said Clifford, now the veterinary trade policy advisor for the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council, an industry group.
Reporting by Tom Polansek. Additional reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide in Paris; editing by Caroline Stauffer and Claudia Parsons
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