SWEDEN/NORWAY - Thousands of dead birds (mostly razorbills) along coasts

[Theresa42]

Hat-tip, Jishuku!

Extensive bird deaths along the Swedish west coast
Sweden 25 sep 17:20

Thousands of dead birds, mainly razorbills, have been found along the Swedish west coast. The findings have been made from Halmstad in the south all the way up to the Norwegian boarder.

- There might be a lack of food somewhere, but we don't know where yet, says Tommy Järås at the bird central in Gothenburg to SR Gothenburg.

Source: http://www2.blocket.se/news?loc=0&id=127863&ca=

Also, 3000-5000 dead birds around Oslofjord in Norway, too:

http://www.demokraten.no/lokalnytt/article3017969.ece

I think only "alker" (Alca torda or razorbills) are involved (in Norway). Most of the reports seem to talk about a "high winds" theory -- that the birds have been blown off course and were not able to make it back out to sea.

 

[Sally Furniss]

Re: SWEDEN/NORWAY - Thousands of dead birds (mostly razorbills) along coasts

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4369376.stm

Swedish bird flu case 'not H5N1'

Swedish veterinary experts examining a duck that died of bird flu have found it was not infected with the lethal H5N1 strain.

Sweden's board of agriculture said the bird was carrying a mild, low risk type of the influenza virus.

The virus was detected in Eskilstuna, west of the capital Stockholm.

In Europe, the H5N1 strain that has killed more than 60 people in Asia has been found in Romania, Turkey, the UK and Russia and is suspected in Greece.


"The ducks that were analysed during the night by the National Veterinary Institute did not carry the aggressive type of bird flu virus," the board said in a statement.

Tests carried out in the UK showed that a parrot that died while in British quarantine had the H5N1 strain.

Samples from Croatia and Macedonia are also being tested.

The UK government called for a ban on wild bird imports to the European Union after the incidence of the disease in its territory.

European Commission spokesman Stefaan de Rynck said a decision would be made on Tuesday regarding such a ban.

Experts fear a bird flu pandemic if it mutates to spread easily among humans.

A seven-year-old boy in Thailand tested positive for bird flu on Friday, two days after his father died from the disease.

But Siriraj Hospital stressed they did not believe the boy, who is recovering, had caught the virus from his father.

Taiwan has responded to bird flu fears by starting work on its own version of the anti-viral drug, Tamiflu, without waiting for the manufacturer's consent.

 

[Jishuku]

Re: SWEDEN/NORWAY - Thousands of dead birds (mostly razorbills) along coasts

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4369376.stm

Swedish bird flu case 'not H5N1'

That article is 2 years old though.

Anyway, hat-tip to anty on CE for this update:

5 birds have been tested so far at the veterinary institute. The birds were bird flu negative.


http://www.f-b.no/article/20070927/NYHET/709270030/-1/UZONE

 

[Sally Furniss]

Re: SWEDEN/NORWAY - Thousands of dead birds (mostly razorbills) along coasts

So it is

Welcome Jishuku!