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Why is it so hard to identify a swan?
Why is it so hard to identify a swan?
WHO, WHAT, WHY?
The Magazine answers...
It's 11 days since a swan with the bird flu virus was found in Fife but scientists still haven't identified what species it is. Why?
It sounds like one of the easier tasks for government scientists - identifying what species the headless swan with the H5N1 bird flu strain is.
But 11 days after it was found near Cellardyke harbour in Fife, they are being criticised for still not knowing.
Finding out is crucial in helping epidemiologists understand how the virus got to the UK, how it was transmitted and what the consequences are.
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If it is a native bird it could only have caught flu from another bird flying to Britain, possibly a summer migrant arriving any time in the past few weeks. As a result the virus could have been spreading through Britain's bird populations for some time.
If it is a migratory species Britain could still escape a serious outbreak. An infected migrant could have flown across the North Sea and then collapsed and died before being washed ashore.
DNA tests are now being carried out to provide a positive identification.
According to Defra, the job is proving so difficult because the bird is so badly decomposed.
"The bird was found in an advanced state of decay, with its head missing, making it hard to identify," says a spokesman.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) says the length of time taken to identify it is not ideal, but the task is not as simple as it sounds.
"Swans are usually identified from their heads, but this bird was headless," says a spokesman. "It was also very discoloured and decomposed, making the task far more complicated. It's not as simple as looking in a book.
"Making sure the bird is properly identified is a crucial part of assembling the jigsaw that is bird flu. Poor attempts in other parts of the world have severely hampered investigations.
"There is the expectation that the UK Government would be able to identify for certain any bird found with bird flu in this country. I can't emphasis enough how important it is that they get it right."
WHO, WHAT, WHY?
The Magazine answers...
It's 11 days since a swan with the bird flu virus was found in Fife but scientists still haven't identified what species it is. Why?
It sounds like one of the easier tasks for government scientists - identifying what species the headless swan with the H5N1 bird flu strain is.
But 11 days after it was found near Cellardyke harbour in Fife, they are being criticised for still not knowing.
Finding out is crucial in helping epidemiologists understand how the virus got to the UK, how it was transmitted and what the consequences are.
Collapsed
If it is a native bird it could only have caught flu from another bird flying to Britain, possibly a summer migrant arriving any time in the past few weeks. As a result the virus could have been spreading through Britain's bird populations for some time.
If it is a migratory species Britain could still escape a serious outbreak. An infected migrant could have flown across the North Sea and then collapsed and died before being washed ashore.
DNA tests are now being carried out to provide a positive identification.
According to Defra, the job is proving so difficult because the bird is so badly decomposed.
"The bird was found in an advanced state of decay, with its head missing, making it hard to identify," says a spokesman.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) says the length of time taken to identify it is not ideal, but the task is not as simple as it sounds.
"Swans are usually identified from their heads, but this bird was headless," says a spokesman. "It was also very discoloured and decomposed, making the task far more complicated. It's not as simple as looking in a book.
"Making sure the bird is properly identified is a crucial part of assembling the jigsaw that is bird flu. Poor attempts in other parts of the world have severely hampered investigations.
"There is the expectation that the UK Government would be able to identify for certain any bird found with bird flu in this country. I can't emphasis enough how important it is that they get it right."
