Avian Flu & One Bad Apple

Last weeks announcement about the discovery of avian influenza in Washington State in some wild birds has been expanded with the news of an outbreak in a backyard flock of poultry in southern Oregon. The same strain of the virus found in a gyrfalcon in Washington was found in a flock of about 100 chickens and guinea fowl kept privately in Douglas County. At the same time the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the avian influenza outbreak in southwest British Columbia has spread to seven farms, and 155,000 birds are dead or will be euthanized. Avian influenza poses little danger to people as long as poultry meat is handled and cooked properly.

Also there is more fall out regarding the prepackaged caramel apples that have been found to contain listeria. KayDee Gilkey has more.

GILKEY: The pre-packaged caramel apples were sold in stores and have caused 5 deaths and 28 illnesses in 10 states including Washington. The CDC is warning U.S. consumers not to eat any commercially produced, prepackaged caramel apples as they may be contaminated with Listeria. The warning includes plain caramel apples as well as those containing nuts, sprinkles, chocolate, or other toppings, until more specific guidance can be provided. Homemade caramel apples are not part of this warning.

Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray.

I'm still having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that Christmas is this Thursday! I'm having an even harder time with the fact that there are only nine days left in 2014 and we will soon be ushering in 2015! I can still remember quite vividly the uproar that ensued with 1999 turning over to the year 2000. People were in a panic over what would happen; would the world come to an end, would computers around the globe crash making it impossible to conduct even the simplest of business transactions on a daily basis. As December 1999 came to a close many people were stocking up on water and food. Of course, none of these things happened, and life went on pretty much as usual. The same can probably be said for now. I can remember when I was growing up hearing adults saying, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." At the time I didn't understand how that could even be possible. But now after living for more than half a century I understand and I find myself uttering the very same.

Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.