Monday, May 4, 2026

More than 44 peacocks in India die of bird flu

 
Illustration:  Encyclopedia Britannica
Headline:   Times of India, 5/4/2026
Peacocks, often seen as symbols of grace and vitality, were found dead across fields and forest edges in the Tamakuru District of Kamataka.  Between April 16 and 21, more than 44 such deaths were reported.  Tests later confirmed what official feared:  the presence of H5N1 avian influenza, a strain of bird flu that has triggered outbreaks across the world in recent years.
Other bird flu posts:
May 1-5:

April 26-30:

April 21-25:
California bird flu news:  It's everywhere, it's everywhere!  (4/23)

April 16-20
 
April 11-15:

April 6-10:  
Even the 1% have to deal with bird flu  (The Hamptons Long Island edition).  (4/9)

April 1-5
Lancaster County Pennsylvania reports yet another case of bird flu. (4/1

March 26-31:

March 21-25:

March 16-20:

March 11-15, 2025

March 6-10, 2026.  

March 1-5, 2026

February 20-28,2026
SHOCKER!!  Dead birds found in Ohio gated community.  Bird flu suspected.  (2/21)

February 10-19, 2026
February 1-9, 2026

January 21-31, 2026

January 11-20, 2026
New York tells resident don't touch those dead birds.  (1/17)

January 1-10, 2026
Bird flu strain of avian influenza:  "The picture has grown darker and stranger than most would have imagined".  (1/8)
Bird flu reported on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. (1/8)Dozens of vultures die of bird flu in North Carolina.  (1/8)

December 16-31, 2025

December 1-15, 2025

November 15-30, 2025

November 1-15, 2025

October 2025

September 2025

April-August 2025

You are probably wondering, “What is Hantavirus?”

 
Mouse information:  Terminix
Headline:  CNN, 5/4/2026

Lex Harvey reports for CNN:
Humans most commonly become infected through contact with rodents such as rats and mice, especially with their urine, droppings and saliva, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 
Just one type of hantavirus, the Andes virus, is known to be able to transmit from person to person, but it is rare. It is primarily found in Chile and Argentina, where the ship originated. 
Still, health authorities emphasized that the outbreak does not represent a public health threat. “There is no need for panic or travel restrictions,” said Hans Kluge, WHO’s regional director for Europe.

Source:  Mayo Clinic

Welcome to Big Oil war profiteering (BP edition)

 
Column graph and headlineReuters, 4/28/2026


Stephanie Kelly and Shadia Nasrallan report:
BP's (BP.L), opens new tab first-quarter profit more than doubled year-on-year to $3.2 billion - its highest since 2023 - the British oil major reported on ‌Tuesday, beating expectations by 20% after the Iran war boosted its oil trading results. 
The spike in oil prices triggered by the war has helped European majors reap billions of dollars from the energy supply crunch.  
BP had already flagged an exceptionally strong quarter for its oil trading desk. Its customers and products business, which includes oil trading operations, recorded profit before interest and tax of $3.2 billion, its ​highest level since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, beating an average analyst estimate of $2.5 billion. [emphasis added]
Apparently, war is very very good for BP.