As bird flu reaches new media heights it is valid to realise
that it is primarily a virus of ducks that to my knowledge has never been
reported in Australian wild ducks. It is also important to realise that while
migratory shorebirds have been implicated this has never been confirmed and is
pretty unlikely to be confirmed as it is largely a duck virus. It is pretty
important that the poultry industry in Asia with its duck/chicken-human
interface with often overcrowded-unhygienic conditions are regulated.
Regulation of poultry industry is important as a world-wide issue. It is also
important to realise that wild birds are not overly implicated in this scare.
They seem to be a scapegoat.
Dion Hobcroft
