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  • European farmers ask difficult questions...

    Infected swans raise H5N1 bird flu concerns
    01/08/2007 10:00:00
    FWi

    Several European poultry farming organisations have raised their fears about the number of H5N1 avian flu-infected wild mute swans in various European countries with EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou.

    An open letter, sent by The Dutch Hobby and Smallholder Association, the bird conservation organisation Aviornis plus some UK stakeholders, highlighted that: ?The amount of infected wild mute swans in various European countries puzzles us and we have no clue as to where and how these animals became infected.

    ?We are particularly worried by the fact that with the infected wild birds in various countries, there are, as far as we know, no infected farms except for the ones in the Czech Republic. And as migration of swans at the moment is very limited (only due to moulting), the contamination source cannot be far away.?

    In 2006, the outbreaks on farms in Europe seemed connected with the presence of infected wild birds (in Germany/R?gen, Denmark, France) which reached the Danube delta through outbreaks on commercial farms in Asia, Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkey.

    ?Now however we are in the dark. We only know of outbreaks far away in Turkey and Russia (Krasnodarskiy Kray) earlier this year in January and February, but this is not a likely explanation for the present outbreaks in swans.

    ?Therefore we expect the EU will do everything to find the source.?

    by Poultry World staff (About this Author)

    Link here: http://tinyurl.com/yo4noq

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    Comment: It looks like some European farmers are wondering aloud if bird flu is endemic in the local wild bird population and since I very much doubt they read Dr. Niman's commentaries, it is pleasing to note that people who are going to be first hit are actually starting to enquire about what is going on and not just believing the official hogwash published in the press...

  • #2
    Re: European farmers ask difficult questions...

    I read it the same way the first time. But, I was curious about the aliance of The Dutch Hobby and Small Holders Association and Aviornis (conservation group). They could be insinuating the problem lies with commercial poultry in the Czech Republic and other places like Russia, Turkey and so on.

    There may be some EU politics behind this. But, I hope my first reading was more correct.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: European farmers ask difficult questions...

      Personal opinion only but I would read this as -

      There are wild asymptomatic carriers - possibly mallards - in the area which have interacted with and infected swans - which are a useful sentinal species as they seem to suffer symptomatically (poor swans). The author may not be aware of the different effects of H5N1 on different water birds and be confused why non migratory swans keep dying. Unless the asymptomatic hosts - or swans - interact with the small hold poultry then you wont get poultry infection.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: European farmers ask difficult questions...

        There are MANY wild bird species positive this SUMMER in Europe. Those who are looking for a "source" are in the dark and are looking for a scapegoat.

        H5N1 is ENDEMIC and in MANY wild bird species in Europe (and the Middle East and Africa).

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: European farmers ask difficult questions...

          Originally posted by niman View Post
          There are MANY wild bird species positive this SUMMER in Europe. Those who are looking for a "source" are in the dark and are looking for a scapegoat.

          H5N1 is ENDEMIC and in MANY wild bird species in Europe (and the Middle East and Africa).
          How MANY live wild birds have tested positive this SUMMER in Europe (or the Middle East or Africa)?

          Perhaps it's splitting hairs a bit, but I wouldn't mind knowing the ENDEMIC (or non-endemic) source of the infections that are suddenly killing swans. Seems like a useful piece of information, even in the dark, to know whether there are endemic asymptomatic resident birds/migratory birds or poultry, whether the virus is persisting in the environment...

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: European farmers ask difficult questions...

            Originally posted by canagica View Post
            How MANY live wild birds have tested positive this SUMMER in Europe (or the Middle East or Africa)?

            Perhaps it's splitting hairs a bit, but I wouldn't mind knowing the ENDEMIC (or non-endemic) source of the infections that are suddenly killing swans. Seems like a useful piece of information, even in the dark, to know whether there are endemic asymptomatic resident birds/migratory birds or poultry, whether the virus is persisting in the environment...
            In Germany this summer there have been over 300 confirmed positives. In 2006, Germany had the largest number of positives (342) in Europe (which had over 700).

            The number of positives is linked to the level of testing, which, based on the data from Germnay, is clearly lacking in neighboring countries.

            These birds do NOT migrate during the summer (and in fact most of the positives are resident wild birds, even in the winter). The positives represent ENDEMIC infections.

            The negatives mean very little. It is VERY easy to generate negative data.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: European farmers ask difficult questions...

              Originally posted by Snicklefritz View Post
              I read it the same way the first time. But, I was curious about the aliance of The Dutch Hobby and Small Holders Association and Aviornis (conservation group). They could be insinuating the problem lies with commercial poultry in the Czech Republic and other places like Russia, Turkey and so on.

              There may be some EU politics behind this. But, I hope my first reading was more correct.
              H5N1 is almost ALL politics. The science is quite clear.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: European farmers ask difficult questions...

                Originally posted by canagica View Post
                How MANY live wild birds have tested positive this SUMMER in Europe (or the Middle East or Africa)?

                Perhaps it's splitting hairs a bit, but I wouldn't mind knowing the ENDEMIC (or non-endemic) source of the infections that are suddenly killing swans. Seems like a useful piece of information, even in the dark, to know whether there are endemic asymptomatic resident birds/migratory birds or poultry, whether the virus is persisting in the environment...
                New SUMMER outbreak near Munich. These are dead mallards. In central Germany they are grebes, coots, and swans.

                H5N1 is endemic. It infected MANY species in the fall of 2005 and never went away.

                The situation in Europe is clear as day.

                The only dark is generated by a very active propaganda campaign that has been posting fairy tales following the reports of H5N1 at Qinghai Lake in May, 2005 (in MANY wild bird species).

                The "swan song" is just more propaganda.
                Last edited by HenryN; August 4, 2007, 12:54 AM.

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