In Asia, have most of the reported cases been linked to small family farms or animal factories?
There has never been a case of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on any free-range poultry flock. These high-grade influenza viruses only seem to be created within these intensive poultry production environments. So for example in Minnesota, with the migration south of wild ducks, the free-range turkey populations would be infected with influenza, but it doesn’t produce a problem. These are low-grade viruses, and though it might decrease egg production and growth rates, it doesn’t kill the turkeys. It cannot spread effectively because it is outdoors. Sunlight kills influenza. There is good ventilation. They aren’t living in their waste like they would be when they are crowded indoors. When you have these monocrop chickens bred for carcass quality and growth rates, and not bred for disease resistance, living in unsanitary conditions, then these low-grade viruses have the ability to mutate to high grade which can then go on to kill mammals—pigs, people, cats. This n
