Lebanon – a little bird brooding for vultures?
January 21, 2014
The Phenomen “Common Cuckoo” -only hat there is no cuckoo cukcoo- but explosions and death
Wiki tells: The Common Cuckoo is a brood parasite; it lays its eggs in the nests of other birds. At the appropriate moment, the hen cuckoo flies down to the host’s nest, pushes one egg out of the nest, lays an egg and flies off. The whole process takes about 10 seconds. A female may visit up to 50 nests during a breeding season. Common Cuckoos first breed at two years old.[2]
UNAMA news
January 21, 2014
“21 January 2014 – In the wake of the terrorist attack in the Afghan capital of Kabul last Friday, which, amongst others, left four United Nations personnel dead, the head of a UN staff body has called on Member States to sign a UN convention designed to help ensure the safety of its personnel.
Speaking at a memorial service held on Monday in the Swiss city of Geneva, which hosts a number of the world body’s various agencies, the President of the Staff Coordinating Council at the UN Office at Geneva, Ian Richards, said working for the UN has become “more and more dangerous.”
“Last year 58 personnel were targeted by terrorists and insurgents, making it a particularly murderous year. This year sadly promises more of the same. This is the sad reality that we as UN staff face today. The UN flag is now a target, not a shield and we are targeted because of who we are and what we do,” said Mr. Richards at the gathering, which was attended by staff and high-ranking officials, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, and the UN Human Rights Council President, Baudelaire Ndong Ella….”
OIE information about A(H7N9)
January 21, 2014
Pigeon, Columba livia domestica, Columbiformes
Chicken, Gallus domesticus, Galliformes
“What is influenza A(H7N9)?
In March 2013 the Chinese Public Health authorities reported the first human cases of disease due to the infection with a type A influenza virus of the strain H7N9. This strain of virus usually infects birds, and the report was followed by reinforced surveillance in bird populations in China.
On 4 April 2013 the Chinese Veterinary authorities notified the occurrence of infection of pigeons and chickens with low pathogenic avian influenza virus H7N9 to the OIE, which is suggested as being very similar to the virus infecting humans.
As this low pathogenic AI virus does not cause severe clinical signs in animals, the disease was not diagnosed before specific laboratory diagnostic tests could be conducted.”
Memorandum from another source:
Consideration about mallard. can it become sick about AH7N9 or not?
http://www.un-influenza.org/?q=content/news-pouch-special-avian-influenza-ah7n9-virus-17-may-2013
Mallard, , Anas ssp. Dabbling ducks, Anatidae , Anseriformes , Aves
Picture of mallard:
STUFF FROM THE LITERATURE: DABBLING DUCKS RESPOND TO FLU VIRUSES
Yes, ducks do mount an immune response even to “low path” influenza virus infections. Dabbling ducks (those that feed near the surface rather than diving underwater) are the natural reservoir for Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI). LPAI viruses circulate among wild birds, especially Mallards, all the time. As Jourdain and colleagues pointed out in 2010, mallards are not obviously affected by experimental infection – for example they don’t lose weight or cease moving around and they don’t show any other clear signs of disease (very slight temperature rise for 2-days) after infection. However, the authors note other studies identifying egg production problems and also the importance of further studies on wild populations as opposed to a small number of birds. {Virology Down Under, 15 May}
