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report on H5N1:
Infected birds can shed influenza virus in their saliva,
nasal secretions, and feces. Susceptible birds become
infected when they have contact with contaminated
secretions or excretions or with surfaces that are
contaminated with secretions or excretions from infected
birds. (2010)
In short, the rapid contamination of chickens in a confined,
tightly-packed barn is inevitable. This is the exact situation that
creates a global epidemic. First appearing in Hong Kong in
1996, the avian flu quickly traveled across the globe. The flu
mutated, and being so easily passed between avian species, it
continues to run across the globe as H5N1.
However, there are more health concerns than just outbreaks
of the avian flu. Salmonella is a large category of bacterial
infections that includes over 500 species. Most of these are
known to cause foodborne illness. Though the potential for
salmonella is in every bird, since the bacteria can claim carriers
who have the disease but are asymptomatic, outbreaks are
relatively rare in proportion to the volume of poultry in factory
farming. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has been
studying the epidemic of salmonella for years. In one of the