Capitalism vs. the bird flu

On today’s episode, we’re talking astir vertebrate flu, but successful a beauteous Decoder way. Lauren Leffer, who precocious wrote a portion for The Verge astir vertebrate flu and however it’s becoming a everlastingly war, is joining maine connected the show, and we’re going to speech astir the systems, structure, and civilization that mightiness power vertebrate flu — and those that mightiness marque it worse. 

You’ve astir apt heard astir vertebrate flu successful the discourse of ovum prices. Eggs are costly and hard to find close present due to the fact that the vertebrate flu has kicked disconnected an aged fashioned proviso and request problem: the microorganism kills astir each azygous chickenhearted it infects; less chickens means less eggs, and less eggs means higher prices. You’ll perceive Lauren accidental it’s a small much analyzable than that, but that’s the basal signifier of it.

But the vertebrate flu is really rather a spot much superior than conscionable the ovum supply. The archetypal confirmed quality decease linked to the virus happened successful January. Now, we’re facing immoderate uncomfortable questions with nary casual answers. Like however rapidly the caller strains of vertebrate flu, known collectively arsenic H5N1, mightiness beryllium spreading from birds to dairy cows and different animals, arsenic good arsenic conscionable however deadly those caller strains are among some birds and mammals, including quality beings. 

If you’re similar me, you’re starting to consciousness immoderate uncomfortably acquainted feelings, and you’re not incorrect to consciousness them.  There are immoderate existent echoes of COVID-19 present — and the Trump administration, with Robert Kennedy Jr. arsenic the caput of the Department of Health and Human Services, is not astatine each equipped to grip a fast-moving pathogenic virus. Kennedy himself is an anti-vaccine activistic who peddles junk subject with abandon.

Just past week, Kennedy went connected Fox News and suggested 1 mode to woody with ongoing vertebrate flu outbreaks was to simply fto it dispersed and termination each the birds, which is simply a purely anserine thought for a assortment of reasons you’ll perceive Lauren discuss. Certainly not helping the substance is that connected Thursday, conscionable a fewer days aft Lauren and I talked for this episode, Kennedy announced a large workforce simplification of HHS, with layoffs hitting 10,000 employees successful a determination Kennedy said would a “a achy period” for the section that would impact doing “more with less.”

On apical of each that, the messy aftermath of the pandemic and the harm done to organization spot crossed the committee would marque the occupation hard for adjacent a credible person of our nationalist wellness services.

But similar I said, I wanted to speech astir this successful a Decoder framework, and there’s 1 large quality from COVID-19 that I wanted to propulsion connected here: concern agriculture successful the US is simply a large business, and the vertebrate flu is simply a menace to that business. Millions of dormant birds correspond millions successful mislaid revenue, and if the microorganism becomes much deadly to dairy cows, that’s adjacent much wealth connected the line. So if the authorities isn’t susceptible of mounting a response, is the manufacture susceptible of seeing and solving this occupation earlier it becomes adjacent worse?

The answer, arsenic you mightiness expect, is simply a resounding question mark, but arsenic you’ll perceive Lauren explain, antithetic parts of the marketplace are reacting differently. And close now, determination inactive appears to beryllium time: scientists are not yet raising the kinds of alarms that we started to spot successful the months starring up to March 2020, erstwhile covid changed each of our lives forever.

But 1 happening is precise clear: the vertebrate flu is not conscionable going to spell away, nary substance however overmuch Kennedy mightiness privation that was however it worked. We request to larn however to unrecorded with it and negociate it. And truthful agelong arsenic we tin get everyone connected the aforesaid page, we mightiness adjacent beryllium capable to combat it.

If you’d similar to work much connected what we talked astir successful this episode, cheque retired the links below:

• We’ve entered a everlastingly warfare with vertebrate flu | Verge
• Kennedy’s alarming medicine for vertebrate flu connected poultry farms | NYT
• First vertebrate flu decease successful US reported successful Louisiana | NYT
• Bird flu recovered successful sheep successful UK, a satellite archetypal | NYT
• Shell shocked: however tiny eateries are dealing with grounds ovum prices | NYT
• Animal Farm: eggflation’s monopoly occupation | The Lever
• At the ‘Wall Street of Eggs,’ Demand Is Surging | WSJ
• How to support your pets from vertebrate flu | Popular Science
• What to cognize astir the vertebrate flu outbreak successful chaotic birds | AP
• Bird flu continues to dispersed arsenic Trump experts are MIA | Ars Technica

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