The Peter Zeihan Podcast Series Of Birds and Bugs || Peter Zeihan
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Mar 11, 2025 Unpack the alarmingly real impact of the bird flu on the U.S. egg supply and soaring prices. Discover the struggles poultry farmers face with biosecurity and vaccination amid financial turmoil. Compare the ineffective public health responses to avian influenza with a new hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Congo. Learn how misinformation and poor leadership exacerbate these crises, revealing deep-rooted issues in our food systems and public health strategies.
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Bird Flu Outbreak and Initial Response
- The 2015 bird flu outbreak significantly impacted egg prices, similar to the current outbreak.
- Current U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, initially suggested vaccination, medication, and biosecurity improvements to combat the outbreak.
Rollins's Background and USDA Purge
- Brooke Rollins, the new agricultural secretary, has a limited policy background, primarily advising against tax increases.
- The USDA, typically staffed with experienced scientists and logisticians, has been purged of these experts under the Trump administration.
Impracticality of Initial Proposals
- Rollins's initial proposals for bird flu, including vaccination and medication, proved impractical due to cost, logistics, and the virus's rapid progression.
- The high turnover rate of chickens makes immunization efforts futile, and there's no effective medication for the virus.