London, United Kingdom

After the loss of significant numbers of wild birds from Avian flu, scientists have claimed that Earth is experiencing a new "Silent Spring."

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The term 'Silent Spring' harks back to Rachel Carson's 1962 book that talks about pesticides, particularly DDT that killed birds. It said that the DDT caused egg shells to become so thin that adult birds killed them during incubation which led to nest failure and the deaths of thousands of birds.  

Scientists claimed that a significant number of birds have died past year.  The World Organisation for Health estimates claimed that over 50,000 birds died due to Avian flu since October 2021 mostly in Africa and Europe. 

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James Pearce-Higgins, a renowned scientist said, "The last time we experienced such large-scale and rapid losses of wild birds in the UK would be the impacts of DDT on birds of prey in the 1950s and 1960s associated with the Silent Spring narrative, or the widespread declines of farmland birds during the 1970s and 80s as a result of agricultural intensification."

According to the European Food Safety Authority, there are some 3,5000 virus infections detected in 67 bird species across 37 countries in Europe. 

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In Europe, the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands reported the most number of deaths. 

In the US, the first case of Avian flu was reported in early January. Since then there have been 3,700 positive tests in the states, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said. 

The year 2022 has witnessed a lot of climate hazards causing damage worth millions and claimed lives of not just animals but humans as well.

(With inputs from agencies)

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