UK: Dead swans spotted, bf experts alerted

[Mellie]

Re: Britons "far more likely to win lottery than contract avian flu

Re: Britons "far more likely to win lottery than contract avian flu

OriCk, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, You are so funny! Humor is the hardest thing to convey in a foreign language and on the internet where there are no facial cues or body language. Are you sure you're not a firefighter?

Excellent commentary ukcz. Keep it up!

 

[DerekSmith]

Leading UK Vet calls for Bird Vaccination.

Leading UK Vet calls for Bird Vaccination.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,25149-2051862,00.html

Give vaccine to backyard birds, says leading vet

By Valerie Elliott, Countryside Editor

ONE of Britain?s leading veterinary experts called last night for the vaccination of backyard poultry and hobby birds to protect the country from the avian flu virus.

Professor Sheila Crispin, a visiting Fellow at Bristol University?s vet school and the next president of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, has already raised the issue with the Government?s chief vet, Debby Reynolds.

She spoke yesterday after news leaked to The Times that the Soil Association, the leading organic farming organisation, and the Elm Farm Research Centre were calling for the vaccination of 15 million outdoor poultry before migratory birds return to Britain from areas where the H5N1 virus is widespread.

Professor Crispin backed vaccination during the foot-and-mouth outbreak. ?I really believe we need a more pragmatic approach to dealing with a disease that is going to be an inevitable problem in the wild bird population and I feel in particular it is a problem for people who just keep a small number of poultry outside,? she said. ?I still think there is a bit of a hangover in the Government from foot-and-mouth and many think it is easier to kill animals instead of controlling a disease through vaccination.?

Professor Crispin is a member of the Science Advisory Council, which examines policies for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and she intends to raise the issue at its next meeting.

The problem is that there is no consensus among politicians and scientists about preventive vaccination. Many are sceptical about the effectiveness of the available vaccine. The main concern put forward by Defra is that vaccine can mask symptoms of the disease and may also spread infection.
There are also serious logistical problems in vaccinating millions of birds. Each bird must be manually inoculated and it may take three weeks for the bird to have immunity. Larger birds, turkeys and breeding stock may also require a second booster vaccine.

The vaccine does not prevent the bird from contracting the flu but it may reduce the symptoms and birds will excrete the virus. A vaccination may also affect trade with countries outside the EU. It is not possible to distinguish meat from birds that have been infected and those that have been inoculated.

Britain has acknowledged the benefit of vaccination to control spread of the disease once there is a confirmed outbreak. One-mile exclusion zones are to be set up around any place where a bird is found to be infected. All flocks in that zone would be tested for disease and if one bird were found to be infected the entire flock would be slaughtered.


Professor Crispin has my vote, but I have little confidence that my government will take any notice of expert advice, any more than they did over the F&M debacle.

 

[Lizbeth]

UK: Bird flu is 21 miles away

UK: Bird flu is 21 miles away

Bird flu is 21 miles away

By CHARLES RAE
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006100579,00.html
Monday, March 6, 2006

TEN seagulls have died of bird flu at a Channel port just 21 MILES from Britain, it emerged yesterday.

Their bodies were discovered close to Boulogne ? France?s biggest port.

The French agriculture ministry confirmed all the birds had the H5 strain of bird flu. Unlike the H5N1 strain, it is not potentially lethal to humans. But the UK Government is still desperate to keep it out of Britain. The gulls? bodies were discovered last Thursday.

The news comes amid growing fears that bitter weather in northern France will force disease- ridden birds across the Channel.

France, which is Europe?s biggest poultry producer, last week confirmed an outbreak of the H5N1 virus at a turkey farm in Ain ? the first in the European Union. More than 43 countries imposed curbs on French poultry products, including foie gras.

After the outbreak in Ain, French officials launched a mass vaccination programme.

Targets included an ornithological park next to the infected turkey farm, which contains over 400 species of protected birds, including pelicans.


The H5N1 virus has killed more than 90 people and millions of birds after it spread from Asia to Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Poland yesterday announced its first case of bird flu as Switzerland and Romania joined France in reporting further cases.

Two swans found dead on the banks of the River Vistula in Poland tested positive.

Further tests were being carried out at a British laboratory last night to see if it was the deadly H5N1 strain. In an attempt to protect the poultry industry, Polish Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz said he would have chicken for dinner.

Romania began culling birds as a precaution against the virus after it found new suspected cases in a village by the River Danube.

Meanwhile China yesterday reported its 15th human victim of the flu ? a 32-year-old man who died in Guangdong province, bordering Hong Kong.

He had fever and pneumonia symptoms on February 22 and died on March 2.

His symptoms appeared after he visited an agricultural market and spent time near a poultry slaughtering site.

 

[kondor]

Re: UK: Bird flu is 21 miles away

Re: UK: Bird flu is 21 miles away

I must reply to this. Just to let you know the importance.

For a long time during the 1990s I used to travel across the English Channel separating England from France along its various routes. It is one of the busiest channels in the world, some say the busiest.

I guess my journeys most total around the 250 mark. Every single journey the boat was accompanied by seagulls. It is just what they do, they follow the boats and ferries that travel across. The general reason is believed that any fish that get caught up the propeller is easy food for them, however as a fisherman I have also had seagulls follow us every time we go out and they soon snap up any unhealthy fish that are thrown back.

I have gone off topic slightly, but I did want everyone who cares to understand. If seagulls have been found in the English Channel, then they will travel to England, all day and night (yes they still follow the night crossings) backwards and forwards.

 

[Bruce]

Re: UK: Bird flu is 21 miles away

Re: UK: Bird flu is 21 miles away

The French agriculture ministry confirmed all the birds had the H5 strain of bird flu. Unlike the H5N1 strain, it is not potentially lethal to humans.

H5xx Unlike H5N1,, wonder what H5 they found?

 

[JJackson]

Re: Britons "far more likely to win lottery than contract avian flu

Re: Britons "far more likely to win lottery than contract avian flu

I wonder what odds Sir David would give on
A] 10,000 people winning the lottery in the next 5 years &
B] 10,000 prople dying of BF in the next 5 years.

 

[Cautel]

UK: Dead swans spotted, bf experts alerted

HEALTH:

Bird flu experts alerted after dead swans spotted

http://www.peterboroughnow.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=845&ArticleID=1382553

TWO swans found dead close to farms on the outskirts of Peterborough are believed to have been tested for bird flu.

The pair of birds were discovered by a passing motorist close to farms on a country road between Maxey and West Deeping.

It is believed the birds were taken away by local vets under protocol from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Wild fowl and swans have been blamed for the spread of avian influenza across Europe.

The deadly strain of the virus has been found in a number of countries including Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Turkey and Poland.

Builder Mick English spotted the birds at 7.30am yesterday. He phoned the RSPCA, which told him to contact the the Government in case the swans had been infected with the avian flu virus.

Mr English called the Defra helpline and he was told that a scientist would be sent to investigate.

Mr English said: "All the talk of bird flu has been a bit scary, and to see them dead so close to a farm was worrying. There were no cuts on them or obvious signs of injury that I could see.

"I was asked lots of questions on the telephone and was told that they might send someone to take the swans away. To have two of them there together seemed very strange."

DEFRA spokesman Matt Conway said there has been no recorded instances of bird flu in the UK, but that reports from the public are given serious consideration.

Mr Conway said: "Callers will speak to an operative who will find out if the call fits certain criteria.

"If it does, they will contact a local veterinary expert, who will assess the situation, and if necessary, send someone out to pick up the birds.

"We cannot comment on individual cases, but a decision on whether or not to take the birds would have been made based on information given by the caller.

"We do take a particular interest in dead swans and wildfowl, because such deaths have occurred on the continent as a result of avian flu.

"We have tested in excess of 4,000 birds, and have reacted to hundreds of calls from the public."

Adrian Rogers, spokesman for the State Veterinary Service, said: "What we are particularly interested in are either a high number of deaths of the same species, or dead swans or geese.

"If a number of swans or geese are found, we would go out and collect the birds and take them to a lab for testing."

Any member of the public who has concerns about a dead bird can call the Defra helpline on 08459 335577.

10 March 2006

 

[Waltz]

Dead Bird On Doorstep

Dead Bird On Doorstep

DEAD BIRD ON DOORSTEP

THE Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has recommended the public dispose of single dead garden birds themselves after a Turkish woman from Enfield reported a dead pigeon on the doorstep of her home.

9 Mart 2006
118 defa okundu

The response follows guidance by Enfield Council and pest control, advising the resident, Sebahat Yıldırım, to "put gloves on and throw the bird in the bin."

The Enfield resident contacted the LTG on Friday evening complaining that the dead pigeon had been on her doorstep for two days, and cited a council help-line official as having advised her to dispose of the bird herself after consulting the local pest control organisation. She said: "With the bird flu scare going on I have no intentions of touching the bird. I saw what happened to the people in Turkey who touched the ill birds. I can?t believe they told me to put gloves on and throw the bird in the bin."

According to the resident, tenants in the flat below - another Turkish family - have refused to allow their young children to leave the property for fear of infection. She said: "Alev has two young children and she hasn?t let them out for days. The rest of us have been covering our mouths when we go out."

Following investigation by the London Turkish Gazette, a spokesperson for the government department, DEFRA, said: "We are not interested in dead pigeons and the like. We are interested in multiple deaths (three, four or five) of garden birds, and deaths in wetland birds including ducks, geese and swans. We encourage people to report these, and urge common sense measures with single deaths of other types of birds. "

When asked what the resident should do about the dead pigeon, the spokesperson advised contacting the landowner, in line with the guidance on DEFRA?s website. When asked what the next step should be if the landowner is also unsure what to do, the response was "We don?t advise touching the bird with one?s hands, but we wouldn?t advise that in any case, whether bird flu was a risk or not."

A DEFRA help-line official later suggested picking the bird up with a shovel and putting it in an outdoor bin, adding: "it should be perfectly safe to dispose of the bird yourself. There should be no risk to people or children, as there is no sign of Bird Flu in the UK at present."

DEFRA has since come under attack by local residents and councillors for failing to provide obviously accessible answers to such questions on their website, and for not providing regular updates on the state of the virus to local government. Following further investigation by the LTG, answers to the question of dead bird disposal on the website were found under a series of unlikely subheadings, listed under: "Surveillance for Avian Influenza in Wild Birds," with key questions placed 9th and 17th in the list of FAQs.

A spokesperson for the department said: "Our website is constantly updated and has been reformatted recently. Historically the department has tended to provide key services to the poultry and farming industries and is not generally in regular contact with the general public."

Enfield Councillor Ertan H?rer told the LTG: "I do think that DEFRA could do more to keep the public informed and would welcome daily briefings and bulletins on Avian flu being sent to the press and local councils.

"Our advice at the moment is that there have been no incidences of Bird Flu in the UK so far, and that the likelihood of infection is remote."

Enfield resident Sebahat Yıldırım on Tuesday told the LTG: "The bird is still there. It?s been here six days now, and I am categorically not going to dispose of it myself, either with gloves and a shovel or without. The bird has started to rot. It will stay on my doorstep until either the government or the local authority have the sense to send someone to dispose of it."

 

[ukcz]

Re: UK: Dead swans spotted, bf experts alerted

Any member of the public who has concerns about a dead bird can call the Defra helpline on 08459 335577.

And we know that if you are reporting single bird deaths then they won't be interested. H5N1 does not exist in the UK until there is a mass die-off of birds, at which point DEFRA might get round to proving what we already know.

 

[ukcz]

as if on cue...

as if on cue...

HEALTH: Bird flu experts alerted after dead swans spotted

TWO swans found dead close to farms on the outskirts of Peterborough are believed to have been tested for bird flu.

The pair of birds were discovered by a passing motorist close to farms on a country road between Maxey and West Deeping.

It is believed the birds were taken away by local vets under protocol from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Wild fowl and swans have been blamed for the spread of avian influenza across Europe.

The deadly strain of the virus has been found in a number of countries including Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Turkey and Poland.

Builder Mick English spotted the birds at 7.30am yesterday. He phoned the RSPCA, which told him to contact the the Government in case the swans had been infected with the avian flu virus.

Mr English called the Defra helpline and he was told that a scientist would be sent to investigate.

Mr English said: "All the talk of bird flu has been a bit scary, and to see them dead so close to a farm was worrying. There were no cuts on them or obvious signs of injury that I could see.

"I was asked lots of questions on the telephone and was told that they might send someone to take the swans away. To have two of them there together seemed very strange."

DEFRA spokesman Matt Conway said there has been no recorded instances of bird flu in the UK, but that reports from the public are given serious consideration.

Mr Conway said: "Callers will speak to an operative who will find out if the call fits certain criteria.

"If it does, they will contact a local veterinary expert, who will assess the situation, and if necessary, send someone out to pick up the birds.

"We cannot comment on individual cases, but a decision on whether or not to take the birds would have been made based on information given by the caller.

"We do take a particular interest in dead swans and wildfowl, because such deaths have occurred on the continent as a result of avian flu.

"We have tested in excess of 4,000 birds, and have reacted to hundreds of calls from the public."

Adrian Rogers, spokesman for the State Veterinary Service, said: "What we are particularly interested in are either a high number of deaths of the same species, or dead swans or geese.

"If a number of swans or geese are found, we would go out and collect the birds and take them to a lab for testing."

Any member of the public who has concerns about a dead bird can call the Defra helpline on 08459 335577.
10 March 2006

http://www.peterboroughnow.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=845&ArticleID=1382553

 

[Sally Furniss]

Guernsey Island monitors migrating birds

Guernsey Island monitors migrating birds

Island monitors migrating birds
Migrating birds are to be monitored in Guernsey to check for any signs of avian flu.

Samples will be taken from a random selection of birds, before being sent to the UK for analysis.

But the island's agricultural advisor has said people should not be overly concerned if they find dead birds.

Andrew Casebow said: "Birds do die naturally. It's only if you see three of four different species we need to hear about it."


Migrating birds are to be monitored in Guernsey to check for any signs of avian flu.

Samples will be taken from a random selection of birds, before being sent to the UK for analysis.

But the island's agricultural advisor has said people should not be overly concerned if they find dead birds.

Andrew Casebow said: "Birds do die naturally. It's only if you see three of four different species we need to hear about it."