Big Bird vs. Bessie

In Austin, Texas on Monday, sixty-three birds were found dead on the street downtown. Workers donned hazardous-material suits and cleaned up the birds before testing them for any diseases. After preliminary testing, it was released that the birds could not pose any immediate threat to humans. The reason of death, however, still remains unknown. The dead grackles, sparrows and pigeons will be tested further until a specific cause of death is found. Residents are asked to stay away from the birds because the cause is still unclear; a virus could be involved.
About 20 years ago, a similar sight was discovered in Great Britain and more recently in the United States. This time, cows were the subjects under cloes scrutiny. They were found to be behaving strangely and eventually dying. Later discovered was the fact that they contaminated the meat they were butchered for. This discovery is commonly known as Mad Cow Disease.
So in both cases, dead animals were mysteriously found and dealt with. In one case, the cause of death and its effect on humans remains unknown. In the case with the cows, it was recognized that the cows had a virus (MCD) and warned humans against it.