sharon sanders
Editor-in-Chief & President
Bird flu quarantine zone lifted
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Press Association
Monday May 1, 2006 8:08 AM[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]A 1,000 square mile quarantine zone to combat an outbreak of bird flu has been lifted in Scotland - despite the spread of a similar disease south of the border.
Strict controls over the movement of poultry have been in place over the vast tract of eastern Scotland since April 5, when the potentially deadly H5N1 virus was confirmed in a dead swan at Cellardyke on the Fife Coast.
Poultry farmers were told to keep wild birds under cover within the 1,000 sq mile "wild bird risk" area, while a six mile surveillance area was imposed around the seaside village.
The Scottish Executive put the measures in place while a series of checks were carried out on other dead birds found across the UK.
To date no more positive tests have been made for H5N1 despite scores of dead birds, and officials decided it was safe to remove the quarantine conditions from the start of Monday.
The clearance comes after the less virulent H7 strain of the disease was confirmed to have spread south of the border to three farms in Norfolk.
Although less serious than the H5N1 variety, vets have ordered the culling of entire flocks of chickens at the farms.
But Charles Milne, the chief veterinary officer for Scotland, said the discovery had not changed Scotland's plans.
He said: "The preliminary finding of low pathogenic H7 avian influenza in Norfolk has no direct implications for the poultry industry in Scotland.
"However this incident highlights the importance of good surveillance and we continue to encourage poultry keepers to be vigilant for signs of disease in their flock and to maintain good biosecurity."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-5791441,00.html
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Press Association
Monday May 1, 2006 8:08 AM[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]A 1,000 square mile quarantine zone to combat an outbreak of bird flu has been lifted in Scotland - despite the spread of a similar disease south of the border.
Strict controls over the movement of poultry have been in place over the vast tract of eastern Scotland since April 5, when the potentially deadly H5N1 virus was confirmed in a dead swan at Cellardyke on the Fife Coast.
Poultry farmers were told to keep wild birds under cover within the 1,000 sq mile "wild bird risk" area, while a six mile surveillance area was imposed around the seaside village.
The Scottish Executive put the measures in place while a series of checks were carried out on other dead birds found across the UK.
To date no more positive tests have been made for H5N1 despite scores of dead birds, and officials decided it was safe to remove the quarantine conditions from the start of Monday.
The clearance comes after the less virulent H7 strain of the disease was confirmed to have spread south of the border to three farms in Norfolk.
Although less serious than the H5N1 variety, vets have ordered the culling of entire flocks of chickens at the farms.
But Charles Milne, the chief veterinary officer for Scotland, said the discovery had not changed Scotland's plans.
He said: "The preliminary finding of low pathogenic H7 avian influenza in Norfolk has no direct implications for the poultry industry in Scotland.
"However this incident highlights the importance of good surveillance and we continue to encourage poultry keepers to be vigilant for signs of disease in their flock and to maintain good biosecurity."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-5791441,00.html
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