Since 1999, there have been 26 avian influenza outbreaks
in 25 countries, which resulted in the slaughter of more than 132 million birds.
With more outbreaks likely, killing such large numbers of poultry in a humane and efficient way that prevents any further spread of the disease is a significant problem.
One common method is to flood the birds' living areas with carbon dioxide. But although it is an avian anaesthetic, CO2 also endangers humans. Now Eric Benson
and colleagues at the University of Delaware in Newark have a potential answer.
They say that covering the birds with a blanket of CO2-infused foam should quickly and humanely kill the birds with a minimal amount of manpower. And since the CO2 is trapped within the foam, it should be relatively safe for humans.
Read the full humane bird-killing foam
patent application.Justin Mullins, New Scientist consultant
Labels: biology, health