We are currently living inside an Avian Influenza Protection Zone. A ‘highly pathogenic’ strain of the virus was detected nearby, meaning various protection measures have been implemented – mostly affecting farms or places where poultry or other captive birds are kept. We often have pheasants wandering through our garden, and our proximity to the estuary and woodlands mean that wild birds frequently pass overhead and gather nearby. So we’re pretty mindful of the impact of such a disease on local wildlife.
Part of me is fascinated by what is going on – in my pre-medical writing days, I studied and researched veterinary disease transmission – but recent years have also made me very nervous about wildlife-borne diseases. Although the natural reservoir of the COVID-19 virus has not yet been confirmed, evidence suggests it originated in horseshoe bats or pangolins. All it takes is for the right strain of virus to come into contact with a person in the right way and at the right time, and another human disease is created. This is probably how HIV and Ebola came into existence.
Okay, perhaps I need to dial things down a little. Transmission of bird flu to humans is rare. But it’s strange how crazy, apocalyptic notions previously limited to science fiction are now actually quite tangible outcomes nowadays. My kids often find dead birds when out and about near our house. They’re often objects of interest and end up being poked with sticks (the dead birds – not the kids). I’ve warned them to be more careful when they do make any deceased avian discoveries; kids becoming infected with a new virus in a rural setting sounds too much like the start of a zombie film.
It is curious to wonder how the pandemic may have affected and shaped the imagination of science fiction writers. Last year, I wrote a short story that combined elements of the pandemic with a tale from Welsh mythology. Not a combination you might have encountered previously? Why ever not…? For me, this was an interesting pairing, but it was perhaps a little out there for some of the publications I targeted, so I ended up publishing it here instead. Take a look if of interest and stay healthy!
