Wild Birds with H5N1 in England 2008

HenryN · Feb 29, 2008

Re: New bird flu fears as virus found in dead swans (England)

Re: New bird flu fears as virus found in dead swans (England)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7271351.stm

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Bird flu discovered in dead goose

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>A dead goose has tested positive for the highly virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu, government scientists have said.
The remains of the bird were discovered around 1km (0.6m) from Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset, where a number of swans have been found with the disease. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the Canada goose was the eleventh wild bird in the area to test positive for H5N1. A spokesperson said that the latest case was not unexpected. 
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

HenryN · Feb 29, 2008

Re: New bird flu fears as virus found in dead swans (England)

Re: New bird flu fears as virus found in dead swans (England)

Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR
Out of hours telephone 020 7270 8960


H5N1 in Canada Goose ? 11th case in wild bird

Defra has today confirmed that a Canada goose collected on 25 February in the Wild Bird Monitoring Area in Dorset as part of wild bird surveillance has tested positive for highly pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza. The bird was found less than a kilometre from where the previous positive cases in swans were collected.
This is the 11th wild bird with highly pathogenic H5N1 in the area. The previous ten cases were in wild mute swans, with the last case being confirmed on 4 February.
The finding of more cases in wild birds is not unexpected, and Defra?s enhanced surveillance of wild birds in the area is continuing, including active patrols to look for dead wild birds. We are currently considering whether any additional restrictions are necessary in the area.
Poultry keepers in the area are reminded of the need to comply with existing restrictions including the requirement to house or otherwise keep separate their birds from wild birds, and remain vigilant for signs of disease, reporting any suspicions immediately. Our enhanced surveillance of wild birds in the area is continuing including active patrols to look for dead wild birds.
Further Information 

Information is available on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/avianflu/, or from the Defra Helpline (08459 33 55 77) - see www.defra.gov.uk for current opening hours. Bird keepers can also call the Animal Health recorded information line for the latest updates on 0844 884 4600.
That experience in Europe has been that singleton cases of HPAI H5N1 have been found in Canada geese in 2006, in France and Sweden. These were associated with the already confirmed isolations in wild birds including mute swans.
Avian Influenza is a disease of birds. While it can pass very rarely and with difficulty to humans, this usually requires extremely close contact with infected birds, particularly faeces. Advice from the Food Standards Agency remains that properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.
All Avian Influenza (H1 to H16) can be low pathogenic but only H5 and H7 are known to become highly pathogenic.
All poultry keepers registered with the GB Poultry Register will be contacted by text message with updates. All poultry keepers responsible for a premises with 50 or more birds are legally required to register. Defra strongly encourages those with less than 50 birds to register voluntarily.

End
Public enquiries: 08459 335577
News releases available on our website:
www.defra.gov.uk
Defra's aim is sustainable development

Page published: 29 February 2008 at 14:40

http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2008/080229c.htm

HenryN · Feb 29, 2008

Re: New bird flu fears as virus found in dead swans (England)

Re: New bird flu fears as virus found in dead swans (England)

Canada goose tests positive for H5N1 avian flu in Dorset
29/02/2008 14:50:00
DEFRA has confirmed that a Canada goose collected in the Wild Bird Monitoring Area in <st1lace>Dorset</st1lace> as part of its continued wild bird surveillance has tested positive for highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu.
The bird was found on 25 February less than 1km (0.6 miles) from where the previous positive cases in swans were found. This is the eleventh wild bird with highly pathogenic H5N1 in the area. However, the previous 10 cases were in wild mute swans, with the last case being confirmed on 4 February.
Officials stress that the finding of more cases in wild birds is not unexpected, and DEFRA’s enhanced surveillance of wild birds in the area is continuing, including active patrols to look for dead wild birds.
"We are currently considering whether any additional restrictions are necessary in the area," said a spokesperson.
Poultry keepers in the area are reminded of the need to comply with existing restrictions including the requirement to house or otherwise keep separate their birds from wild birds, and remain vigilant for signs of disease, reporting any suspicions immediately.
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HenryN · Feb 29, 2008

Re: New bird flu fears as virus found in dead swans (England)

Re: New bird flu fears as virus found in dead swans (England)

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/02290801/H5N1_Goose_Dorset.html

HenryN · Feb 29, 2008

Re: Wild Birds with H5N1 in England 2008

Wild goose tests positive for deadly bird flu

Fri 29 Feb 2008, 15:55 GMT

[-] Text [+]

(Adds details, background)
LONDON, Feb 29 (Reuters) - A dead wild Canada goose has tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in southern England in an area where there have recently been 10 cases in mute swans, Britain's farm ministry said on Friday.
"The finding of more cases in wild birds is not unexpected ... We are currently considering whether any additional restrictions are necessary in the area," the ministry said in a statement, adding the bird was found less than a km from where the swans were collected.
The outbreak in Dorset, southern England, was first reported last month after three dead mute swans were found at a bird sanctuary. Seven subsequent cases in mute swans have been confirmed, the most recent on February 4.
The virulent H5N1 stain has killed more than 230 people since 2003 and millions of birds have either died from it or been killed to prevent its spread.
(Reporting by Nigel Hunt; editing by Chris Johnson)

http://africa.reuters.com/commodities/news/usnL29608197.html

HenryN · Feb 29, 2008

Re: Wild Birds with H5N1 in England 2008

Although the first case was REPORTED last month, the date of death was in DECEMBER, 2007. H5N1 positive wild birds have been dying for 2 MONTHS in or near Dorset.

HenryN · Feb 29, 2008

Re: Wild Birds with H5N1 in England 2008

New case of H5N1 found in Dorset

News | 29 February, 2008
By Alistair Driver
THE highly pathogenic form of H5N1 avian flu has been found in another wild bird in Dorset, three weeks after the previous case was found.

The disease was confirmed today (Friday, February 29) in a Canada goose collected on February 25 in the Wild Bird Monitoring Area in Dorset as part of the wild bird surveillance programme in place.
The bird was found less than a kilometre from where the previous positive cases in swans were collected.
It becomes the 11th wild bird to be confirmed with highly pathogenic H5N1 in the area. The previous 10 cases were in wild mute swans, with the last case being confirmed on February 4. Defra stressed that the finding of more cases in wild birds was ?not unexpected?. The Department said it was currently considering whether any additional restrictions were necessary in the area.

Following cases found in wild birds on January 10, a Wild Bird Control Area and a wider Wild Bird Monitoring Area were put in place around the area where disease was confirmed.
The Wild Bird Control Area was revoked on February 19, and now forms part of the Wild Bird Monitoring Area.
In a statement Defra said: ?Poultry keepers in the area are reminded of the need to comply with existing restrictions including the requirement to house or otherwise keep separate their birds from wild birds, and remain vigilant for signs of disease, reporting any suspicions immediately.?
* Further information is available on the Defra website (see the link below) or from the Defra Helpline (08459 33 55 77). Bird keepers can also call the Animal Health recorded information line for the latest updates on 0844 884 4600.
External Weblinks

Farmers Guardian is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

www.defra.gov.uk/avianflu/

http://www.farmersguardian.com/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=16783

HenryN · Feb 29, 2008

Re: Wild Birds with H5N1 in England 2008

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=533 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=262 rowSpan=3>

</TD><TD width=12 rowSpan=3></TD><TD vAlign=top width=259>World
</TD><TR><TD class=mainnewstitle vAlign=center>U.K. reports new bird flu case

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=bottom height=10><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=maintime>19:34</TD><TD class=maindatedelim width=1>|</TD><TD class=maindate>29/ 02/ 2008</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD align=right>

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LONDON, February 29 (RIA Novosti) - The deadly H5N1 bird flu strain has been confirmed in another wild bird in Dorset, southern England, agriculture officials said on Friday. The goose was found dead on February 25 around a mile (1.5 kms) from the site where a case of bird flu was discovered less than a month ago, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said.
So far, at least 11 wild birds have been killed by bird flu since January in the U.K., with the last case confirmed on February 4.
Although no cases of human-to-human transmission of H5N1 have been reported, scientists fear the virus could mutate into a strain that could pass easily between people, causing a global pandemic.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20080229/100353821.html

HenryN · Feb 29, 2008

Re: Wild Birds with H5N1 in England 2008

From earlier DEFRA report

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/pdf/epireport-hpaiswan080212.pdf

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza strain type H5N1 (HPAI H5N1) was
confirmed to be present in the carcases of three wild mute swans collected on
7 January 2008 and examined as part of Great Britain’s AI wild bird
surveillance programme. The swans were submitted to the programme by the
Abbotsbury Swannery, Dorset. Swannery staff euthanased two of the birds on
27 and 31 December 2007 respectively. One had a leg injury and the other
was emaciated. The third swan was found dead on 4 January 2008. The three
birds were ringed and are therefore known to have hatched locally in 2006
and 2007. HPAI H5N1 has been found in three further swan carcases

submitted on 11, 14 and 21 January respectively.

No clinical signs of avian influenza (AI) had been observed in five of these birds, however nervous

signs that would be consistent with AI infection were seen in the fifth bird found positive.

HenryN · Feb 29, 2008

Re: Wild Birds with H5N1 in England 2008

<CENTER>Bird Flu Is Back

</CENTER>ANOTHER dead bird has been confirmed with bird flu near Abbotsbury Swannery.
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) today announced that a Canada goose collected on February 25 one kilometre from the swannery tested positive for the lethal H5N1 virus.
The remains of the bird were found less than a kilometre from where the previous positive cases were collected.
It is the 11th bird to be found with the virus. Defra has imposed new restrictions for the next 31 days.
5:20pm today

By James Tourgout

http://www.thisisdorset.net/misc/print.php?artid=2085522

HenryN · Mar 1, 2008

Re: Wild Birds with H5N1 in England 2008

Bird flu is back
By Miriam Phillips

Comment

</TD></TR><TR><TD>EASTER SETBACK: John Houston at Abbotsbury Swannery</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
ABBOTSBURY Swannery's hopes of reopening for Easter have been dashed after another bird tested positive for bird flu.
On the final day of the site's bird flu restrictions, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that a Canada goose collected on February 25 in the wild bird monitoring area tested positive for the lethal H5N1 virus.
The remains of the bird, the 11th to test positive, were found less than a kilometre from where the previous positive cases were collected at the swannery.
The goose was found in the eleventh hour for Abbotsbury Swannery, which was into the last day of its 28-day restriction period following the last sample that was found positive on January 29.
A new control zone will be imposed around the immediate area for 31 days, which means the swannery may not be able to reopen until March 31.
Swannery boss John Houston had been hoping to reopen on March 15 in time for Easter, one of the attraction's busiest times.

The last mute swan to be found with bird flu was confirmed on February 4.
A spokesman for Defra said the latest case was not 'unexpected' but the finding means the new control area will be in place until March 29. He added: "This was the last bird to be tested and in a way it means we are back to the beginning.
"Defra will be holding a meeting later next week to review the monitoring area but at present the original control area will be back in place.
"Defra's enhanced surveillance of wild birds in the area is continuing, including active patrols to look for dead wild birds.
"We are currently considering whether any additional restrictions are necessary in the area."
A Wild Bird Monitoring Area is currently in place around the affected area and poultry keepers in the area are reminded of the need to comply with existing restrictions, including the requirement to house or otherwise keep separate their birds from wild birds.
Defra is asking people to remain vigilant for signs of disease, reporting any suspicions immediately.
The control area means that from Portland Beach Road to Abbotsbury, shooting is banned.
The wild bird control area includes the whole of Weymouth and Portland and stretches from Osmington to West Bexington.
The wild bird monitoring area includes much of South Dorset in a rough arc from Durdle Door in the East, up to Dorchester and West to Burton Bradstock.
Richard Herringshaw, Dorset County Council's principal trading standards officer, said poultry keepers must stick to strict reinforced biosecurity measures.
He added: "I understand the new discovery is a difficult time for poultry keepers in the Abbotsbury and Weymouth areas.
"We are all working together to make sure the situation is contained as far as possible.
"Disinfectant should be available at entrances and exits to premises where birds are kept and people must not leave premises with clothing visibly soiled with mud, animal or bird faeces.
"Vehicles entering or leaving premises must not be visibly soiled with mud, animal or bird faeces and must have wheels and wheel arches disinfected."
8:41am today

http://www.thisisdorset.net/display.var.2086031.0.bird_flu_is_back.php

HenryN · Mar 1, 2008

Re: Wild Birds with H5N1 in England 2008

AVIAN INFLUENZA (39): UK (ENGLAND), GOOSE
*****************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

Date: Fri 29 Feb 2008
Source: BBC News [edited]
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7271351.stm>

Bird flu discovered in dead goose
---------------------------------
A dead goose has tested positive for the highly virulent H5N1 strain
of bird flu, government scientists have said.

The remains of the bird were discovered around 1km (0.6m) from
Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset, where a number of swans have been
found with the disease. The Department for the Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs said the Canada goose [Picture at
<http://identify.whatbird.com/img/4/354/image.aspx>] was the 11th
wild bird in the area to test positive for H5N1. Restrictions on the
movement of poultry have now been introduced in the area. Defra said
the decision was based on veterinary advice. Poultry keepers will not
be able to move birds from their premises except under licence.

A spokeswoman said that the latest case of bird flu was "not
unexpected." She said H5N1 was active at a very low level among wild
birds in the area, and there was no evidence of the virus in domestic
poultry locally. Regular surveillance was continuing, she added, with
patrols looking for dead birds.

A Wild Bird Monitoring Area is in place around the affected area,
with keepers required to keep domestic poultry away from wild birds.
Owners have been urged to stay vigilant and report any signs of the
disease. Since 10 Jan 2008, H5N1 has been identified in 10 mute swans
in the area -- with the last case confirmed on 4 Feb 2008.

Abbotsbury Swannery, near Chesil Beach, is part of an area of wetland
recognised to be of international importance.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[An epidemiology report "HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA H5N1 IN
WILD SWANS IN DORSET," prepared by the National Emergency
Epidemiology Group and published on 12 Feb 2008, included in its
Executive Summary -- among others -- the following statements:

- "Analysis of the virus indicates that it is related to
contemporary viruses from continental Europe and is most closely
related to a cluster of isolates recovered in mid to late 2007 from
wild and domestic birds in the Czech Republic, Romania and Poland.

- The source of infection for swans has not been identified, however
the most plausible hypothesis is that it was introduced by one of the
migratory wild birds that make up part of the population on the Fleet
during the winter."

For the full report, see:
<http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/pdf/epireport-hpaiswan080212.pdf>.

DEFRA's declaration of a wild bird control area and a wild bird
monitoring area has been revised; the 29 Feb 2008 update, including a
map, is available at:
<http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/pdf/declaration080229.pdf>.
- Mod.AS]

[See also:
Avian influenza (37): China (Tibet), UK (England) 20080220.0694
Avian influenza (35): UK (England), Indonesia, India, Bangladesh
20080215.0600
Avian influenza (26): Pakistan (Sindh), UK (England), swan 20080202.0420
Avian influenza (16): Ukraine (Crimea), UK (England), swan 20080118.0230
Avian influenza (13): UK (England), swan, Bangladesh (Barisal) 20080116.0204
Avian influenza (12): UK (England), swan, OIE 20080116.0196
Avian influenza (10): UK (England), swan, Iran, susp., Viet Nam 20080113.0160
1Avian influenza (09): UK (England), swan 20080110.0137]
....................arn/ejp/jw

HenryN · Mar 1, 2008

Re: Wild Birds with H5N1 in England 2008

niman said:
AVIAN INFLUENZA (39): UK (ENGLAND), GOOSE
*****************************************
[An epidemiology report "HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA H5N1 IN
WILD SWANS IN DORSET," prepared by the National Emergency
Epidemiology Group and published on 12 Feb 2008, included in its
Executive Summary -- among others -- the following statements:

- "Analysis of the virus indicates that it is related to
contemporary viruses from continental Europe and is most closely
related to a cluster of isolates recovered in mid to late 2007 from
wild and domestic birds in the Czech Republic, Romania and Poland.

- The source of infection for swans has not been identified, however
the most plausible hypothesis is that it was introduced by one of the
migratory wild birds that make up part of the population on the Fleet
during the winter."

For the full report, see:
<http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/pdf/epireport-hpaiswan080212.pdf>.

DEFRA's declaration of a wild bird control area and a wild bird
monitoring area has been revised; the 29 Feb 2008 update, including a
map, is available at:
<http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/pdf/declaration080229.pdf>.
- Mod.AS]

[See also:
Avian influenza (37): China (Tibet), UK (England) 20080220.0694
Avian influenza (35): UK (England), Indonesia, India, Bangladesh
20080215.0600
Avian influenza (26): Pakistan (Sindh), UK (England), swan 20080202.0420
Avian influenza (16): Ukraine (Crimea), UK (England), swan 20080118.0230
Avian influenza (13): UK (England), swan, Bangladesh (Barisal) 20080116.0204
Avian influenza (12): UK (England), swan, OIE 20080116.0196
Avian influenza (10): UK (England), swan, Iran, susp., Viet Nam 20080113.0160
1Avian influenza (09): UK (England), swan 20080110.0137]
....................arn/ejp/jw

Th above comments cite the claim in the DEFRA report that the H5N1 in Dorset is due to "one of the migratory wild birds that make up part of the population on the Fleet during the winter" when the description of the sequence data from the first four isolates clearly indicate that the outbreak, which has now been ongoing for two months, is due to MULTIPLE independent introductions of clade 2.2.3.

HenryN · Mar 1, 2008

Re: Wild Birds with H5N1 in England 2008

<TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width=500 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>DEAD GOOSE HAD BIRD FLU </TD></TR><TR><TD>Date : 01.03.08 </TD></TR><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY></TBODY></TABLE> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>A canada goose has tested positive for the potentially deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs revealed last night.

The bird was found dead about half a mile from the Abbotsbury Swannery in the Chesil Beach area of Dorset, where a number of swans have been found with the disease.

It is the 11th wild bird to test positive for H5N1 in the area, said Defra.

The previous ten cases were all identified in mute swans over the past couple of months, with the last confirmed on February 4, said a spokesman.

The finding of more cases in wild birds was "not unexpected" and surveillance - including patrols to look for dead birds - was continuing.

The spokesman said that H5N1 was circulating in the local wild bird population at a very low level.

There was no evidence of the virus in domestic poultry flocks in the area.

However, the department is reminding poultry keepers of the continuing restrictions inside the Wild Bird Monitoring Area, including requirements to house poultry or keep them separate from wild birds.

Keepers are also being urged to remain vigilant for any signs of the highly pathogenic disease and to report anything suspicious to animal health officials immediately. </TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TH>
http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/displa...tentPK=20029955&folderPk=83098&pNodeId=143738
</TH></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

AlaskaDenise · Mar 1, 2008

Re: New bird flu fears as virus found in dead swans (England)

Re: New bird flu fears as virus found in dead swans (England)

niman said:
Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/02290801/H5N1_Goose_Dorset.html

Commentary http://www.recombinomics.com/feed.xml http://www.newsnow.co.uk/nn/Recombinomics

H5N1 Confirmed in Canada Goose in Dorset England

Recombinomics Commentary 15:25
February 29, 2008

Defra has today confirmed that a Canada goose collected on 25 February in the Wild Bird Monitoring Area in Dorset as part of wild bird surveillance has tested positive for highly pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza. The bird was found less than a kilometre from where the previous positive cases in swans were collected.

This is the 11th wild bird with highly pathogenic H5N1 in the area. The previous ten cases were in wild mute swans, with the last case being confirmed on 4 February.

The above comments on an H5N1 confirmed Canada goose in Dorset are not a surprise. However, the finding of H5N1 over a two month period in two wild bird species further supports H5N1 circulation in wild birds in the region (see satellite map).

Moreover, the DEFRA description of the sequence relationships between the first four isolates leaves little doubt that the infections are not from a common source, as indicated or implied in the DEFRA report and press releases.

Recent sequences from other outbreaks in Europe involve exact matches between wild birds and infected poultry, demonstrating the level of fidelity in isolates collected in the same region over a short time period. Such levels have not been reported for the isolates in Dorset.

The latest positive demonstrates that enhanced surveillance detects H5N1 in wild bird populations in England. The described sequences are clade 2.2.3, which is the only subclade reported in western Europe since the summer of 2007. Sequences have been released for multiple independent infections in Germany in the summer of 2007, as well as more recent isolates from Krasnodar and Romania. Sequences from the same sub-clade have been published from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

In contrast, DEFRA has withheld the sequences from H5N1 in Suffolk in the fall of 2007, as well as the 11 confirmed cases in or near the swannery in DEFRA.

Release of the H5N1 sequences from isolates in England would be useful.

.

HenryN · Mar 3, 2008

Re: Wild Birds with H5N1 in England 2008

<CENTER>Swannery can open for Easter, says Defra

</CENTER>BIRD flu may be back - but fears of a disastrous Easter at Abbotsbury Swannery have been quashed.
Swannery boss John Houston has been told he could re-open the popular tourist attraction at any time despite the return of strict control zone measures in Dorset.
Government experts have ruled that the stringent movement restrictions are solely in place to protect poultry from the virus.
Mr Houston said this means he could open the swannery to visitors tomorrow if he chose.
In the next few days, owners the Ilchester Estate will make a decision on whether to open the attraction for business as usual on March 15.
Swannery boss John Houston said: "It's not quite the terrible news we thought.
"We've been told the control zone is in place to protect poultry and not people and they've given us the green light.
"If we do open it's only because Defra and the Health Protection Agency have told us it's safe to do so.
"They are now advising us there's no risk for people going to the swannery."
Knowledge gained by Defra scientists since bird flu broke out in the county is behind that decision, Mr Houston said.
He added: "On the face of it we may be back to square one, but things have changed a lot since January 7 and Defra has learnt a lot about this.
"They are saying this is a bird disease and poses no concern for the public."
Footpaths around the Fleet will remain open to walkers as part of the 3km control zone but poultry or captive bird movements are still banned without a licence.
The infected Canada goose found on February 25 was discovered in a field near to one of the swannery's entrances.
The dead bird, which tested positive for the lethal strain of H5N1 on Friday, was the 11th bird to be found with the virus on the day the existing control zone was due to be lifted.
Mr Houston said: "This Canada goose jumped in and ruined the party.
"But the advice Defra has given us is an interesting development because it's made us feel much more relaxed and shows the confidence they have in the birds building up immunity to the disease.
"We are not going to get too excited or over-confident, as the situation can change - but there is light at the end of the tunnel."
9:51am today

By Joanna Davis

http://www.thisisdorset.net/misc/print.php?artid=2087440

mixin · Mar 3, 2008

Re: Wild Birds with H5N1 in England 2008

the confidence they have in the birds building up immunity to the disease.

So, why did you bold this?

HenryN · Mar 3, 2008

Re: Wild Birds with H5N1 in England 2008

mixin said:
So, why did you bold this?

Immunity is due to widespread H5N1 in wild birds.

HenryN · Mar 3, 2008

Re: Wild Birds with H5N1 in England 2008

Bird flu Wild Bird Control Area

News | 3 March, 2008
By Jack Davies
THE Wild Bird Control Area in the south west of England has been reinstated following a new case of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu in another wild bird on the Dorset coastline.

The disease was confirmed on Friday (February 29) in a Canada goose at the Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset.
The case was the eleventh recorded since the outbreak began in January and was the first time it had been discovered outside of the mute swan population.
As a result, Defra has decided to reinstate the Wild Bird Control Area which was rescinded on February 19. The Control Area covers a 3km radius from the wild bird location, extending to take account of the location of local bird reserves and the presence of wild bird populations along the Dorset coastline

Inside the Control Area, Defra will be carrying out a veterinary inspection of all commercial poultry premises.
Poultry keepers within the zone will not be able move poultry, captive birds or hatching eggs without a license.
Hunting of wild birds is also banned as well as bird gatherings and the release of game birds.
The Control Area, which will stay in place for at least 21 days, is surrounded by a wider 10km Monitoring Area. Defra has said that further cases of the disease would not be unexpected and is continuing its monitoring and surveillance programme in the area.

http://www.farmersguardian.com/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=16791&c=1

HenryN · Mar 5, 2008

Re: Wild Birds with H5N1 in England 2008

DEFRA relaxes bird flu controls in Dorset
05/03/2008 14:00:00
FWi
DEFRA has lifted the wild bird control area put in place in Dorset in February after a Canada goose was found with H5N1 avian influenza.
The wild bird monitoring area (WBMA) will also reduce in size today (5 March), based on expert advice on the area most at risk from disease. The monitoring area must remain in place for at least 30 days following the collection of the last positive sample.
Surveillance for disease in the WBMA is ongoing, and new restrictions may need to be reintroduced should the risk of disease increase.
Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was first confirmed in wild birds in the Dorset area on 10 January, and to date 11 cases have been identified in wild birds.

http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2008/03/05/109700/defra-relaxes-bird-flu-controls-in-dorset.html

Wild Birds with H5N1 in England 2008

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In Memoriam

Retired

Well-known member

Retired

Retired

Retired