Brad Moleen, Iowa’s fourth-generation turkey farmer, saw this happening earlier. In 2015, a violent bird flu outbreak almost wiped out his flock.
The barn, once full of talking birds, suddenly became quiet. Employees were suffering from having to kill sick animals. The family business, which began in 1924, was at serious risk.
His business has recovered, but now The virus is backAgain threatens the country’s poultry farms. And this time, another harmful force is working. A powerful wave of false information claiming that bird flu is not genuine.
“I just want to hit my head against the wall,” Moleen said of a group of Facebook people who claim that the flu is a fake or perhaps a biological weapon. “I understand my dissatisfaction with how COVID is handled. I understand the lack of trust in the media today. I see. But this is the real thing.”
There is little risk to humans, Global outbreak Farmers have killed millions of birds and threatened to add to the already rising food prices.
It also makes the same fantastic claims that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the frequent occurrence of conspiracy theories. Appear At that time UncertaintyAnd how to deepen the internet Distrust of science When institution Fuel their spread.
Claims can be found on major platforms such as obscure online bulletin boards and Twitter. Some versions claim that the flu is fake. Hoaxes are used to justify reducing the supply of birds to boost food prices in order to destroy the world economy and drive people to vegetarianism.
“There is no outbreak of’bird flu’,” wrote a man on Reddit. “It’s just a Covid for chickens.”
Other posters claim that the flu is genuine, but it was probably genetically engineered as a weapon intended to touch off a new round of COVID-style blockade. A popular story version in India claims that the 5G cell tower is somehow blamed for the virus.
As evidence, many of the people who claim that the flu is fake are reported by animal health authorities. monitoring The outbreak uses some of the same techniques used to test COVID-19.
“They are testing animals for bird flu with PCR tests, which should give us clues as to what’s going on,” said one Twitter user, who was highly rated and retweeted thousands of times. I am writing in.
actually, PCR Tests have been used routinely in medicine, biology, and even law enforcement for decades. Their author won the Nobel Prize in 1993.
The reality of outbreaks is far more mediocre, if not so devastating, to birds and those who depend on them for their livelihoods.
Farmers in states such as Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota spread..At zoos around the United States An exhibition of mobile exotic birds indoors To protect their animals, and Wildlife authorities In some states, to prevent bird feeding in the backyard, Spread to wild birds..I have illness again Claim a bald eagle In each place.
The first known human case of H5N1 outbreak in the United States Confirmed A prison inmate who helped weed out and dispose of poultry on a local farm last month in Colorado.
According to Keith Paulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Institute, most human cases involve direct contact with infected birds, so the risk to a large population is low, but experts across the country have transmitted the virus. We are watching carefully. Partially track animal diseases to protect the state’s agricultural industry.
“I can assure you, this is the real thing,” Paulsen told The Associated Press. “We certainly don’t make up for this.”
Poultry farms are driving the local economy in some parts of Wisconsin, Paulsen said, adding that the catastrophic outbreak of bird flu could pose serious challenges to farmers and consumers.
Details may vary, but all plots about bird flu speak of distrust of authority and institutions, with millions of doctors, scientists, veterinarians, journalists and elected officials around the world. There is a suspicion that it is no longer reliable.
“Americans clearly understand that the federal government and major media have repeatedly lied to them and have been completely corrupted by pharmaceutical companies,” said osteopath Dr. Joseph Marcola. .. Untrustworthy claim Vaccines, masks, coronavirus Made him a prominent source of false information on COVID-19.
Marcola’s interest in bird flu dates back several years. The 2006 book sold on his website that Marcola uses to sell unproven natural health remedies is titled “The Great Bird Flu Hoax.”
Polls show that confidence in many American institutions, including the news media, has declined in recent years.Trust in science and science experts underAnd along the partisan line.
Moleen, a turkey farmer in Iowa, said she was sympathetic to those who questioned what she had read about the virus. Last 2 years Intense debate about masks, vaccines and blockades. But no one who doubts the existence or seriousness of bird flu understands the threat, he said.
The outbreak in 2015 will be later The most expensive animal health hazard in US history.. Moleen’s farm had to sort out tens of thousands of turkeys after the flu entered one of his barns. Farm workers now adhere to hygiene policies aimed at limiting the spread of the virus, such as using different boot and garment pairs in different barns.
According to John Jackson, Dean of the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Communication School, conspiracy theories will surely thrive in times of social unrest and anxiety.
Before the Internet, many people personally doubted the explanation of a big event, Jackson said. However, they had limited opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals, had few opportunities to acquire new converts, and had no way of communicating their opinions to strangers.
A conspiracy theory that is currently gaining widespread popularity — QAnon movement Also Untrustworthy allegations regarding COVID-19 According to Jackson, it works to give believers a sense of control in a rapidly changing interconnected world. They can appear after disasters, assassinations, and plane crashes, but they can also appear during periods of social upheaval or rapid change.
“There is no phenomenon on earth, whether it is bird flu or bird flu. 5G, It hasn’t been prepared for the conspirators yet, “Jackson said. “Now we are infected with the coronavirus. This has hurt us very deeply … we see the same idea of ​​bird flu with a whole new eye and various kinds of plots on it. Bring it. “
The claim that bird flu is a hoax used to boost food prices also highlights real concerns about inflation and food shortages. Concerns that influenza is somehow related to 5G towers highlight concerns about technological changes. On the other hand, the proposal to be used to mandate vegetarianism reflects uncertainty about sustainable agriculture, climate change and animal welfare.
By creating an explanation, Jackson says, the conspiracy theory can give believers power and a sense of authority. But he also said he was against the common sense of their film fantasies about millions of vast and vast plots working with clockwork efficiency to undermine personnel.
“The conspiracy theory is based on the idea that humans have the ability to keep secrets,” Jackson said. “But they underestimate the reality that we are not very good at maintaining them.”
