Theresa42
Well-known member
11 April 2006
Bird flu swan — health assurances
As life in Cellardyke returns to a degree of normality after being at the centre of worldwide publicity over avian flu, there is good news for anyone who might have been in close contact with the dead swan which sparked the emergency, writes Gordon Berry.
Experts at Health Protection Scotland have confirmed they are “increasingly comfortable” no-one has been affected by the very remote chance of picking up the potentially deadly H5N1 in the area.
Glasgow-based consultant epidemiologist Dr Jim McMenamin said a number of people involved in the incident were subject to review.
He said the six individuals included people who reported the incident, and those who had been working with Scottish Agricultural College or the State Veterinary Service and had been involved in collection or autopsy of the bird.
He said there is no suspicion of illness and added that after 28 days they would all be be given the opportunity to provide blood samples for testing for antibodies.
Dr McMenamin said any human illness would move very rapidly, and symptoms would show in three days and up to a maximum of seven days.
Given that the first person was involved on March 29, he said, so much time had now elapsed the team at Health Protection Scotland were increasingly comfortable about the situation.
It has always been firmly emphasised that avian flu is a “disease of birds”, and, while it can pass very rarely and with difficulty to humans, this requires extremely close contact with the infection.
All will be offered the opportunity to provide blood samples for testing 28 days after exposure, because it takes a while for the body to make antibodies.
Celia Young, whose husband Dan was the first person to contact DEFRA over the find, said she felt the time for any lingering worry, however small, had now passed.
Meanwhile, the 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone around Cellardyke are still in place, although are expected to be lifted as soon as possible — if there are no further discoveries of infection.
http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2006/04/11/story8217816t0.shtm
Bird flu swan — health assurances
As life in Cellardyke returns to a degree of normality after being at the centre of worldwide publicity over avian flu, there is good news for anyone who might have been in close contact with the dead swan which sparked the emergency, writes Gordon Berry.
Experts at Health Protection Scotland have confirmed they are “increasingly comfortable” no-one has been affected by the very remote chance of picking up the potentially deadly H5N1 in the area.
Glasgow-based consultant epidemiologist Dr Jim McMenamin said a number of people involved in the incident were subject to review.
He said the six individuals included people who reported the incident, and those who had been working with Scottish Agricultural College or the State Veterinary Service and had been involved in collection or autopsy of the bird.
He said there is no suspicion of illness and added that after 28 days they would all be be given the opportunity to provide blood samples for testing for antibodies.
Dr McMenamin said any human illness would move very rapidly, and symptoms would show in three days and up to a maximum of seven days.
Given that the first person was involved on March 29, he said, so much time had now elapsed the team at Health Protection Scotland were increasingly comfortable about the situation.
It has always been firmly emphasised that avian flu is a “disease of birds”, and, while it can pass very rarely and with difficulty to humans, this requires extremely close contact with the infection.
All will be offered the opportunity to provide blood samples for testing 28 days after exposure, because it takes a while for the body to make antibodies.
Celia Young, whose husband Dan was the first person to contact DEFRA over the find, said she felt the time for any lingering worry, however small, had now passed.
Meanwhile, the 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone around Cellardyke are still in place, although are expected to be lifted as soon as possible — if there are no further discoveries of infection.
http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2006/04/11/story8217816t0.shtm