Another Pandemic in the Making: How Animal Farming Fuels H5N9

Another highly pathogenic strain of bird flu has emerged, and it’s making its debut in the United States. H5N9, a virus previously unseen in the country, has infected a duck farm in California, triggering the mass killing of nearly 119,000 birds in an attempt to contain the outbreak. 

This isn't just an unfortunate event or an isolated case of bad luck. It's another predictable consequence of an industry that breeds animals for human use, creating the perfect conditions for deadly viruses to mutate, spread, and potentially make the jump to humans. Every single person who buys duck flesh, a down-filled jacket, or an egg-laden pastry is casting a vote for this to continue. 

The Viral Incubator  

Viruses evolve naturally. They always have, and they always will. But animal farming supercharges that process, creating the perfect storm for new, deadlier strains.  

Industrial farms are packed with genetically uniform animals, confined in filthy, overcrowded sheds where disease spreads like wildfire. Unlike wild populations, where weaker individuals die off before they can infect too many others, farmed animals are kept alive in high-density conditions, ensuring that viruses have maximum opportunities to mutate and spread.  

Ducks, in particular, are excellent hosts for flu viruses. Unlike chickens, they often don’t show severe symptoms, allowing them to silently carry and spread infections. On this California farm, H5N9 wasn’t the only virus present - H5N1, a strain already responsible for human infections, was found as well. These viruses didn’t just coincidentally meet up; they had the perfect environment to swap genes, creating something new and unpredictable.  

This is how pandemics become more likely. Not just through random natural mutations, but through human-designed systems that give viruses endless chances to evolve into something that could threaten us all.  

“Culling” 

The response to outbreaks like this is always the same: mass killing. Nearly 119,000 ducks have already been destroyed in California, a number that will only grow as the virus spreads. It’s always framed as a necessary measure to "protect public health" and "contain the virus."  

But here’s the reality: culling is an industry-standard response to an industry-standard problem. It doesn’t stop outbreaks from happening. It doesn’t address the root cause. It just resets the clock until the next viral mutation emerges from the same cycle of forced breeding, cramped confinement, and unnatural selection.  

If we were serious about stopping these outbreaks, we’d stop creating the conditions that allow them to happen in the first place. But that would mean challenging the entire system of breeding animals for food and fashion - something the industry (and most consumers) would rather not do.  

Conveniently Forgotton 

When COVID-19 spread, people were desperate to blame anything but their own actions. The same pattern repeats now. The headlines focus on what’s happening, but not why.  

The term "zoonotic disease" makes brief appearances, yet it’s rarely linked to what that actually means: humans forcing other species into unnatural conditions and then being surprised when viruses jump the gap.  

If someone were deliberately cultivating deadly pathogens, we’d call them bioterrorists. When animal agribusiness does it, it’s called business as usual.  

Voting for the Next Pandemic  

The truth is, there is no meaningful difference between purchasing duck flesh and paying for the next pandemic. Every non-vegan decision actively funds the conditions that make these viral mutations possible.  

It's easy to shake your head at "those wet markets in China" while ignoring the fact that bird flu outbreaks are tearing through Western farms year after year. The virus doesn’t care if it’s in a filthy live market or a disinfected factory farm - the conditions are still perfect for evolution, and the end result is the same: outbreaks, mutations, and the ever-present risk of human spillover.  

Non-vegans aren’t just passive bystanders. They are financial backers of a system that repeatedly brings us to the brink of another global health disaster.  

The Vegan Alternative  

People love to act as though there’s no alternative to the way things are. But there is. Viruses like H5N9 only exist in this form because we breed birds for food and fashion. Remove the demand, and the breeding stops. The factory farms shut down. The risk of viral spillover plummets.  

This isn’t a hypothetical - it’s a direct line from cause to effect. Every vegan meal, every plant-based coat, every decision to reject animal exploitation is a vote against the next pandemic.  

This is why veganism isn’t just about personal choices. It’s a justice movement. A rejection of an industry that doesn’t just harm animals but actively endangers human lives.  

Reality Check  

If a new virus emerged from a lab, the outrage would be deafening. Governments would demand accountability. Investigations would be launched. People would demand action.  

Yet when an outbreak happens because of factory farms, the response is nothing more than routine culling and a shrug. Why? Because acknowledging the real cause would mean confronting the fact that every non-vegan decision contributes to the problem.  

The next time you see a headline about a new virus emerging from a duck farm, remember: it’s not a random event. It’s not an unpredictable tragedy. It’s the result of a system that people keep funding with every purchase. And until that stops, the outbreaks won’t.