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AVIAN FLU


fifestay
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I am the only person concerned about the avian flu epidemic. Reports indicate that it is headed to Europe. Look at the restrictions already in place by the Dutch. Our Government were drastic over Foot and Mouth and that does not kill Humans. I believe that Pigeons would be in the cull. I wondered what other folk felt and that perhaps Johhnysfarm, Hyacinth slugmonkey etc and anyone from Europe could let us know what is happening

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Guest shadow

When avian flu was wide spread in holland and belgium all pigeons were resticted to their lofts and racing was stopped for a while but there were no reported incidents of pigeons catching the virus. Lets hope this strain of flu is not capable of spreading too far fron Asia. If we have to keep the birds confined maybe it will be a good thing at least a few hawks will die through starvation. :)

fly hard fly fair. ;)

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Guest speckled

thay say today, that, we will be in for the ourbreak not sure when, it has spead to russia, & the reason we will get it is because of "Migrating Birds,,thats what i heard in the radio today,leys hope its later then sooner ah.Speckled.The reason speedbird we stopped racing over the channel,was the foot & mouth outbreack i think.Speckled :)

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Guest speckled

What about me chicken. down here speedbird the reason we never went across the channal was for that reason,& that was 2001, as we raced out of the east.Speckled

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Guest Doostalker

Hi guys. This subject was discussed on the old forum and Hyacinth posted this copy letter. I thought it would be worthwhile seeing it again:-

 

"To: 'Gord Chalmers'  

Sent: Friday, July 22, 2005 3:33 PM

Subject: RE: Avian Influenza

 

 

Dear Dr. Chalmers

 

 

 

Dr. Kaleta recently published review of Avian Influenza (AI) in pigeons and concluded, as I also believe, that pigeons are resistant to avian influenza viruses and have not been a reservoir or vector of the virus. DTW.Deutsche.tierarztliche.Wochenschrift 111(12):467-472, 2004.

 

 

 

Other studies have support the resistance of pigeons to AI virus infections. Some people have confused die-offs in pigeons to avian influenza when paramyxovirus type 1 is a common cause of neurological disease and death in pigeons and not avian influenza.

 

 

 

We have conducted experimental studies in pigeons using viruses isolated from dead pigeons in Thailand. Even direct inoculation of these viruses into nasal cavity of pigeons caused limited infections with between 60-80% of the pigeons not becoming infected. This suggests the mortality from H5N1 HPAI virus in pigeons may have resulted from synergy between AI infection and some other pathogen.

 

 

 

The "illness in school children" is an unsubstantiated rumor. No AI virus was isolated from the children and I am unaware of any evidence of infection.  

 

 

 

With this scientific information, it is unlikely that banning pigeons will have any impact on AI ecology and will not reduce the risk AI infections of poultry or humans. The primary species that have natural infections with AI viruses are wild ducks and shorebird (turnstones, gulls, etc.). Columbiformes and passerines are not reservoirs and they are rarely incidental hosts following spill-over of the viruses from infected domestic poultry.  

 

 

 

Regards

 

 

 

David E. Swayne, DVM, PhD  

Laboratory Director  

Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory  

USDA/ARS  

934 College Station Road  

Athens, Georgia  

Telephone: 706-546-3433  

Fax: 706-546-3161 "

 

 

I think the important sections here are "that pigeons are resistant to avian influenza viruses and have not been a reservoir or vector of the virus" and "Columbiformes and passerines are not reservoirs and they are rarely incidental hosts."

 

If this is right and can be proved to DEFRA and SERAD then we should have nothing to fear. However, someone in the RPRA or SHU should be making moves on this at the moment to ensure that our sport is protected.

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You can take the content of the above letter as being Being very true.

 

If I were you lot, I would be pressing the RPRA SHU WHU IHU NEHU AND NWHU To contact Ms Karen Clifton of The American Racing Pigeon Union who has very good documentation supporting the case that racing pigeons do not carry Avian Indluenza I am sure she would be only too pleased to share it with The Unions of The United Kingdom

 

During an attack of avian influenza in the Frazier Valley of British Columbia Canada, my friend Kevin Ball and Dr. Gordon Chalmers took on the Canadian Federal Government when they condemed all bird life in the Frazier Valley to death, they won their case and saved the Racing Pigeons

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Without wishing to panic anyone.

I asked Hyacinth to post up that Canada outbreak. Still waiting. If it is or was Bird Flu over there (funny how the media or WHO didn't mention it) then the UK is at risk on two fronts: Migrating birds (geese?) from the West, and migrating birds from Russia and one of the K'stans in the East.

The likely arrival of the virus in the UK is winter 2006.

Speckled - for your hens, the simple solution seems to be to keep them inside in a wild bird-proof shed. Don't see a problem short-term with that solution with the pigeons either.

And again without wishing to be alarmist, the virus has been found in pigeons. Spread is through saliva and droppings. All the normal precautions and good pigeon and personal hygiene should help keep us all safe.

And it is humans that are most at risk - we are the only vessel where human flu and bird flu are likely to meet - and mutate.

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The Roche thing is tamiflu antiviral tablets, Rose. UK stocked up in February this year with millions, but not enough to do the whole population.  The latest on Roche is that they have donated 3 million tablets to the World Health Organisation to 'contain' any new outbreak amongst humans (and it is humans we should concern ourselves with for the time being because we are (I THINK) more likely to get this than the pigeons). The plan is to swamp the outbreak area with a medical task force recruited and on standby in countries around the world, the Roche donation is part of that plan.

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Guest shadow

Just heard on the radio coming back from the club there has been a confirmed out break of avian flu in Finland the bird is a seagull. hope it stays the other side of the water. :)

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Hi Hyacinth. You probably missed my earlier post under 'Health' requesting more information on the Canada Bird Flu outbreak. There was no news here in the UK on it, and nothing on WHO site either. Wondered if you could supply details. Interested in how it got there and USA's reaction to having it on their doorstep. Type and number of Birds involved? People involved?

Feel it is really important for us because Canada is 'upwind' of us and lots of geese from that direction overwinter on Scottish west coast islands and inland Central Scotland. We might have two fronts opening up on us with it being on mainland Europe too. I'd like to be prepared!!!

A web address would be fine.  

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Hi Bruno

 

Sorry I missed your posting.

 

For all details please contact my friend Kevin Ball, he has given permission for his e-mail to be given out for this purpose kevinball20@shaw.ca.  Hre will be able to give you the details of the Canadian outbreak, bear in mind this was on Canada's West Coast

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Conflicting reports; late last night on news24 they were reporting that the risk from migrating birds is minimal, seriously not allot. Most of the birds 'go the other way'. However they did seem to think that it is inevitible (my spelling is shocking I know :() that the flu will spread the world over, its just a matter of time.

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Hyancinth, thanks for the contact and I've e-mailed Kevin Ball for details. Will keep the forum posted. I suspect it will be interesting though!!!!!!

 

Mealybar and others: There will be lots of opinion, rumours, stories etc. May I suggest that the one place you will find hard facts is the World Health Organisation's web pages dedicated to Avian Influenza:

 

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/

 

Preston Powerblast: Ben Bradshaw (MP / DEFRA) on a TV interview  said that Organic Farming legislation provided for emergency medical situations like this one. Even though they are inside as a  NECESSARY precaution, they are still classed as free range and their eggs can still be legally sold as such. Business as usual, I think.

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