Tragic news from the National Trust’s Farne Island’s off the coast of North East England in Northumberland with thousands of birds dying!

It seems that 'east Asia' (China) is responsible for another virus outbreak.

Whilst we've had bird flu outbreaks before (many), further reading suggests that mass flocks of poultry, poorly farmed birds and unregulated market health and safety standards - including massive illegal poultry trading - are the biggest factors in this outbreak.

Shameful.

We (Islanders) have been asked to keep a very close watch - so far we have had 3 birds picked up tested positive (over the whole of the summer) but from now on the migratory birds could start turning up and the potential for spread will happen. I don't think people can quite comprehend how serious this is

I'm sorry to say, this is going to be the new normal.

My cynicism is getting the better of me over the last two/three years.

When I started work back in the 70's, my mentor then had an interesting outlook on life, and I'll never forget one thing he said:

"Son, we've had normal warfare, we've had chemical warfare [Vietnam], we live the threat of nuclear war [The Cold War], the next one will be biological warfare".

I have to wonder how near the truth he was, and the first lockdown really brought that thought home to me.

Now with the so called Wuhan episode, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, threats and actions against EU countries gas supplies, along with China and Russia shaking hands, and now avian flu, for me, it begs the question......

I want to be wrong, though I fear there is a lot more to follow.