To the Editor:

Thank you for placing the bird flu article, “Ag commish says bird flu can be prevented in NY cattle with right approach,” above the fold on the front page of the Aug. 8 Altamont Enterprise & Albany County Post.

That is precisely where it belongs.

I am certainly far from being any expert on bird flu viruses but, if what I read in the Aug. 6, 2024 article “Animal Apocalypse: Deadly Bird Flu Infects Hundreds of Species Pole-To-Pole” by Sharon Guynup in/on Mongabay, is anywhere near correct, bird flu is a major planetary public health and environmental threat.

Below are some quotes from the article:

— The world is currently seeing the fastest-spreading, largest-ever outbreak of H5N1, a highly contagious, deadly strain of avian influenza. Scientists say this virus now presents an existential threat to the world’s biodiversity, with the risk to humans rising as it continues to leap the species barrier, reaching new host species.

— H5N1 has already impacted at least 485 bird species and 48 mammal species, killing seals, sea otters, dolphins, foxes, California condors, albatrosses, bald eagles, cougars, polar bears and a zoo tiger. Since it broke out in Europe in 2020, this virus has spread globally. Carried by birds along migratory pathways, it has invaded six continents, including Antarctica.

— This current H5N1 animal pandemic (or panzootic) was caused by humans: A mild form of avian flu carried by wild birds turned deadly when it infected domestic poultry. Many industrial-scale poultry farms adjoin wetlands where migrating birds congregate, facilitating rapid spread.

— The toll on some bird and mammal populations has been devastating. With continued outbreaks, some imperiled species could be pushed to the brink, with wildlife already fighting to survive against a changing climate, disappearing habitat, and other stressors.

Please encourage reporter Noah Zweifel to write follow-up news articles.

Tom Ellis

Albany