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Electronic letters published:
![[Read Rapid Response]](/icons/misc/sectionDOWN.gif){kind=icon}
On Killing a Non-Mocking Bird and Avian Flu
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Shyam S Kothari, MD,FACC Professor, Cardiology, All India Institute Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
Send rapid response to journal:
kothariss{at}vsnl.com Shyam S Kothari, et al.
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Influenza pandemics occur 3-4 times in a century, and may perhaps be averted by scientific knowledge about the origin and the spread of the virus. In primitive societies, such threats were ‘averted ‘ by ritualistic prayers, propitiation of specific deities, and other superstitious practices. Spirits were exorcised, and animal ( or human) sacrifices were made by the religious priests or their equivalents. In hindsight, the uncertainty of the benefits of those practices makes them seem ludicrous today. But, if you compare the present approach of curbing the avian epidemic, by culling the entire poultry systematically as a State orchestrated, WHO certified healthy human practice—you cannot miss the parallels, and the human failings in dealing with uncertainty. The only difference is that man now is more dangerous, more selfish, and more intolerant than before. How else could you condone the loss of 140 million lives in the possible hope of averting an epidemic of flu that could possibly be dangerous? The virus is now also found in domestic cat and may perhaps be found in some tribal populations. While we should try to safeguard human life as much as possible- so much disconnect between medicine and ethics as exemplified by the avian genocide would do the Homo sapiens little proud. This is the typical result of `lop sighted ` development of medicine where perceiving a connection between human and birds in suffering may be dumped as romantic lunacy, and has not been spoken loudly yet. Although I do not profess to know how to avoid the imminent pandemic, I am afraid no one quite knows. And it is intellectual dishonesty to quite believe that such human endeavors as this can abort pandemics. A casual reading through WHO fact file of avian flu reveals the obvious uncertainties surrounding the entire issue of virus mutations, transspecies transfer, virulence and prevention of epidemic etc.( 1 ) .Added media hype have only made the news of action taken in this regard (such as a few thousand chickens culled) a responsible governance. The socioeconomic implications of such massacre are enormous, also, the utter disregard for the biological life is inexplicable. The albatross of the Ancient Mariner (2) does not haunt the sailors any more!! References: 1) WHO communicable disease surveillance & response (CSR) ..Avian influenza-fact sheet. 15 jan 2004 2) Coleridge Samuel T :The Rime of Ancient Mariner .1863 Conflict of Interest:None declared |
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