AVIAN FLU

[Guest]

Continental Race license re-instated, with some areas still excluded:-

 

 

General Licence

European Communities Act 1972, Section 2(2)

The Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (England) Regulations 2006(1)

 

Under regulation 6 of the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (England) Regulations 2006 (“the Regulations”), having carried out a veterinary risk assessment and being satisfied that the bird gathering and the transit of birds to and from such a gathering will not significantly increase the risk of the transmission of avian influenza virus, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs hereby licenses the arrangement of the collecting together of poultry or other captive birds, in the case of racing pigeons, for racing within the British Isles and from France, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Channel Islands (excluding liberations from, or that will overfly, the Moselle region in the North East of France) only, at fairs, markets, shows, exhibitions and other gatherings, subject to the conditions set out in the Schedule.

 

Should the risk situation change, the Risk Assessment will be revised, and the general licence that permits gatherings may be revoked, meaning that gatherings may be restricted or banned.

 

Definitions

‘British Isles’ for the purposes of this licence means England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man but it excludes the Channel Islands.

 

‘Epidemiological group’ for the purposes of this licence means a group of birds with a defined epidemiological relationship that share approximately the same likelihood of exposure to a pathogen. This may be because they share a common environment (e.g. birds in a shed), or because of common management practices. Often, this is the whole flock.

 

‘Gathering’ for the purposes of this licence means the arrangement by a person of the collecting together of poultry or other captive birds from different epidemiological groups at one location.

 

‘Event organiser’ for the purposes of this licence means the person who accepts the responsibility of ensuring the licence conditions are implemented.

 

‘Premises’ for the purposes of this licence means any land, building or place (this includes car parks).

 

 

 

Sarah Church

Authorised by the Secretary of State

14 August 2007

 

 

 

[Guest]

New paper [scientific opinion] adopted by EU May 2007, “AI vaccination poultry and other captive birds.”

 

‘Other captive birds’ includes pigeons and the only mention of ‘pigeon’ in whole report is on page 16, Table 2. Summary of the different situations encountered in AI Vaccination, based on very limited experimental data available for each of the species/vaccines combinations.

 

This table is an important reference for us as one of its column headings is ‘susceptibility before vaccination’ and entry 3b for pigeons states ‘no transmission and disease’. This is not the same as ‘no transmission and no disease’ and means that EU accepts that pigeons can contract the disease [which we know] but cannot transmit it [which we know].

 

‘Captive birds’ on page 41,  3.1.1 conclusions and recommendations, second bullet-point, “However, for …. captive bird species the level of effectiveness of current AI vaccination is not sufficiently known. That conclusion is supported by Table 2,  page 16, column heading ‘susceptibility after vaccination’  ‘No Transmission & Disease’ - the pigeon’s susceptibility was unaltered, so this vaccine was ineffective.

 

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/Scientific_Opinion/ahaw_op_ej489_AI_Vaccination_en,3.pdf

 

 

 

[Guest]

Avian Influenza has been confirmed at a free range turkey farm also with ducks and geese near Diss in Suffolk.  A 3km PZ and a 10km SZ has been introduced.  

 

The DEFRA website will cover the outbreak very soon and what other restrictions will apply.  I will update as and when I have further information from DEFRA and what implications this outbreak has for sales, auctions and shows.

 

Regards

 

 

 

 

 

Peter Bryant

[Guest]

Avian Influenza H5 confirmed in Suffolk

 

Helpline

 

If you need advice on avian flu please call the Defra Helpline on

08459 33 55 77 between 6.00am - 10.00pm Monday to Friday.

 

Defra has today confirmed Avian Influenza in turkeys on a premises near Diss on the Norfolk/Suffolk border after preliminary tests were positive for the H5 strain. The premises also contain ducks and geese. All birds on the premises will be slaughtered.

 

Full confirmation of results, including whether or not this is H5N1 and whether the strain is high or low pathogenic will follow.

 

A 3km Protection Zone and a 10km Surveillance Zone are being established around the Infected Premises. Inside these zones bird movements will be restricted and all birds must be housed or otherwise isolated from contact with wild birds. We are also urgently considering with ornithological and other experts what wider measures may be needed.

 

All poultry keepers on the GB Poultry Register will be notified, and the EU Commission has been informed.

 

 

 

Peter Bryant

[Guest]

Seems things aren't as hunky-dory on H5N1 front as WHO figures may suggest.

 

Looking at bare figures, human infections appear to have peaked two years ago [apart from Indonesia which is having a particularly bad time] tho the 'old' percentage of 50% of infections being fatal has gone up dramatically. With fewer human infections you would think that the chances of mutation into a human influenza virus seemed slim??  Er, no..

 

Just read a piece of research work which has identified Europe has its own 3 particular viral strains circulating now, the authors call them V1, V2 [Vietnam] and EMA [European-Middle East-Africa] after their 'parent strains'. EMA has a mutation, it has evolved to infect mammals more easily, and the authors give this as the reason for the reports of cats & dogs becoming infected in Western Europe..

 

http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/13/5/713.htm

 

 

.

[billy wilson]

hi defra have stopped all the canary shows so whats going to the pigeons is anybodys guess but i know the way ime thinking

                                                            billy

[Guest]

hi defra have stopped all the canary shows so whats going to the pigeons is anybodys guess but i know the way ime thinking

                                                            billy

 

There is a complete ban throughout UK on all bird shows from today, including pigeons. It's worth remembering that this will probably be relaxed very soon, and the 3 Zones remain for only 21 days, and 1 for 30 days, provided there are no further outbreaks.

[Guest]

Dear All

 

Very little to report today.  Still no sign of the source of the outbreak and this information is the key for DEFRA considering easing the national ban on gatherings.  From the many calls I have received I do appreciate (and share your views) that racing pigeons have again been subject to controls that are not consistent with the risk from racing pigeons.  Therefore the sooner we receive our legal response from DEFRA the better so we can progress this.  It would do no harm for all fanciers to contact their MP to ask them to ask the Secretary of State when he intends to respond to our solicitor.  I have contacted 2 but the more fanciers that challenge their MP the better and the sooner we should get a response.

 

It seems the Government are keen to give schools, hospitals etc targets for this and that.  They should start with their own target of responding to correspondence!!

 

Peter Bryant

 

General Manager

 

The Royal Pigeon Racing Association

 

[sammy]

Recent reports have indicated that imported day-old ducklings from the Netherlands are being investigated as a possible source of the H5N1 avian influenza virus in England.

 

[Guest]

Defra: Today Sunday 18th November 2007, the current cull of 28,600 poultry has been completed on the 5 farms involved : 1 with definite infection and the other 4 were 'dangerous contacts' with that infected farm.

[Guest]

Dear All

 

Monday’s meeting with DEFRA was cancelled at the last minute, in the main because of the latest recorded outbreak of AI.  A meeting was held at 2pm yesterday but I was out of the office.  Nevertheless I pulled up into a lay-by to participate in the conference as I had specially asked 2 questions.  

 

The latest on the situation as at 2pm yesterday is that the second outbreak was not a surprise as it was in one of the ‘dangerous contact’ locations already identified.  This is where there is a common denominator between 2 sites i.e. the same workers at both sites.  The chairman seemed quite buoyant that the disease has been relatively contained and they are reviewing the nationwide ban on gatherings daily.  Providing there are no more widespread outbreaks it is possible that we may hear something by the end of the week.  I stress ‘possibly’.

 

I have today had the first phone call from a member asking me to confirm that racing in 2008 has been cancelled.  This of course is utter rubbish!

 

Anyway the statement below is the latest I have sent to DEFRA for today’s meeting

 

Further to yesterday’s meeting where Andrew Jones replied on 2 questions posed.  During my long drive back to the office from the Midlands yesterday afternoon I pondered on the responses given to my questions.

 

Cats -  To just say that all mammals are at risk is rather an understatement.  The point I was trying to make therefore was that there have been feline casualties of AI in Europe.  There have been no deaths of racing pigeons.  Cats are marauding animals, likely to eat infected birds, racing pigeons are at this time of year contained to their lofts thereby undergoing a self imposed quarantining.

The point about shooting in the restricted and even SZ areas is also inconsistent.  We were stopped from racing because of the threat of racing pigeons picking droppings up mechanically.  How is this any different for the shooting fraternity particularly as you have still not announced the source of the outbreak?  Given that we still have a national ban on bird gatherings I still fail to see the difference between allowing such activities to take place in the SZ/PZ and cancelling gatherings 200 miles away!

 

 

I appreciate that you are reviewing the situation regarding gatherings nationally regularly but there do appear to be inconsistencies in the policy by DEFRA.  Moreover, you will know that we have challenged DEFRA over the status of racing pigeons in the AI legislation yet it is now 3 months today (21 August) since our solicitor wrote to the S of S.  I am not sure if his refusal to respond is contempt for my members or incompetence elsewhere.  Are you able to advise when we may have the courtesy of a response.

 

Regards  

 

Peter Bryant

[Guest]

Well 'bird gatherings' are allowed again in Scotland from 0001 Friday 23rd.

 

 

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Agriculture/animal-welfare/Diseases/SpecificDisease/AvianInfluenza/Birdgatherings

[westburylofts]

CANNOT SEE WHY THE BAN HAS NOT BEEN LIFTED

FOR ALL OF THE UK

 

RAY

[Pompey Mick]

At least the door is opening, I can't see how DEFRA can continue with the ban in England & Wales now.

[Guest]

The ban on bird gatherings in the rest of the UK is lifted as at 1245 today.

 

The only restriction remaining in force is birds within the restricted Zones cannot leave these Zones to attend bird gatherings outside them.

[Guest]

The ban on bird gatherings in the rest of the UK is lifted as at 1245 today.

 

The only restriction remaining in force is birds within the restricted Zones cannot leave these Zones to attend bird gatherings outside them.

 

 

Great news

 

http://www.whitehallpages.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=51526&topic=158&newlang=eng

 

 

Defra today announced that it is lifting the ban on bird gatherings, shows and pigeon racing which has been in place since confirmation of avian influenza in Suffolk on 12 November. This decision is based on expert consideration of surveillance and tracing results.

 

As a precautionary measure, the ban will remain in place within the Restricted, Surveillance and Protection Zones in Suffolk and Norfolk. Birds from those zones will not be able to be taken to gatherings in the rest of the country.

Bird gatherings must take place under the normal biosecurity, notification and record-keeping requirements of a general licence, which can be found on the Defra website at http://www.defra.gov.uk

 

[westburylofts]

GREAT NEWS

 

[Guest]

DEFRA have published preliminary findings on the November 2007 AI Outbreak in Suffolk.

 

DEFRA basically ruled out the Poultry Industry bringing the virus here, but it does blame the Industry for the spread to other poultry premises thro poor biosecurity practices by the stockmen - they looked after all 5 'affected' premises.

 

DEFRA suspect wild birds of bringing the virus in, but they have no proof as there is no infection or virus in any of the wild birds sampled.

 

I've copied the Executive Summary, and the link for those who want more detail.

 

 

 

PRELIMINARY EPIDEMIOLOGY REPORT: AVIAN INFLUENZA OUTBREAK IN SUFFOLK, NOVEMBER 2007 AS AT 26 NOVEMBER 2007

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 

(I) Following a report of suspected avian notifiable disease in turkeys in

Suffolk on 11 November 2007, highly pathogenic (HP) H5N1 avian influenza

(AI) infection was confirmed on 12 November.

 

(ii) The infected premises (IP) comprised 5,000 growing turkeys, kept in 5

groups of 1,000, 1,118 ducks and 410 geese maintained under a free range

system. Samples collected at slaughter for laboratory examination revealed

that two groups of turkeys had a significant prevalence of infection (>50%), a

further group had a maximum prevalence of 5%. No evidence of infection

was found in the geese, but infection was detected in the ducks for which the

maximum prevalence was 2%. The findings suggest that there had been an

initial focal introduction of virus into one of the groups of turkeys, rather than a

widespread exposure of all poultry on the site.

 

(iii) Epidemiological investigations of the IP resulted in the identification of five

dangerous contact (DC) premises as a result of them being tended by the

same stockmen who employed poor biosecurity measures. Only turkeys were

kept on four of these DC premises, ducks, geese and turkeys were kept on

the other DC premises. Samples were taken for laboratory examination from

the birds culled at the DC premises. Infection was detected in one group of

turkeys on one of these premises, which became designated as IP2. The

maximum prevalence of infection in this group was 10%. This was consistent

with infection having been transmitted from IP1.

 

(iv) Genetic analyses of the virus isolates from the turkeys on the two IPs and

the ducks on IP1 indicated that the birds were infected from a single source.

The current isolate has the closest genetic identity to an isolate from wild birds

in the Czech Republic detected in mid-2007. The current isolate is

phylogenetically distinct from the previous isolate of H5N1 in 2007 obtained

from the Holton outbreak.

 

(v) The poultry on the premises which supplied the birds to IP1 and IP2 were

sampled and tested with negative results. All of the birds were hatched in

Great Britain.

 

(vi) The surveillance of poultry in the PZ and SZ has not revealed any further

infected flocks indicating that infection has been confined to the two IPs.

 

(vii) The results of the epidemiological investigations to date provide no

evidence that infection was introduced via imported poultry or poultry products

or any activities associated with such importations.

 

(viii) IP1 was located in an area where wild birds were relatively common and

was notably near to an ornamental lake which supports some 1000

waterfowl. H5N1 infection has not been detected in wild birds nor have any

incidents of high mortality been observed in the area. An enhanced

surveillance programme has been initiated. At the present time wild birds,

most likely migratory species from central Europe, cannot be ruled out as the

source of infection. Epidemiological investigations are continuing and the

results will be provided in further reports

 

(ix). Two important and epidemiologically significant findings are evident from

the investigations to date. These are:

 

- The poor biosecurity measures employed by the stockmen,

which in this case were peripatetic and therefore cared for more

than one unit of poultry which resulted in the transmission of

infection in the area

 

- The siting of a free range poultry unit (IP1), which is likely to

attract wild birds because of feed availability, in an area already

unavoidably occupied by populations of wild bird species,

notably migratory waterfowl, but also “bridge” species (such as

gulls) which are capable of becoming infected by HP H5N1 and

transmitting the virus from primarily infected wild birds to

commercial poultry.

 

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/pdf/ai-prelim-epireport071129.pdf

 

 

[Guest]

3rd December reports to OIE of H5N1 in farmed turkeys in Poland, cause, contact with wild birds; and in backyard poultry in Romania, cause not known.

[Guest]

DEFRA have published advance notice of its intention to lift the AI Zones in Suffolk & Norfolk, bird gatherings allowed again in these currently restricted areas from 19th December - provided no further outbreaks.

 

On 6 December, plans were announced for lifting the Avian Influenza Control Zones on the following dates, providing there is no adverse change in the disease situation:

 

On Saturday 8 December, the Protection Zone around the first infected premises (IP1) near Diss will be lifted and become part of the wider Surveillance Zone.

 

On Monday 10 December, the Protection Zone around the second infected premises (IP2) near Thetford will be lifted and become part of the wider Surveillance Zone.

 

On Wednesday 19 December, both the Surveillance Zone and the Restricted Zone will be lifted.

 

Movement restrictions will remain in place in the Surveillance and Restricted Zones until those zones are lifted on 19 December.

 

When the second Protection Zone is lifted on 10 December, the housing requirements for birds in the Restricted Zone will be lifted. However, this requirement will stay in place for birds in the Surveillance Zone until that zone is lifted on 19 December.

 

Bird gatherings will continue to be banned within the Surveillance and Restricted Zones until those zones are lifted on 19 December. Until then, birds cannot be taken out of those zones to bird gatherings in the rest of the country.

 

The lifting of the zones is dependent on there being no further cases of disease during this time. However, it is vital that all bird keepers in the UK, and especially those in existing disease restriction zones, continue to maintain good biosecurity and be vigilant for any signs of disease. If you are concerned about the health of your birds you should seek advice from your veterinary surgeon. If you suspect that your birds have avian influenza, you should report it to your local Animal Health Office immediately.

 

 

 

 

[darkknight]

Bird flu discovered in mute swans

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7181384.stm

[DOVEScot]

Bird flu discovered in mute swans

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7181384.stm

 

Hope this does not effect Blackpool or anyone else for that matter

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7181384.stm

[Geraint Parry]

If it is H5N1 strain , it won't look good for any birds been at Blackpool. Auctions at hotels will be ok i guess.

[darkknight]

just got this of chat

 

FROM THE DEFRA OFFICIAL WEBSITE

 

Avian Influenza H5N1 confirmed in wild birds in Dorset.

 

Defra has today confirmed Avian Influenza in three dead wild mute swans in the Chesil Beach area in Dorset, following positive test results from the Veterinary Laboratories Agency for the highly pathogenic strain of H5N1. These birds were found and tested following our routine surveillance programme.

 

A Wild Bird Control Area and Monitoring Area are being established around the premises, encompassing Chesil Beach and Portland Bill, and the shape of these is based on expert ornithological advice.

 

Inside these areas bird keepers are required to house their birds or otherwise isolate them from contact with wild birds, bird movements will be restricted, and bird gatherings are banned. Defra is also working closely with ornithological and other experts to consider what wider measures may be needed.

 

No disease has been found in domestic birds, and a programme of surveillance is being carried out in the local wild bird population. There will be no culling of wild birds because such action may disperse birds further and would not aid control.

 

Acting Chief Veterinary Officer Fred Landeg said:

 

“While this is obviously unwelcome news, we have always said that Britain is at a constant low level of risk of introduction of Avian Influenza. Our message to all bird keepers, particularly those in the area, is that they must be vigilant, report any signs of disease immediately, and practice the highest levels of biosecurity.”

 

A full epidemiological investigation is underway.

 

All poultry keepers on the GB Poultry Register are being notified, and the EU Commission has been informed.

[Geraint Parry]

''AI OUTBREAK IN DORSET.  THURSDAY 10TH JANUARY 1530 HRS

AN H5N1 AVIAN INFLUENZA OUTBREAK HAS BEEN REPORTED IN DORSET.  DEFRA HAS NOT YET REPORTED WHETHER THERE WILL BE ANY RESTRICTIONS ETC IMPOSED.  THEREFORE WE DO NOT AS YET KNOW THE STATUS OF RACING PIGEONS AT BLACKPOOL.  FROM PREVIOUS OUTBREAKS GATHERINGS ARE NOT PERMITTED WHICH MAY MEAN THE SHOW PIGEONS CANNOT ATTEND BUT SALES FROM SINGLES SOURCES AT AUCTIONS SUCH AS CLEARANCE SALES FROM ONE LOFT HAVE IN THE PAST BEEN ACCEPTABLE.

 

WE WILL CLARIFY THE SITUATION WITH DEFRA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BUT THE BLACKPOOL WINTERGARDENS SHOW WILL GO ON WITH OR WITHOUT PIGEONS

 

PETER BRYANT''