Chicken virus will make Covid-19 look like nothing.....

[Needamanicure]

Dr Michael Greger, suggests "an apocalyptic virus that would make corona seem irrelevant"

Leading scientist warns of the danger of a pandemic triggered by chicken farms that could kill half the world's population - yes it is reported in the Daily Mail, The Sun and a few regional papers. This guy thinks we are headed for more animal spawned virus in the coming years so seat belt up and wait for it....

YABU - don't be stupid it won't happen for a long time - worry story

YANBU - the way humans farm animals it will happen sooner than you think

I'm sure it will happen, whether it's in this generation or several generations hence, who knows? Legislation to remove/reduce food production regulations is a great plan....

Although there are some legitimate points raised in his argument, my distaste for him stems from the fact that people are currently scared and tense about the current pandemic as it is. Him declaring that actually another, scarier pandemic is just around the corner seems to be striking that current feeling in order to push his new book (How to Survive a Pandemic).

It feels like rather than warning people of another threat because he’s concerned, he’s using fearmongering to capitalise on the public’s fears in order to make money, even if there is some legitimacy to his arguments.

Shit stirring post of the year. I’m not scared of any virus so you can’t rile me up. However, yes the way we produce food is disgusting and very damaging to the immune system. It will get us in the end I’m sure.

Hypothetically, an asteroid will slam into the earth and wipe out all life before we need to worry about another pandemic.

We are always under threat. COVID has just made us realise it.

We are also due to have several super volcanic eruptions, deadly meteorites, various earthquakes, etc.

Well, he’s not saying anything new. We’ve also got antibiotic resistance coming and climate change. We’re too attached to our modern lifestyles to do anything about it, though, because human beings are apparently incapable of dealing with anything that they are not 100% certain is urgent and already affecting them personally.

Dr Greger became plant based BECAUSE of his research, he did not go plant based and then decide to conduct research that supported a plant based diet. Explain how this is different to a scientist studying vaccines, finding out that they are beneficial and then becoming pro-vaccine?

He is not a vegan, his advocacy is based around optimising health for humans and reversing preventable diseases, his focus is not animal rights/welfare.

I 100% agree with Dr. Greger and all the other scientists (both plant based and not) who predict another catastrophic disease will arise due to our animal farming practises. Look at the Spanish Influenza pandemic, it infected 500 million people, killed 20-50 million people and originated on a Kansas chicken farm.

So many deadly diseases are zoonotic, until we stop creating environments where humans and other species interact in intensely unhygienic conditions (aka. Animal farms) we will keep contracting said diseases.

Wow .. start a thread then insult posters who ask questions by calling them lazy? 🙄 Oh dear..

The problem is also that we are disturbing the habitat of the bats that carry coranoviruses and other zoonoses. One example given in the article is slash and burn in Malaysia, which led to fruit bats coming to live nearer to domestic pigs (and defecating near them). There is a similar problem when we mine minerals apparently and disturb bat colonies in caves. (FAOD I am not talking about British bats here, but obviously it is detrimental to bats generally to be disturbed, as you will know if you have ever had to do a bat survey before building works.)

I mean coronaviruses, not coranoviruses - aargh!

So my take in this sotory is that it's a report stating the bloody obvious.

Well, he’s not saying anything new.

Yep.

If anyone on AIBU actually read the papers, they’d soon see the concern is not specific to this man or limited to tabloids. The female deputy head of the Wuhan Institute, who carried out research into CoVid, said the zoonotic viruses they have discovered were ‘just the tip of the iceberg’.

Some virologist and infectious disease have been warning of a major global pandemic for years. We were very lucky SARS and MERS didn’t spread further. And Covid is not as infectious as some.

The very least intelligent time to label a global pandemics ‘hysteria’ is probably in the middle of one.

As others have said, Dr Michael Greger is a vegan, one of the top guys in that world. He's not a leading scientist, I've found only one academic paper by him. His books and videos are based on the research of others - in my view, he cherry picks.

In recent years killer viruses have come from China where animal husbandry is poor, as it now is in the States, soon to come here. Hi basic point is right - there will be more animal based viruses circulating the world. Decent animal husbandry will prevent it.

who carried out research into CoVid

That should say CoVids plural. There are numerous coronaviruses.

The problem is also that we are disturbing the habitat of the bats that carry coranoviruses and other zoonoses.

Yes. And that’s a global phenomenon. So should expect to see more zoonotic diseases emerging.

In recent years killer viruses have come from China where animal husbandry is poor

It’s only the speed of the spread not the origin of the virus that relates to treatment of animals. Once a virus has jumped from animal to human it will spread eventually.

Not sure intensive farming practices in the west have much of a leg to stand on wrt animal husbandry.

OP is being cagey and rude about the source because they found it on Daily Mail. I guarantee it.

@BeltaneBride

Yes and there is a massive rock (don't know the technical term) balanced somewhere near the Azores in the Atlantic that could easi unbalance and cause a tidal wave that would wipe out the South of England. And the dinosaurs were quoted out by a meteorite. And Sam Francisco is long overdue for an earthquake that would devastate the world economy. And in the long run we are all dead. So take a sensible approach to the thingd you can control, lobby the Gvt to ban chicken farming and enjoy the sunshine.

I think you are being wildly optimistic. The super volcano at Yellowstone is well overdue for a major eruption, and the last time that happened it caused a "nuclear winter" that wiped out most life in North America and large parts of Europe.

The country has become a nation full of fearful and frankly ridiculous people

Says the OP, who links to a ridiculous story from a vegan with an agenda. And I’m speaking as a vegan. 🤷‍♀️

Moondust

So what's the point in worrying about it? How will it help? Shall I just top myself now?

Hi basic point is right - there will be more animal based viruses circulating the world. Decent animal husbandry will prevent it.

So close... so close... aaaaand fumbled the ball.

Stopping the breeding and consumption of animals for food will prevent it.

You'll never stop humans eating meat. Just will not happen.

Says the OP, who links to a ridiculous story from a vegan with an agenda. And I’m speaking as a vegan.

Though not apparently speaking as someone who has read up on covid or zoonotic disease in general.

The country has become a nation full of fearful and frankly ridiculous people...

Thanks to people like you @Needamanicure

I think the way we treat animals is appalling.

If we come to a kinder understanding of how to behave towards other living creatures, then that has to be a good thing.

Stopping the breeding and consumption of animals for food will prevent it.

Rubbish. Zoonoses have existed throughout history, and probably predates it. Viruses can move between species. That's a fact. Whether one breeds or consumes animals will not prevent a normal, natural process. There is certainly a strong argument for exercising wisdom as to the conditions one employs to do so, as well as ethical grounds to consider. But suggesting that zoonosis occurs because humans breed and consume animals is ridiculous. And stupid since there is plenty of evidence of zoonosis from humans which neither involves breeding or eating us.

Viruses adapt. The rapidly shrinking planet, and the prevalence of rapid transit systems mean that viruses can travel much faster. Humans no longer live in relative isolation from other species and each other. The consequences of that are quite appalling in some of the short-sighted policies we, as humans, have adopted or allowed to happen. But that is a very different thing from arguing that eating meat is the source of all evil and causes disease.