Taylor Blake helps Emmanuel with physical therapy using a homemade sling.
Screenshot by @hiitaylorblake/NPR
hide caption
toggle caption
Screenshot by @hiitaylorblake/NPR
Taylor Blake helps Emmanuel with physical therapy using a homemade sling.
Screenshot by @hiitaylorblake/NPR
Emmanuel, the much-loved emu, is in the dire straits of battling bird flu, which has gone viral on TikTok.
Knuckle Bump Farms, Taylor Blake’s family farm in South Florida, has lost more than 50 birds in just three days, Blake wrote on Twitter Saturday.
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around it,” Blake wrote. “We thought we were out of the woods when Emmanuel suddenly collapsed last Wednesday.”
Emmanuel is viral sensation for his actions sabotaging Blake’s TikTok video and attacking his phone while Blake was filming it.
According to a Twitter thread, Blake is looking for an avian specialist who can treat Emmanuel, who has suffered nerve damage to his right leg and foot. I posted a picture of her helping out on Twitter.
Many people are not aware of the danger wild birds pose to domesticated birds. Wild birds carry and transmit a deadly virus known as bird flu. Our farm was heavily impacted by the introduction of AI by wild geese and we lost 99% of his farm birds.
— Eco Sister (@hiitaylorblake) October 15, 2022
H5N1 bird flu has killed more than 45 million birds in the United States since the outbreak began in February. According to the USDA.
scientists believe wild migratory bird It brought the virus to North America earlier this year and has spread it to more than 40 species of wild birds. Chickens and turkeys infected with the virus die quickly, but some waterfowl infected with the virus remain healthy and can travel long distances.
Influenza strains have historically posed little risk to humans, but public experts are concerned about the potential for cross-species transmission.
“Humans typically don’t have prior immunity to these viruses, so if you get infected and spread the virus to other humans, you might get another pandemic virus,” says animal-to-human. disease expert Todd Davis. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told NPR Earlier this year.
The UK is also grappling with its biggest ever bird flu outbreak. Declared It will become an aviation flu prevention zone on Monday and UK bird keepers will have to follow strict biosecurity measures. UK birdkeepers are required to keep free-range birds within fenced areas and to keep domestic ducks and geese separate from other poultry. Keepers should also clean and disinfect footwear on a regular basis.
