Scotland: bird flu confirmed in swan

[Susie]

Has Bird Flu Reached UK?

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...,00.html?f=rss


Updated: 20:06, Wednesday April 05, 2006

A suspected case of bird flu is being investigated in Scotland.

The Scottish Executive said preliminary findings indicated it was the H5 virus.

However, it is said to be too early to know if it the bird has fallen victim to the deadly H5N1 strain.

It is that type of the virus which has killed more than 100 people worldwide.

If confirmed, it would be the first case in the United Kingdom.

More follows...

[Mingus]

In wild bird or in a farm ?

[CAkidd]

Bird flu found in dead swan in UK
06 April 2006

LONDON: The British government has confirmed that bird flu has been found in a dead swan in Scotland.


Preliminary tests have confirmed a case of the H5 strain of the virus, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said in a statement.

"We are already in a high state of readiness," Chief Veterinary Officer Debby Reynolds said in a statement.

She has cancelled a national bird flu exercise which began this week to test the country's response to any outbreak.

"I brought to an end the national avian influenza exercise to ensure that we can bring all our resources to bear on this situation."

Officials have set up a 3km protection zone around where the swan was found in Fife, eastern Scotland.

Owners of birds within the zone have been told to take their birds indoors. A further 10km surveillance zone is in force.

"Measures to restrict the movement of poultry, eggs and poultry products from these zones will be brought into effect immediately," the government statement said.

The European Union said it had been informed of the precautionary measures.

"In both the protection zone and the surveillance zone, on-farm biosecurity measures must be strengthened," the EU's executive, the European Commission, said in a statement. "Hunting of wild birds is banned and disease awareness of poultry owners and their families must be carried out."

Scotland's Chief Veterinary Officer Charles Milne said the discovery was an "important development".

"Bird keepers outside the protection zone should redouble their efforts to prepare for bringing their birds indoors if that becomes necessary. They must also review their biosecurity measures."

Bird flu remains essentially an animal disease, but can infect people who come into direct contact with infected birds.

It has killed 108 people since late 2003, according to the most recent figures from the World Health Organisation.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3629521a12,00.html

[ukcz]

Bird flu alert: infected swan is found in Fife
EBEN HARRELL, FERGUS SHEPPARD AND IAN JOHNSTON

* A dead swan found in Fife has tested positive for bird flu
* The tests have yet to prove if it is the H5N1 strain of the virus
* There is a 3km protection zone around the site at Cellardyke

Key quote "We must interrogate the forensics - how did the bird get there, was this the index case or was it another bird that brought it [the virus] here?” - Dr Freda Scott-Park


SCOTLAND was on bird-flu alert last night after scientists identified a suspected case in a dead swan in Fife.

Preliminary tests indicated it was a "highly pathogenic" strain of the H5 virus, but the Scottish Executive told the public not to panic and said it was too early to know if the bird had fallen victim to the deadly H5N1 strain.

However, experts told The Scotsman last night that it was likely it was H5N1, which has killed more than 100 people and resulted in the death of millions of birds around the world. One, Professor John Oxford, said: "It doesn't look too good ... it means the virus has arrived."

The dead swan, which was understood to be decomposed or to have pieces missing, making it difficult to examine, was found at Cellardyke, near Anstruther, on the harbour slipway.

Ministers placed a "protection zone" of at least 3km radius around the site and a further "surveillance zone" of 10km.

Cellardyke residents spoke of their shock. Maureen Macdonald, 40, said: "I heard about it from my husband who is in London, just back from Thailand. If he had not told me I would not know."

The swan was reportedly taken away from the site last Friday. The area is popular with visitors but Catherine Richardson, from the Haven pub on the harbour-front, said no-one was told of any danger. She said: "We have not been told anything and it was a busy weekend."

Robin Forsyth, 38, said: "I was told that seagulls were dive-bombing the body of the bird."

Janette Mizrak, manageress of the Boat Tavern, also on the harbour-front, said: "I think the first I knew about it was seeing the newsflash on TV and we have had customers phoning us up." Keepers of birds in the protection zone are being instructed to isolate their flocks from wild birds, taking them indoors if possible. Measures to restrict movements of poultry, eggs and poultry products in the protection and surveillance zones were also put into effect.

Samples from the swan were last night being sent for analysis at the EU's bird-flu laboratory in Weybridge, Surrey. A further test is expected to establish either today or tomorrow whether it is H5N1.

Police cars were stopping cars outside Anstruther to check no one was bringing live birds or poultry into the area.

Lesley Macdonald, NHS Fife Director of Public Health, commented: "Whilst avian influenza cannot be ruled out at this stage there is no reason for public health concern. Avian influenza is a disease of birds and whilst it can pass, with difficulty, to humans, this requires extremely close contact with infected poultry, particularly faeces. It is highly unlikely to be passed from human to human.

"However, if members of the public find dead birds, particularly in large numbers, they should not handle them and should call the helpline on 08459 335577."

Charles Milne, chief veterinary officer for Scotland, said the discovery was a "huge development" for Britain.

Speaking on BBC's Newsnight, he said: "This is the first time we have any indication we might have highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 strain in GB. And this has clear implications for our veterinary risk assessments and the action that we want to put in place."

If the virus is confirmed, it will be the first identified case in the UK. The H5N1 strain of bird flu emerged in Hong Kong in 1997. In the past three years it has swept through Asia and into Europe. It has killed 106 of the 186 humans it has infected, but these deaths have all been in people who have had close contact with poultry.

However, H5N1 bears similarities to previous influenza viruses responsible for pandemics that left millions dead. Scientists fear it is only a matter of time before it mutates into a deadly strain that will readily infect people. If that happens, experts warn hundreds of thousands of Britons could die.

Other witnesses in Anstruther confirmed that the dead swan had been found at the end of last week on a slipway at Cellardyke harbour. A sign was put up warning people not to go near and the bird was later removed. But one mother-of-three said: "We weren't told to stay away from the beach. We weren't told anything."

Last night, there was no sign of any police activity or cordon around the site.

John Oxford, professor of virology at St Bartholomew's and the Royal London Hospital, said many more wild birds in the area were likely to be infected. "It doesn't look too good," he said. "It needs final confirmation from laboratory tests that it is H5N1 but the fact is, it is H5 .... there will be other wild birds around that are H5-positive. It means the virus has arrived.

"It is a big step away from a domestic chicken being infected, or even a human, but it could be the first little step."

Dr Freda Scott-Park, president of British Veterinary Association, who has a farm on the banks of Loch Lomond, said: "It has been confirmed it is an H5 strain - and it is highly pathogenic - for the first time in the British Isles. That means it is a significant find.

"The likelihood is that it is [H5N1], but until it is confirmed we won't know. We are just waiting to hear about the N1 bit."

She said it had been hard to work out whether the swan was a migrating bird or not, which will be key in trying to establish whether it was the "index case", the first to arrive, or whether it was infected by another bird. "We must interrogate the forensics - how did the bird get there, was this the index case or was it another bird that brought it [the virus] here?

"We must take heart from what's happened in France, where there haven't been any major outbreaks and it hasn't spread much beyond [one farm]." She urged the public to be sensible and continue to buy British poultry, saying the virus was not in farm flocks. Even if it did appear there, the virus is so virulent that any infected birds would die quickly and would not get into the food chain.

In any case, cooking would remove any chance of infection through food.

Last night, a UK-wide simulation of a bird flu outbreak was brought to an end to concentrate resources.

Professor Hugh Pennington, of the University of Aberdeen, said it was "no surprise" the virus had reached the UK.

"We are still as prepared as we could be. The people at risk are vets and people who look after sick birds. The general public is not at risk. The main thing is to make sure the virus does not get out of Fife or affect other birds in the locality."

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=527702006

[Bruce]

Bird-flu outbreak exercise halted

06/04/2006 - 11:23:47

An exercise to test the UK’s readiness for an outbreak of bird flu was cancelled today after the virus was discovered in a dead swan.

Yesterday scientists and vets took part in Exercise Hawthorn, a two-day exercise running through the procedures they would use to battle an outbreak of bird flu.

But the second half of the exercise, due to take part today, was this morning abandoned as resources were diverted following the discovery of a swan that has died from the H5 avian flu virus in Scotland.

The exercise was being co-ordinated from the headquarters of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in London with local disease control centres in Bury St Edmunds, Leeds, Cardiff and Gloucester.

Among those involved were the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Environment Agency, Downing Street, the Ministry of Defence, and other British government departments.

A Defra spokesman said: “We have put the national exercise to an end to ensure that we can bring all necessary resources to bear on the current situation without the confusion/distraction of a high-pressure exercise continuing to run.

“The decision was not taken lightly as many months of planning have gone into the exercise.”

http://www.eecho.ie/news/bstory.asp?...z4&n=178479678

[Susie]

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...517643,00.html
'Deadly Virus In Britain'
Updated: 12:28, Thursday April 06, 2006

Experts will confirm a dead swan in Scotland had the killer H5N1 bird flu strain, Sky sources have told Sky News.

The Government is yet to officially reveal test results.

The Scottish Executive confirmed the bird - discovered in the Cellardyke area of Fife eight days ago- had "highly pathogenic H5 avian flu".

Scientists worked though the night to discover if it had H5N1, which can be deadly to humans.

The executive, in a statement, said: "The exact strain of the virus is not yet known, tests are continuing and a further result is expected today.


The dead swan was found eight days ago "In accordance with a recent EU decision the Scottish Executive is putting in place a protection zone of a minimum of 3km radius and a surveillance zone of 10km."

Keepers of birds inside the protection zone must take them indoors where they can to prevent them coming into contact with wild birds.

The movement of poultry, eggs and related products from the area is now being restricted.

If the virus is officially confirmed as H5N1, further controls may be put in place.

The Executive's statement added: "There is no reason for public health concern.


Police have thrown up a 3km cordon in Fife "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."

Scotland's Chief Veterinary Officer Charles Milne defended the time it took to confirm the infection in the swan.

He said: "The procedures were followed fully and the timeline could not have been tighter."

Researcher Dan Brown, who first reported the swan to the authorities, said it appeared to have been "pecked at or eaten by something. It was torn open".

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed more than 100 people worldwide.

Experts fear that if it mutates into a form transmissible between people, millions could die across the globe.

Any suspected bird flu cases can be reported to Defra by calling 0845 9335577.

[HenryN]

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04..._Scotland.html

[hawkeye]

Another Article

"...SCOTLAND'S first case of bird flu was confirmed last night after a dead swan tested positive for the virus.

First tests carried out on the bird, found in the Fife coastal village of Cellardyke, showed it died of H5 avian flu.

A three-kilometre protection zone was immediately set up around the area where the swan was found...."

[DB]

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=530682006

Fife bird flu confirmed as deadly H5N1 strain



TESTS have confirmed that the swan found dead in Fife died from the deadly H5N1 strain of the avian flu virus which can be fatal to humans, an official for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said this afternoon.

The discovery makes Britain the 14th country in Europe to have the disease in its territory. The H5N1 virus has caused the death of 108 people worldwide, most of them in Asia.

The infected swan has been confirmed as a native non-migratory Mute swan, which means it will have been infected in the country, rather than bringing the virus from abroad.

A 1.8 mile (3km) protection zone has been set up around the area where the swan was found, with a 10-km surveillance zone also in force.
Checkpoints remained in place this morning on roads leading out of the village, with officers ensuring any vehicle containing poultry or poultry products did not leave the area.

The decomposed and partially eaten body of the swan was first reported last Wednesday, but it is not known how long the creature had been lying there.

Scotland’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Charles Milne, defended the time it took to confirm bird flu infection in the bird. Mr Milne said: "The procedures were followed fully and the timeline could not have been tighter."

The government's crisis management committee was meeting today to review the UK's contingency plans. Scottish ministers are also meeting to discuss the problem; First Minister Jack McConnell, who is in America for New York's Tartan Week, is being kept informed.

A spokesman for the Scottish Executive said: "We have been preparing for this for months and the key thing is to update everyone and ensure the plan is being implemented."

"Ministers on the civil contingencies group will be on standby for further meetings to discuss and review how our plans will be taken forward here in Scotland."

Tony Blair stressed the need for calm and for the public not to panic: "The Scottish Executive and ourselves will take the measures that are appropriate as indeed has been done cordoning off of the area and we will act accordingly to the advice that we get."

"I do just emphasise one thing. It is very important that people understand this. This is not a human-to-human virus, it is something that is transmitted to poultry. It is only if humans are in direct and very intensive contact with poultry that there is any risk involved."

The president of Scotland's National Farmers' Union, John Kinnaird, said "The evidence across Europe suggests that it is unlikely to get into the farm population and if it does then it becomes a different ball game.

"There are nine poultry premises within 10km of here and all the farmers are extremely worried. But they’ve been prepared for this for a long time, they are keeping their chickens indoors and the rest of the country is getting ready to do the same."

• Anyone who finds a dead swan, duck or goose, or three or more dead wild or garden birds together, should contact Defra on 08459 335577.

However, a single dead small garden or wild bird should be left alone and Defra need not be contacted, a spokeswoman said.

Related topic

[Bruce]

Instructions If You Find A Dead Bird, Defra

Main Category: Bird Flu/Avian Flu News
Article Date: 06 Apr 2006 - 18:00pm (UK)

The advice given by Defra applies to all situations where members of the public find a dead bird.

If you find…

-- a dead swan
-- a dead goose
-- a dead duck
or
-- three or more dead wild or garden birds in the same place

Report this by phoning 08459 33 55 77 (6.00am-10.00pm.) and follow their instructions.

If you see just one small garden or wild bird you do not need to report it. Leave it alone. (As at 6 April, 2006)

If you want to dispose of the small single garden dead bird:

-- Don't touch it with your bare hands (wear disposable gloves).

-- Place it in a leak-proof plastic bag. Careful you do not contaminate the outside of the bag.

-- Tie the end of the bag and put that bag in another plastic bag.

-- Take your gloves off carefully by turning them inside-out.

-- Place them in the outer plastic bag.

-- Tie the outer plastic bag and dump it in your rubbish bin.

-- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

What if I don't have disposable gloves?

You can use a plastic bag, place your hand in it and use it as you would a glove. Pick the bird up and turn the bag inside out with the bird inside and tie the end. Then follow the same procedure (place that bag in another plastic bag and tie the end of that one).

Can I bury the bird?

Yes. But don't bury it in the plastic bag. Pick it up with disposable gloves or a make-shift plastic bag (if you have no gloves). Then, when you have buried the bird, place the gloves (or makeshift bag used as a glove) into a plastic bag, tie the end and dump it in your rubbish bin.

What if my clothing touched the dead bird?

Wash it in the washing machine, with washing detergent. Use the temperature you would normally use for that item of clothing.

What about contaminated surfaces and flooring?

Clean it thoroughly with a household cleaner.

Source: www.defra.gov.uk

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/heal...1162&nfid=crss

[Sharpe]

Remarkably close to the lone swan of Cellardyke and the Montrose Bird Sanctuary that was closed down shortly afterwards. Anyone from Scotland with more info on these heat-stricken chickens?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/s...st/5199306.stm
Vets investigate chicken deaths

Concern was raised over the welfare of chickens in the hot weather
Government vets have been called in to investigate reports that hot weather caused the deaths of a large number of chickens at a plant near Aberdeen.

The Scottish SPCA, which is being kept informed of developments, said the number of dead birds at the Portlethan poultry plant was lower that thought.

Plant owners Grampian Country Food Group declined to confirm any details.

A spokeswoman insisted a number of measures had been implemented to prevent any excessive build up of heat.

She said: "Grampian Country Food Group takes the welfare of its chicken flocks very seriously by at all times ensuring that they are kept in a controlled environment to ensure that it meets the birds' physiological needs.

"Due to the excessively high temperatures the country is facing at this time we have implemented a number of measures on farm to minimise the effect on our flocks."

The State Veterinary Service confirmed that it was involved with the company and a veterinary investigation was being carried out.