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Bird Flu Infects Seventh Swan In SW England - UK GovtLast update: 1/30/2008 12:11:14 PMLONDON (Dow Jones)--A seventh swan has tested positive to H5N1 bird flu, said the U.K.'s Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs Wednesday. The swan was collected on Jan. 24 in the southwest English county of Dorset as part of a surveillance program in the area. The department said it was most likely the swan was infected by a migratory wild bird. -By Sarah McFarlane, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 (0)20 7842 9327; sarah.mcfarlane@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones NewswiresJanuary 30, 2008 12:11 ET (17:11 GMT)
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Re: Bird Flu Infects Seventh Swan In SW England
Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR
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<!-- #BeginEditable "Title" -->Avian Influenza Update: Seventh Swan Positive for H5N1<!-- #EndEditable -->
<!-- #BeginEditable "Body" -->Defra has today confirmed that a seventh mute swan collected on 24 January as part of wild bird surveillance in the same area in Dorset has tested positive for highly pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza. This is not unexpected, and our enhanced surveillance of wild birds in the area is continuing including active patrols to look for dead wild birds.
There is currently no evidence to suggest widespread disease in the wild bird population, but poultry keepers in the area are reminded to remain vigilant and report any signs of disease immediately. There remains no evidence of disease in domestic birds.
<!-- #EndEditable --><!-- #BeginEditable "Editors" -->Further information <!-- #EndEditable -->
<!-- #BeginEditable "Notes" -->- Information is available from the Defra Helpline (08459 33 55 77) - see www.defra.gov.uk for current opening hours. Bird keepers can also call the Animal Health recorded information line for the latest updates on 0844 884 4600.
- Avian Influenza is a disease of birds. While it can pass very rarely and with difficulty to humans, this usually requires extremely close contact with infected birds, particularly faeces. Advice from the Food Standards Agency remains that properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.
- All Avian Influenza (H1 to H16) can be low pathogenic but only H5 and H7 are known to become highly pathogenic.
- All poultry keepers registered with the GB Poultry Register will be contacted by text message with updates. All poultry keepers responsible for a premises with 50 or more birds are legally required to register. Defra strongly encourages those with less than 50 birds to register voluntarily.
- The details on the measures that apply in the current zones can be found on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/avianflu/
<!-- #EndEditable -->End<!--End of Central Content editable text area --><!--Date Modified and Published--><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="PubDate" -->Page published: 30 January 2008 at 13:55
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Re: Bird Flu Infects Seventh Swan In SW England
Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR
Out of hours telephone 020 7270 8960
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<!-- #BeginEditable "Title" -->Dorset Avian influenza epidemiology report published <!-- #EndEditable -->
<!-- #BeginEditable "Body" -->Defra has today published an epidemiology report into the H5N1 avian influenza case in wild birds in Dorset.
While it has not been possible to conclusively identify the source of the infection, the most likely hypothesis is that it was introduced by an infected migratory wild bird.
It has also been established that the strain of the virus is similar to those isolated in continental Europe in the latter part of 2007.
The report outlines the detailed surveillance that has been carried out in the area, both in domestic and wild bird populations. There is currently no evidence to suggest widespread disease in the wild bird population, but poultry keepers in the area are reminded to remain vigilant and report any signs of disease immediately. There remains no evidence of disease in domestic birds.
At the time of writing disease was confined to the six birds on the same premises. This represents a very low level of infection in the wild bird population on the site.
Further epidemiology reports will be published in due course.
<!-- #EndEditable --><!-- #BeginEditable "Editors" -->Notes to editors<!-- #EndEditable -->
<!-- #BeginEditable "Notes" -->1. The report will be available at www.defra.gov.uk/avianflu
2. Advice and information on H5N1 avian influence is available via the Defra Helpline on 08459 33 55 77. Poultry keepers can also call the Animal Health recorded information line for the latest updates, on 0844 884 4600.
3. Avian Influenza is a disease of birds and whilst it can pass very rarely and with difficulty to humans, this usually requires extremely close contact with infected birds, particularly faeces. As a precautionary measure those who might have been exposed would be offered the appropriate treatment and protection in line with established protocols. Advice from the Food Standards Agency remains that properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.
<!-- #EndEditable -->End<!--End of Central Content editable text area --><!--Date Modified and Published--><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="PubDate" -->Page published: 30 January 2008
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News releases available on our website:
Defra's aim is sustainable development
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Re: Bird Flu Infects Seventh Swan In SW England
Executive Summary1. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) was confirmed in Great Britain on
10 January 2008, when tests had shown that virus strain type H5N1 (HPAI
H5N1), was present in the carcases of three wild mute swans (Cygnus olor).
These carcases were collected on 7 January 2008 from the Fleet Reserve on
the Dorset coast, and examined as part of Great Britain?s avian influenza wild
bird surveillance programme.
2. HPAI H5N1 was later detected in carcases of three further mute swans
collected from the same area. No infection has been identified in any other
individual or species of wild bird in Great Britain since April 2006, when an
infected whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) was found dead, washed up in
Cellardyke harbour in Scotland.
3. Analysis of the virus indicates that it is related to contemporary viruses from
continental Europe and is most closely related to a cluster of isolates
recovered in mid to late 2007 from wild and domestic birds in the Czech
Republic, Romania and Poland.
4. Expert ornithological advice indicated that swans, or other wild birds,
particularly wildfowl from the same population, would move within the Fleet,
between the two Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) reserves at
Lodmoor and Radipole and up to 3km inland, and thus potentially place
domestic poultry at risk of infection within this area. This led to the delineation
of the Wild Bird Control Area (WBCA).
5. Wild bird surveillance has been increased in the area and apart from the
swans reported above, no other evidence of avian influenza infection has
been found in the wild bird populations.
6. This is a region of relatively few domestic poultry, and surveillance activities
focussed on the domestic poultry within the WCBA are complete. No evidence
of spread of HPAI H5N1 to the domestic poultry population has been found.
7. The source of infection for the swans has not been identified, however the
most plausible hypothesis is that it was introduced by one of the migratory
wild birds that make up part of the population on the Fleet during the winter.
8. The Health Protection Agency have been informed of the incident and have
provided advice on the potential human health risk, which is not considered
further in this report.
Clinical History9. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza strain type H5N1 (HPAI H5N1) wassubmitted on 11, 14 and 21 January respectively. No clinical signs of avian
confirmed to be present in the carcases of three wild mute swans collected on
7 January 2008 and examined as part of Great Britain?s AI wild bird
surveillance programme. The swans were submitted to the programme by the
Abbotsbury Swannery, Dorset. Swannery staff euthanased two of the birds on
27 and 31 December 2007 respectively. One had a leg injury and the other
was emaciated. The third swan was found dead on 4 January 2008. The three
birds were ringed and are therefore known to have hatched locally in 2006
and 2007. HPAI H5N1 has been found in three further swan carcases
influenza (AI) had been observed in five of these birds, however nervous
signs that would be consistent with AI infection were seen in the fifth bird
found positive.
10. A large number of swans habitually come to the Swannery and small numbers
die throughout the year. These deaths were not considered unusual, and
were handled in the normal way, the carcases being submitted at a
convenient time for screening under the wild bird surveillance programme.Investigations at the Swannery11. The Swannery was established by Benedictine Monks who first built ain smaller numbers.
monastery at Abbotsbury during the 1040?s and farmed the swans as a food
source. The Swannery passed into the stewardship of Ilchester Estates (the
current ?owners? of the mute swan flock) in 1539. Today Abbotsbury
Swannery is a reserve for free flying swans and wild birds and forms part of
?The Fleet?, an internationally important wetland, situated on the Dorset coast.
12. Over recent years, the Fleet and adjacent wetland reserves have supported
the highest numbers of mute swans of any site in the UK, the average annual
peak being of the order of 1,100 birds. Numbers peak in late summer and
early autumn, with a decline then noted due to mortality and some local
emigration. The western end of the Fleet, adjacent to the Abbotsbury
Swannery, typically supports the majority of the mute swans on the Fleet
between February and October, but there is a redistribution of many birds
mid-winter to the area around Chickerell Hive Point, further east along the
Fleet.
13. About 750 mute swans were counted on the Fleet in mid December 2007.
Approximately 250 mute swans come to the Swannery feeding site each day
at this time of year (Figure 1). Daily numbers are dependent on weather
conditions; more being present in bad conditions. In the feeding area the
swans are joined by other waterbirds, principally mallard, coot, tufted duck
and pochard, which are inevitably in close contact. Other species are present
Comment
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Re: Bird Flu Infects Seventh Swan In SW England
18. Genetic analysis of four of the viruses recovered places these isolates in
a cluster with others recovered in mid to late 2007 from the Czech Republic,
Romania and Poland. Nucleotide sequence comparisons identify a
Czech Republic isolate with the closest similarities with these isolates, ranging
from 98.7% to 99.4%. The genetic relatedness at the nucleotide level
between the four UK mute swan isolates analysed fully to date is 99.3% toPage5 of 21
Defra Epidemiology Report
HPAI swans Dorset Jan0899.8%. Similarities between these isolates from the outbreak of HPAI H5N1 inrecent outbreak in turkeys in Suffolk.
turkeys in England in November 2007 is 99.2% to 99.3%. Analysis of the
remaining two virus isolates continues and will be reported separately.
19. In summary the viruses from the swans are closely related to each other, and
more closely related to viruses from Europe than to those recovered from the
Comment
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Re: Bird Flu Infects Seventh Swan In SW England
Commentary
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Re: Bird Flu Infects Seventh Swan In SW England
i wish we new how widespread this was in the wild uk bird population,i live approx 150 miles from this outbreak but as they say dead birds dont fly do they.Comment
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Re: Bird Flu Infects Seventh Swan In SW England
18. Genetic analysis of four of the viruses recovered places these isolates in
a cluster with others recovered in mid to late 2007 from the Czech Republic,
Romania and Poland. Nucleotide sequence comparisons identify a
Czech Republic isolate with the closest similarities with these isolates, ranging
from 98.7% to 99.4%.
The genetic relatedness at the nucleotide level
between the four UK mute swan isolates analysed fully to date is 99.3% to
99.8%.
Similarities between these isolates from the outbreak of HPAI H5N1 in
turkeys in England in November 2007 is 99.2% to 99.3%.
Analysis of the remaining two virus isolates continues and will be reported separately.
19. In summary the viruses from the swans are closely related to each other, and more closely related to viruses from Europe than to those recovered from the recent outbreak in turkeys in Suffolk.
Have I read this wrongly? If the Suffolk interval is 99.2 - 99.3, but the Europe interval is wider 98.7 - 99.4, isn't the conclusion "more closely related to viruses from Suffolk than to Europe" ???
And would not the swan-Suffolk comparison be "homogeneous", or is 99.9 required?
J.Comment
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Re: Bird Flu Infects Seventh Swan In SW England
turkeys in Suffolk was Bernard Matthews in Febr.2007 ?
Count 1 year back to the common ancestor for each 0.6% of
nucleotide difference.
So those swan-viruses descend from a common host 0.5 - 1 year
ago, i.e. they were not recently introduced from one single
source.I'm interested in expert panflu damage estimates
my current links: http://bit.ly/hFI7H ILI-charts: http://bit.ly/CcRgTComment
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Re: Bird Flu Infects Seventh Swan In SW England
The sequences are all over the map and represent independent introductions (i.e. H5N1 is all over England and the surveillance is abysmal).Originally posted by cartski View PostComment
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Re: Bird Flu Infects Seventh Swan In SW England
CommentaryOriginally posted by niman View Post
H5N1 Confirmed in Seventh Swan in Dorset England
Recombinomics Commentary 17:55
January 30, 2008
Defra has today confirmed that a seventh mute swan collected on 24 January as part of wild bird surveillance in the same area in Dorset has tested positive for highly pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza.
There is currently no evidence to suggest widespread disease in the wild bird population
The above comments describe the detection of a seventh H5N1 positive mute swan in Dorset, England (see satellite map). Today?s announcement was accompanied by a more detailed report on the initial positive birds. In contrast to the above statement on no evidence of widespread disease in the wild bird population, the report included data on sequence identity between the individual isolates in Dorset, as well as the relationship with other isolates, including those isolated earlier in free range turkeys in Suffolk.
The sequence data left little doubt that H5N1 is widespread in the wild bird population in southern England. The sequences were heterogeneous, indicating the birds were not recently infected by a common source, but instead were infected earlier, supporting widespread H5N1 in the wild bird population.
Release of the actual sequences would be useful, so they can be properly and independently analyzed.
."The next major advancement in the health of American people will be determined by what the individual is willing to do for himself"-- John Knowles, Former President of the Rockefeller FoundationComment
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Re: Bird Flu Infects Seventh Swan In SW England
Swans got bird flu from wild bird
A case of deadly H5N1 bird flu found in wild swans in Dorset earlier this month was probably introduced by an infected migratory bird, Defra has said.
Six swans from the Abbotsbury Swannery have tested positive for the disease.
An epidemiology report said the strain of the virus is similar to that found in Europe in the latter part of 2007.
The Defra report said it is not possible to conclusively identify the source, but a migratory bird is the "most likely hypothesis".
There is no evidence of widespread infection in the wild bird population in the area and no evidence of disease in domestic birds, the report said.
'Remain vigilant'
But Defra has urged local poultry keepers to remain vigilant and report any signs of disease immediately.
The first birds to test positive were found dead at the open reserve in the Chesil Beach area in December during routine surveillance, while further swans were found to have the disease earlier this month.
Restrictions on the movement of poultry and other captive birds in the wild bird control area, imposed in the wake of the first positive tests, remain in place, according to a Defra spokeswoman.
However, movement restrictions in the wider wild bird monitoring area around the Abbotsbury Swannery were lifted last week.
She said there is ongoing surveillance of wild birds in the area, although the disease so far appears to be confined to the six swans - representing a very low level of infection in the wild bird population on the site.
The swannery is part of an area of wetland recognised to be of international importance.
About 12 members of staff at the sanctuary have been monitored for signs of the disease by the Health Protection Agency, although the risk of infection is said to be low.
Workers have been given a course of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu as a precaution.
Story from BBC NEWS:
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Re: Bird Flu Infects Seventh Swan In SW England
Swans ARE wild birds and the sequence data shows that the infections are due to MULTIPLE introductions.Comment
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Re: Bird Flu Infects Seventh Swan In SW England
Commentary at
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Re: Bird Flu Infects Seventh Swan In SW England
This was very helpful. Thank you.Originally posted by niman View Post
J.Comment
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