Don't panic plea over bird flu
ENVIRONMENT chiefs are urging local farmers and bird owners not to panic despite the discovery of avian flu at a Suffolk poultry farm on Saturday.
It comes after Government officials confirmed that the deadly H5N1 virus was detected among dead poultry at a Bernard Matthew's farm near Lowestoft.
All bird fairs and exhibitions have already been banned and local bird keepers are being urged to remain vigilant.
Said a spokesman for the Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs: "Any owners that suspect disease should act quickly and consult their vet.
"There is no reason for public health concern. Avian influenza is a disease of birds and whilst it can pass very rarely, and with difficulty, to humans this requires extremely close contact with infected birds."
The spokesman stressed that the current level of risk to humans from H5N1 remains 'extremely low'.
Meanwhile, Mansfield 'wildlife doctor' Terry Marsh has urged farmers and owners of smallholdings not to abandon their chickens during the scare after 12 birds were brought to him.
The chickens, which were all healthy, were dumped on Debdale Lane on Monday before being taken to Terry's animal sanctuary on Gladstone Street.
06 February 2007
ENVIRONMENT chiefs are urging local farmers and bird owners not to panic despite the discovery of avian flu at a Suffolk poultry farm on Saturday.
It comes after Government officials confirmed that the deadly H5N1 virus was detected among dead poultry at a Bernard Matthew's farm near Lowestoft.
All bird fairs and exhibitions have already been banned and local bird keepers are being urged to remain vigilant.
Said a spokesman for the Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs: "Any owners that suspect disease should act quickly and consult their vet.
"There is no reason for public health concern. Avian influenza is a disease of birds and whilst it can pass very rarely, and with difficulty, to humans this requires extremely close contact with infected birds."
The spokesman stressed that the current level of risk to humans from H5N1 remains 'extremely low'.
Meanwhile, Mansfield 'wildlife doctor' Terry Marsh has urged farmers and owners of smallholdings not to abandon their chickens during the scare after 12 birds were brought to him.
The chickens, which were all healthy, were dumped on Debdale Lane on Monday before being taken to Terry's animal sanctuary on Gladstone Street.
06 February 2007