Bird flu outbreak in North Wales: H7N2

[Gert van der Hoek]

BREAKING NEWS - Suspected bird flu outbreak in North Wales



24/05/07 10:15am - Suspected bird flu outbreak in North Wales.




REPORTS of a Bird Flu outbreak in North Wales are being investigated by the Welsh Assembly this morning.


A spokesman for the Assembly confirmed that an investigation on a bird is ongoing but their inquiries are not yet finished.

A spokesman for Denbighshire Council said: "We are aware of the situation and are working in partnership with the various government agencies to resolve this problem."

A woman, who does not wish to be named, called the Leader this morning and said: "My husband work's for a bird factory in Wrexham and they have just got a warning through about a possible outbreak. It's very worrying."

The probe into the possible outbreak is believed at this stage to centre around the Corwen area.

A Welsh Assembly spokesman added that a press conference would be held at 10.30am in Cardiff regarding the matter.

http://www.eveningleader.co.uk/news?articleid=2902389

Last Updated: 24 May 2007

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Suspected bird flu outbreak in North Wales.

Bird disease investigation launched in Wales

Thu May 24, 2007 11:10AM BST

LONDON (Reuters) - Authorities are investigating a suspected bird disease outbreak at a farm in north Wales, the Welsh assembly said on Thursday.

"We are investigating a notifiable disease in birds at a location in North Wales. Reports are not confirmed and tests are ongoing," the assembly said in a statement.

A spokesman said the suspected outbreak was at a farm but gave no further details and declined to describe the symptoms of the sick birds or say whether they resembled bird flu.

More information would be released later on Thursday, he said.

Britain has been on the look out for bird disease after Europe's biggest turkey producer Bernard Matthews was forced to destroy 160,000 turkeys because of a bird flu outbreak earlier this year.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKL2438539120070524

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Suspected bird flu outbreak in North Wales.

Bird flu fears as dead birds are tested

May 24 2007


Tests were being carried out for possible bird flu on dead birds in north Wales today.

Deliveries to an unnamed country estate in rural Denbighshire were being turned away, the Daily Post website said.

A Welsh Assembly Government spokeswoman said: "We are investigating a notifiable disease in birds at a location in north Wales. Reports are not confirmed and tests are ongoing."

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_headline=bird-flu-fears-as-dead-birds-are-tested&method=full&objectid=19185910&siteid=50082-name_page.html

[HenryN]

Re: Suspected bird flu outbreak in North Wales.

Bird flu fears as dead birds are tested

May 24 2007


Tests were being carried out for possible bird flu on dead birds in north Wales today.

Deliveries to an unnamed country estate in rural Denbighshire were being turned away, the Daily Post website said.

A Welsh Assembly Government spokeswoman said: "We are investigating a notifiable disease in birds at a location in north Wales. Reports are not confirmed and tests are ongoing."

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100n...name_page.html

Both H5 and H7 are notifiable diseases.

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Suspected bird flu outbreak in North Wales.

Dead birds investigated in Wales

Thursday, 24 May 2007 11:44


Medical experts are investigating a number of bird deaths in north Wales amid fears about an avian flu outbreak.

The Welsh Assembly has confirmed that it has received reports about a notifiable disease in the area and is conducting tests.

It is understood that the location of the alert is a country estate in Denbighshire. The Daily Post newspaper reports the area has been sealed off.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) said further information would be released by the Welsh Assembly later today.

She added that the tests were "ongoing" but stressed that it can take a substantial period of time before the results of the investigation were available.

It has not been confirmed whether bird flu is suspected.

http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/health/dead-birds-investigated-in-wales-$1088415.htm

[vinny]

Re: Suspected bird flu outbreak in North Wales.

is this wild birds i wonder or another case of imported meat.

[HenryN]

Re: Suspected bird flu outbreak in North Wales.

is this wild birds i wonder or another case of imported meat.

There has been ONE example of H5N1 infections due to imports from a distance, and hundreds due to migratory birds. The odds are heavily stacked.

[HenryN]

Re: Suspected bird flu outbreak in North Wales.

May 24, 2007


Vets testing for bird flu in North Wales



<!-- END: Module - Main Heading --><!--CMA user Call Diffrenet Variation Of Image --><!-- BEGIN: Module - M24 Article Headline with no image (a) --><!-- getting the section url from article. This has been done so that correct url isgenerated if we are coming from a section or topic --><!-- Print Author name associated with the article --><!-- Print Author name from By Line associated with the article -->Times Online


<!-- END: Module - M24 Article Headline with no image --><!-- Article Copy module --><!-- BEGIN: Module - Main Article --><!-- Check the Article Type and display accordingly--><!-- Print Author image associated with the Author--><!-- Print the body of the article--><!-- Pagination --><!--Display article with page breaks -->Vets are testing for signs of bird flu at a farm in North Wales, the Welsh Assembly said today.
?We are investigating a notifiable disease in birds at a location in North Wales. Reports are not confirmed and tests are ongoing,? the assembly said in a statement.
A spokeswoman declined to confirm reports that the farm was on a country estate in rural Denbighshire and that vehicles were being turned away from the site.
Wales's chief veterinary officer, Dr Christianne Glossop, is expected to make a statement on the investigation at lunchtime and a spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said that it would be clear by then whether the lethal H5N1 strain had been found.

The Defra spokeswoman added that the alarm had been raised in the last few hours. "This is an ongoing investigation," she said. "Nothing has actually been confirmed at this stage."
A spokeswoman for the Health Protectionm Agency said that possible human risks from the outbreak were being handled by the National Public Health Service for Wales, which said it was preparing to make a statement in coming hours.
Authorities have been on the lookout for bird flu since vets were forced to cull 160,000 turkeys at a Bernard Matthews plant in Suffolk in February. Although primarily an avian disease, the virus has managed to infect humans in close contact with diseased birds, raising fears that if it were to mutate to become more easily catchable, it could be become a global pandemic.
The World Health Organisation says the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has infected at least 282 people and killed around 170 of them, mostly in south-east Asia, since the end of 2003. Indonesia has suffered the most deaths, with 75 people succumbing to the disease.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1834739.ece

[HenryN]

Re: Suspected bird flu outbreak in North Wales.

May 24, 2007


Vets testing for bird flu in North Wales



The Defra spokeswoman added that the alarm had been raised in the last few hours. "This is an ongoing investigation," she said. "Nothing has actually been confirmed at this stage."
A spokeswoman for the Health Protectionm Agency said that possible human risks from the outbreak were being handled by the National Public Health Service for Wales, which said it was preparing to make a statement in coming hours.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle1834739.ece

Generally, when the phrase "nothing has been CONFIMED" is used, the host has already tested positive and an announcement is made after the initial positives are confirmed.

I would put H5N1 into the VERY likely category.

[HenryN]

Re: Suspected bird flu outbreak in North Wales.

Scientists test for bird flu on Welsh farm



James Orr and agencies
Thursday May 24, 2007
Guardian Unlimited


Tests for a possible outbreak of bird flu were ongoing at a country estate in north Wales, government officials revealed today.
Deliveries to the unnamed farm in Denbighshire were being turned away as scientists completed their work.
A spokeswoman for the Welsh assembly said reports of an outbreak were not yet confirmed but that a full briefing on developments would take place later. She said: "We are investigating a notifiable disease in birds at a location in north Wales. Reports are not confirmed and tests are ongoing."

The most recent instance of an outbreak of the potentially deadly H5N1 bird flu virus in the UK occurred at a Bernard Matthews turkey farm in Suffolk in February.

Concerns over the possible spread of the disease led to some 159,000 healthy turkeys at the plant in Holton being slaughtered.
A report into the incident, published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, failed to uncover any proven source of the virus outbreak.
But experts at the Veterinary Laboratory Agency found that there was a 99.96% genetic similarity between the strain of the virus found at the plant and a strain that infected geese in southern Hungary last year.
In October 2005, Dr Christianne Glossop, Wales's chief vet, confirmed that Wales had a detailed contingency plan in place in case of an outbreak.
She was speaking as tests in Romania confirmed a strain of flu potentially fatal to humans.
"We know exactly how we would manage everything, from the name of the operations director all the way down to who does what and where, so we are ready for an outbreak," she explained at the time.
"One of the difficulties here is that we can't protect ourselves from wild birds flying into Britain and so that avenue of protection is not open to us."
Since the outbreak in Suffolk, thousands of people working with poultry in Britain have been offered winter flu vaccinations in an attempt to avoid a pandemic strain taking hold.
The ?500,000 initiative has identified 60,000 people who work with flocks, on egg or chicken farms, as well as those who slaughter birds, or clean or handle dead birds in the meat production industry. A Welsh assembly spokeswoman today confirmed that Dr Glossop would be speaking at a briefing this afternoon, accompanied by a senior medical officer.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story/0,,2087250,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

<!--Article is not commented: 0 -->

[HenryN]

Re: Suspected bird flu outbreak in North Wales.

Scientists test for bird flu on Welsh farm



A Welsh assembly spokeswoman today confirmed that Dr Glossop would be speaking at a briefing this afternoon, accompanied by a senior medical officer.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story/0,,2087250,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

<!--Article is not commented: 0 -->

H5N1 is flashing bright red.

[HenryN]

Re: Suspected bird flu outbreak in North Wales.

Vets to confirm whether bird tests in Wales are for avian flu
24/05/2007 12:49:00
Website EAS
<!--link colour -->Tests are being carried out for a "notifiable disease in birds" in north <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Wales</st1:place></st1:country-region>, the Welsh Assembly has announced.

A statement issued by the assembly said: "Reports are not confirmed and tests are ongoing."

There are no details yet of the exact location nor is there any confirmation that the tests are for avian flu.

A news conference will be held at 13:30 on Thursday 24 May. The BBC is reporting that it will be announced that the tests are for avian flu, but not for the virulent H5N1 strain.

http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2007/05/24/103866/vets-to-confirm-whether-bird-tests-in-wales-are-for-avian-flu.html

[HenryN]

Re: Suspected bird flu outbreak in North Wales.

Tests for 'bird disease' at farm
Tests are being carried out for bird disease at a farm in north Wales.

In a statement, the Welsh Assembly Government said: "Reports are not confirmed and tests are ongoing".
The incident began when a private vet, called out to what is believed to be a smallholding in Conwy, notified animal health officials.
It is understood the investigation is into a possible bird flu case but not of the virulent H5N1 strain. A briefing by Wales's chief vet is due later.
The farm is believed to be in the county of Conwy near its border with Denbighshire and near Corwen.
The vet called in Animal Health, which used to be known as the State Veterinary service.
A statement from the assembly government said "a notifiable disease in birds" was being investigated, and Dr Christianne Glossop, Wales's chief vet will give a briefing on Thursday afternoon, accompanied by a senior medical officer.
IIlness
There are various strains of the bird flu virus, with the H5N1 strain posing a risk to human health and other strains including a milder H7 strain.
So far, there have been no confirmed cases of bird flu in Wales.
In February, more than 160,000 birds were slaughtered on a Suffolk farm owned by the Bernard Matthews firm after an outbreak of the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu.
Avian flu was found there on 3 February and 2,600 turkeys died of it - a further 159,000 birds were then culled.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/wales/6686995.stm

Published: 2007/05/24 12:10:20 GMT

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Suspected bird flu outbreak in North Wales.

iFlu.org

24 May 2007

Welsh bird flu outbreak not H5N1

the Welsh Assembly has confirmed that the notifiable disease in North Wales is indeed bird flu, but the H7N2 strain and not H5N1.

http://www.iflu.org/?p=27557

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Suspected bird flu outbreak in North Wales.

Bird Flu Tests Rule Out Deadly Strain

Updated: 13:51, Thursday May 24, 2007

Scientists say a case of birdflu has been confirmed in north Wales but it does not involve the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus.

Dr Christianne Glossop, Wales's chief vet, announced the news to the Welsh Assembly.

Dead birds removedThe tests were carried out on birds at a country estate in rural Denbighshire.

The news will come as a huge relief to the Welsh farming industry.

The deadly H5N1 bird flu strain was detected at a Bernard Matthews plant in Suffolk on February 3.

Nearly 160,000 turkeys were killed in a precautionary cull.

In recent months, UN officials have warned that migrating birds are likely to cause more outbreaks.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1267221,00.html