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The United States Border Patrol has stopped a passenger from China who was carrying a couple of hundred dead birds in his luggage.
The unidentified passenger’s actions come as the Wuhan coronavirus death toll continues to rise in China, killing more than 1,000 people. On Monday, the National Health Commission reported the virus had its deadly day since its inception after 108 people were killed.
BizPac Review reports it was unlikely these birds were infected with the coronavirus, but they could have been carriers of any number of diseases:
Understandably, anxiety in America is inching upward, so a story about US Customs and Border Protection intercepting a package of dead birds on a flight from Beijing is not helping matters.
Turns out, the birds could have been infected. Not with coronavirus, but with highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu.
The dead birds were discovered during baggage examination at Dulles International Airport two weeks ago, on Jan. 27, according to CPB — the traveler said they were cat food.
“CBP seized the package from the traveler and its contents were incinerated,” the report adds.
Check it out:
Sick:
Border Patrol officers intercepted a passenger from China carrying 200 dead birds in his suitcase
He was trying to enter the country through Virginia with what could have been infected carcasses
What was he planning?
RT if we should ban all travel to and from China!
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) February 11, 2020
It happened 2 weeks ago and we’re just now hearing about it 🤔
— Jenn (@Jennnilou) February 11, 2020
The birds are definitely banned in the United States, according to CBP’s Baltimore Field Office Director of Field Operations Casey Durst, who issued a statement confirming the incident.
“These dead birds are prohibited from importation to the United States as unprocessed birds pose a potentially significant disease threat to our nation’s poultry industries and more alarmingly to our citizens as potential vectors of avian influenza,” Durst said per BizPac Review. “Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists continue to exercise extraordinary vigilance every day in their fight to protect our nation’s agricultural and economic prosperity from invasive pests and animal diseases.”
.@CBP agriculture specialists at Dulles airport continue to protect our nation's vital agricultural resources and our economy by intercepting potential animal threats, like those posed by these tiny dead birds from China packaged as "pet food." Read https://t.co/uJj5o5xfmN pic.twitter.com/xTldZ6G6jM
— CBP Mid-Atlantic (@CBPMidAtlantic) February 10, 2020
So thankful for Border Patrol!!
— Teresa L Cantrell (@TeresaLCantrel2) February 11, 2020
The package is written FAKE Japanese word , with many terrible mistakes .
Lots of Chinese simulate Japanese such example .
They export many troubles and crimes all around the world feign to be Japanese .
— みえはる (@kJMzQvuyHYKPvmi) February 11, 2020
