I understand (from a posting by Shanghaiceltic, who's living in China) that the conditions in some bird-raising places there can only be described as filthy and disgusting. At the least, in "battery farms" the birds are viewed as a source of income and attempts are made to keep them as healthy as possible because of the potential for income loss.

But let's not drift. No, H5N1 or H5N2 is not the birds' fault. But humans have to deal with it to the best of their ability. And humans all too often -- especially in the "developing" world -- don't have the skills, knowledge, or resources to do things differently. (I say "knowledge" in the full realization that many scientists in these countries are highly trained and very skilled...but they still have to deal with local officials who could well be none of these and responding to orders issued in panic. And then there are the workers who have to do the dirty work....)