How will the bird flu affect the Trump presidency? | Katrina vanden Heuvel

Bird flu has already proven a disaster for humans and animals alike. And it could get far worse

Three days after Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the World Health Organization, a Long Island farm began euthanizing 100,000 ducks due to an outbreak of bird flu. It marked the latest spread of a virus that has also killed more than 100 million chickens and turkeys nationwide. Though fewer than 70 Americans have contracted the illness so far, scientists have warned that this strain may be just one mutation away" from achieving the capacity for rapid transmission.

Whether or not those predictions go the way of Chicken Little's, bird flu has already proved a disaster for humans and animals alike. From infected pets to egg prices soaring by 37%, Americans have abundant cause for concern and complaint. Amid the pathogenic unpredictability, another fact remains clear: the main culprit here is factory farming.

Katrina vanden Heuvel is editor and publisher of the Nation, she is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and has contributed to the Washington Post, New York Times, and Los Angeles Times