Bird flu spreads to Southern California, infecting chickens, wild birds and other animals
California has had its share of dangerous birds, but never one that was more so than the deadly “bird flu” that began spreading from Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, and from there to California and the rest of the country.
By early May, the “bird flu” had become a problem that seemed impossible to contain. The most recent numbers from the World Health Organization show a global outbreak, not just in Mexico, but one that now seems to be spreading rapidly, unchecked, to other countries.
What is “bird flu”?
It’s a disease that causes a type of flu called “avian flu,” which infects birds. It’s a virus that is related to the deadly “bird flu” viruses, and is now feared more because it has spread around the world.
First discovered in North America at the turn of the century, the virus was named “bird flu” in honor of the American robin, but was then renamed when another robin was found in India. And by the time the deadly viruses had reached California, they had spread to Mexico, too.
But this year there are three “bird flu” viruses that are spreading around the world: H5N1, H7N9 and H9N2. The three viruses are the one most commonly found in birds, and they all have different origins, but they are all highly contagious and deadly.
The viruses have been found to be particularly deadly to chickens, a bird that is commonly eaten in much of the world, or to humans that have come into contact with the virus that causes them. In Mexico, where three of the four viruses are found, the death toll is estimated at between 1,000 and 2,000 dead birds a week. In Brazil, the virus has infected more than 1,000 people, with at least 11 deaths. In Hong Kong, a few hundred people have been infected.
The three viruses are still found in wild birds: ducks, geese, gulls, even pigeons, and