Different kind of question re: bird flu

2tuff,

You are probably best to answer this question, but please, anyone with knowledge, please share.

On another forum I shared that my sister and her husband had bought 50 acres of ranch property in Central Texas and that my husband and I are considering moving out to the country somewhere. We were considering buying out near my sister, but we found out there is an egg farm owned by Sanderson Farms, a poultry company nearly as big as Tyson next door to her.

I told my sister I was hesitant to move near her because of Bird Flu, and she looked at me like I was crazy. I said the Bird Flu is killing all these chickens in Asia and Eastern Europe, and even though it's not in the US yet, there is the possibility that it could reach the US in a couple of years if they don't get it contained. You know how they are having to shut down these poultry farms and burn the places down, etc.

My husband is interested in buying in that area because the geography is what he's looking for and the price is right.

2Tuff, do you have some stats on how many farms in Eastern Europe have been shut down from Bird Flu? What do they actually do? Do you know how large of a region they burn or destroy or quarantine if Bird Flu is suspected? Have you heard of any cases of humans in Asia, etc where they got ill from this flu but weren't in direct contact with the chickens... like they lived on the next farm over? Do you see any danger for my sister's family? Would you be buying property anywhere near an egg farm?

Thanks,
-Donna