Announcement

**Bruce** · July 23, 2006, 05:22 PM

Re: No wonder they haven't found H5N1 in Finland!

The above is not the official instruction on handling H5N1 infected birds.

The above is the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH)Instruction how to take care of dead birds.<o =""></o>This is a instruction how to handle dead birds in general mainly to follow guidelines on disposal of biological hazards and not to get workers infected.

There is not one mention in the above article about bird flu.

Not to misguide non readers of our language I posted below the official translation and the official finish version that is offered to the general public at this time.<o =""></o>
<o =""></o>

**Bruce** · July 23, 2006, 05:37 PM

Re: No wonder they haven't found H5N1 in Finland!

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Avian influenza

The Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira is responsible for the diagnostics and prevention of avian influenza and other animal diseases.
Further information on avian influenza: Finnish Food Safety Authority

Frequently asked questions
1. What to do if you find a dead bird or several dead birds?
At present it is not considered necessary to send individual dead or sick wild birds for examination.
Wild birds found dead close to settlement should not be touched with bear hands. They should be buried in the ground at least 40 centimetres deep. If the bird cannot be buried it can be put in a plastic bag and thrown into mixed waste. Further away from the settlement, e.g. in a forest, you can leave a dead bird to be eaten by the decomposing organisms.
Mass death of wild birds should be notified to the official veterinarian of the municipality concerned. Finding of, for example, more than five dead swans or more than ten other birds can be considered mass death.
You can find the contact information of official veterinarians on the Internet pages of the Finnish Food Safety Authority (in Finnish) (21.2.2006)
2. What to do if you find bird excrement on the jetty at your summer cottage?

Excrement can be washed off by water and soap (any usual washing agent). You should use waterproof disposable gloves or gloves that can be disinfected. Afterwards the hands must be washed carefully with soap and water, and disinfectant may also be used. (21.2.2006)
3. Can avian influenza infection be transmitted through poultry meat?
In the Far East, for example, infections have been passed from birds to humans in direct contact with infected birds and there are no indications of transmission via foodstuffs. The EU has banned the import of live poultry and poultry products which might spread avian influenza. The normal cooking temperature is sufficient to destroy the possible viruses in the meat.
Avian influenza cannot be transmitted in any foodstuffs sold in Finland and there is no need to change eating habits because of the disease. (21.2.2006)
4. Is it still safe to swim in natural waters?
Swimming in natural waters is completely safe. H5N1 infections to humans have been passed when handling infected or dead poultry. There have been no cases where avian influenza had been passed to humans directly or indirectly from wild birds. The disease is not easily transmitted to humans, i.e. a very large number of viruses is needed to cause an infection in humans.
Should avian influenza viruses enter natural waters in bird excrement or an infected wild bird which has died, they would become diluted very rapidly. It is very difficult to imagine, even in theory, a situation where enough water would enter a swimmer's system to cause avian influenza infection, even if infected excrement or a dead bird had ended up in the water. (14.3.2006)
5. Is it safe to eat poultry meat (broiler, chicken, turkey)?
Yes, all poultry meat sold in Finland is completely safe. Poultry meat must always be cooked thoroughly, mainly because of the salmonella risk. The meat is fully cooked when its internal temperature is at least 75 degrees and there is no red colour in the meat and meat fluid. Good kitchen hygiene always requires that different instruments are used for handling raw and cooked meat and uncooked food (salad) and hands must be washed both before and during food preparation. (21.2.2006)
6. Is it safe to eat eggs?
Yes. In Finland egg production is strictly controlled and eating eggs is completely safe. All raw eggs sold in Finland are of domestic origin. (21.2.2006)
7. Is it safe to eat raw eggs or foodstuffs containing these (e.g. mayonnaise, dough, whipped eggs)?
Yes, eating raw eggs and products containing these is completely safe in Finland. (21.2.2006)
http://www.mmm.fi/en/index/frontpage...influenza.html

Kysymyksiä ja vastauksia kuolleena löytyneistä luonnonvaraisista linnuista

1. Miten toimia, jos löytää yksittäisen kuolleen luonnonvaraisen linnun?

Yksittäisten kuolleena löydettyjen tai sairaiden luonnonlintujen tutkimista lintuinfluenssan varalta ei nykytilanteessa pidetä tarpeellisena. Muita luonnonlintujen kuolinsyytutkimuksia tehdään edelleen Eviran Oulun alueyksikössä.
Asutuksen läheltä löytyneeseen kuolleeseen luonnonlintuun ei tule koskea käsin. Se tulisi haudata maahan noin 40 cm:n syvyyteen. Vaihtoehtoisesti linnun voi poimia muovipussiin ja laittaa sekajätesäiliöön (ei biojätteisiin). Kuolleita lintuja käsiteltäessä on käytettävä suojakäsineitä ja pestävä kädet jälkeenpäin.
Syrjemmällä, esimerkiksi metsässä, kuolleen linnun voi jättää luonnon hajottajaeliöstön ruuaksi. (24.3.2006, Evira)

2. Miten toimia, jos löytää useita kuolleita luonnonvaraisia lintuja?

Jos luonnonlintujen joukkokuolemia havaitaan, on syytä ottaa yhteyttä lähimpään virkaeläinlääkäriin. Joukkokuolemana voidaan pitää esim. yli viiden kuolleen joutsenen tai yli kymmenen muun kuolleen linnun löytymistä.
Virkaeläinlääkäreiden yhteystiedot löytyvät puhelinluettelosta kuntien ja läänien kohdalta ja Eviran verkkosivuilta. (21.2.2006, Evira)

3. Miten toimia, jos kissa tai koira tuo kotiin kuolleen linnun?

Lintu kannattaa poimia ehjään muovipussiin seuraavasti: käsi työnnetään muovipussiin, jonka läpi lintu poimitaan käteen. Pussi vedetään nurin ja pussin suu solmitaan kiinni. Pussi voidaan laittaa sekajätteeseen (ei biojätteeseen). Likaantuneet lattiat ja/tai kalusteet on hyvä puhdistaa kotitalouspuhdistusainein. Mahdollisesti likaantuneiden vaatteiden puhdistamiseen riittää koneellinen pesu tavallisella pyykinpesuaineella. Lopuksi kädet pestään huolellisesti. Myös desinfektioainetta voi käyttää. (24.3.2006, Evira, 20.4.2006, KTL)
http://www.evira.fi/portal/fi/elaime...kuollut_lintu/

**Bruce** · July 23, 2006, 05:52 PM

Re: No wonder they haven't found H5N1 in Finland!

And now comes the question is the above enough, all yours Thinlina.<o =""></o>

**Thinlina** · July 23, 2006, 06:02 PM

Re: No wonder they haven't found H5N1 in Finland!

Thanks, Kissa

I was wondering, indeed, where can I find the real real official advices - there seems to be many something-like-it around.

My bottom line is: If there are let's say four dead birds on the backyard of a house, and four other dead birds on the backyard of the next house, and so on at every house of a neighbourhood. For example a neighbourhood of a twenty houses. That easily leads to an amount of like eighty dead birds, none of which is needed to inform to the veterinarian.

I wasn't the first to pose this question; as you might be aware, it's been talked about at Finnish web sites.

And with instructions like these I really don't wonder why there haven't been H5N1 findings in Finland... But of course it's only because there really hasn't been any cases in Finland.

**Bruce** · July 23, 2006, 06:08 PM

Re: No wonder they haven't found H5N1 in Finland!

You are right on that, I would be concerned if I found one dead bird and very concerned if I found 2 dead birds in my yard.

And I don’t like the idea that people are discouraged on reporting dead birds.

The Swan for example, isn’t it our national bird and a very likely H5N1 carrier. everyone of them should be reported as far as im concerned.
<o ="">
</o>

**Bruce** · July 23, 2006, 06:13 PM

Re: No wonder they haven't found H5N1 in Finland!

I was looking for this http://www.hatikka.fi/raatoseuranta/...ictim2-fin.php
Kuolleiden, sairaiden ja vahingoittuneiden eläinten seuranta

and found this
Vaasa on varautunut hyvin...

- Jos löydät kuolleen linnun, vältä koskemasta sitä. Ilmoita tapauksesta kaupungille, jos yksittäinen kuollut lintu on taajama-alueella. Se tullaan siivoamaan pois.
- Jos löydät useampia kuolleita lintuja Vaasan alueelta, ilmoita välittömästi kaupungille.
- Älä käsittele linnun ulosteita.
http://www.vaasa.fi/Default.aspx?id=442691
----

AT least the city of VASA is doing more than others.
From the above
-If you find a dead bird avoid touching it, inform the city, if a single dead bird is in the town the city will come and clean it away.<o =""></o>
-If you find more than one dead bird inform the city imidietly.<o =""></o>
-Don’t handle bird dropings.<o =""></o>

**Thinlina** · July 23, 2006, 06:19 PM

Re: No wonder they haven't found H5N1 in Finland!

I wish that would be the politics everywhere in Finland... Thanks for the link! I'll post it to another site.

Announcement

No wonder they haven't found H5N1 in Finland!

No wonder they haven't found H5N1 in Finland!

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment