Raleigh:Cockfighting Increases B.F.Threat

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State: Cockfighting Increases Bird Flu Threat

(03/14/06 -- RALEIGH) - A popular Latino tradition is raising concerns 

about bird flu here in North Carolina.

Cockfighting is illegal. The birds are smuggled in and now health officials 

are worried they could be bringing a possible pandemic with them.

Birds found in an illegal cockfighting ring recently were brought to Wilson 

County from Guam, the sheriff says. Video of the fight shows the battle 

getting bloody. Handlers grab the birds without gloves. One man puts his 

mouth over the bird's head several times to revive him for many more 

rounds.

It is a very easy way that bird flu could spread. If one of the birds is 

infected, the virus could easily spread from bird to bird - - and bird to 

human. If the handler works on a poultry farm, which many of these men 

do, he would bring the virus to the farm infecting thousands of other 

birds.

State veterinarian Dr. David Marshall says we should all be concerned 

about birds brought to the country illegally for cockfighting, birds sold at 

flea markets, and others he calls "backyard birds" -- ones that are not 

extensively screened like those on professional poultry farms.

"Those are the birds that in my opinion are higher risk," Marshall said. 

"We are doing a fair amount of testing in that population."

N.C. Department of Agriculture scientists tested birds confiscated from a 

Sampson County cockfighting ring. All were negative for bird flu. 

Scientists would like all birds to be tested before they enter the country, 

but admit they do not have the resources to do that.

State agriculture officials did a survey in 2004 of birds 

being shipped through the U.S. Postal Service. The survey found that 63 

percent of bird shipped through postal facilities in the Charlotte, 

Greensboro and Raleigh airports had no health papers.

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=local&id=3992764

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Guests Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest Group	Post Options Post Reply Quote Guests Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Raleigh:Cockfighting Increases B.F.Threat Posted: March 14 2006 at 3:26pm
	State: Cockfighting Increases Bird Flu Threat (03/14/06 -- RALEIGH) - A popular Latino tradition is raising concerns about bird flu here in North Carolina. Cockfighting is illegal. The birds are smuggled in and now health officials are worried they could be bringing a possible pandemic with them. Birds found in an illegal cockfighting ring recently were brought to Wilson County from Guam, the sheriff says. Video of the fight shows the battle getting bloody. Handlers grab the birds without gloves. One man puts his mouth over the bird's head several times to revive him for many more rounds. It is a very easy way that bird flu could spread. If one of the birds is infected, the virus could easily spread from bird to bird - - and bird to human. If the handler works on a poultry farm, which many of these men do, he would bring the virus to the farm infecting thousands of other birds. State veterinarian Dr. David Marshall says we should all be concerned about birds brought to the country illegally for cockfighting, birds sold at flea markets, and others he calls "backyard birds" -- ones that are not extensively screened like those on professional poultry farms. "Those are the birds that in my opinion are higher risk," Marshall said. "We are doing a fair amount of testing in that population." N.C. Department of Agriculture scientists tested birds confiscated from a Sampson County cockfighting ring. All were negative for bird flu. Scientists would like all birds to be tested before they enter the country, but admit they do not have the resources to do that. State agriculture officials did a survey in 2004 of birds being shipped through the U.S. Postal Service. The survey found that 63 percent of bird shipped through postal facilities in the Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh airports had no health papers. http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=local&id=3992764