February 5, 2009
China's drought may make birds more vulnerable to bird flu
A drought in northern China may be making birds more susceptible to the deadly bird flu virus.
Hong Kong Veterinary Association president, Veronica Leong said the lack of rainfall in Shandong, Shaanxi and other northern provinces since October causes stress for local fowl.
Agricultural commodities manager at Shanghai Continent Futures Co. in Dalian, Nie Ben said as drinking water becomes scarce for wild birds, they may come into closer contact with domestic fowl, increasing chances of cross-infection.
Leong noted that health and disease tolerance determine how easily illness can spread between birds, but a drought does not mean that it would be automatically easier for disease to travel from one bird to another bird.
Gong Guifen, director of the poultry division at the China Animal Agriculture Association in Beijing, said there are no direct links between drought and cases of bird flu.
Gong said poultry birds are more susceptible to viruses when the weather is cold or when living conditions are dense, and stated that this winter has not been that cold.
Bird flu killed five people in China last month, three of whom were from regions experiencing drought.
