H5N1 outbreak in England

[Guest]

A Map of the protection and surveillence zones and the measures you need to take if you are in either of them are shown at:

 

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/pdf/declaration030207.pdf

 

 

Basically, if you're in a zone, you keep the birds confined; no visits; no movement of birds into or out of zones, no shows, no gatherings.... for next 30 days.

[Guest bristolkev]

does anyone know how these turkey`s became infected?

[Guest bristolkev]

just read this!

 

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1250065,00.html

[Guest bristolkev]

typical skynews puts a pic of a scruffy old streeter(flying rat) as a racing pigeon.just what we need right now! > >  we should bombard skynews with pics of classy racing pigeons!!!

[Guest bristolkev]

just gave skynews a piece of my mind via e-mail over that pic! > > > >

[friendsloft]

Bristolkev have you got the e-mail address, ive just tried but it wouldent send

Friendsloft  

[Guest]

according to sky news the turkeys did not die but were destroyed some on the tue then some on the friday probably the rest the day now its confirmed .

[Guest bristolkev]

here you go

 

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,70131-1237852,00.html

[Pompey Mick]

They say the chicks came from a UK hatchery but I've not seen any other surveilance areas in force . I would have thought that seeing that the turkeys were in a contained building then the source of the chicks should be considered a risk.

[Guest]

does anyone know how these turkey`s became infected?

 

Its really too early to tell, I think. DEFRA will check out various links, in and out of the farm, including the hatchery that this flock came from. But virus can survive on inanimate surfaces and could have been brought in on a lorry, in bedding, on feed ... anything. That's why bio-security is so important, to prevent cross-contamination like this from happening.

 

Take your point about Skynews and its pigeon. Her Numptyness on BBCNews24 at the farm said much the same thing when her colleague confirmed that it was H5N1 around noon: "could have been brought in on the feet of a pigeon that got in thro a hole in the shed roof. "   And where did the feral pigeon pick it up? I wondered.

 

The other point too is that this farm is one of many in a Special Monitoring Zone: the area is home  to huge numbers of resident water wildfowl and these supposedly were being closely watched for signs of illness, as were migrants.

[Guest]

according to sky news the turkeys did not die but were destroyed some on the tue then some on the friday probably the rest the day now its confirmed .

 

Although the outbreak wasn't reported to DEFRA till the Thursday aftrnoon, things started going belly-up in the affected shed on the Tuesday with around 12 deaths. Wednesday around 80 died, Thursday over 800. By the time of the DEFRA News Conference today Saturday, 2600 birds had died ... in a shed containing around 10,000.

 

 

[Guest]

i have sent email to sky to complain about there picture and sent them a picture of a racing pigeon for the future as i told them they cant be bothered to get a picture themselves

[Guest]

The plot thickens:-

 

DEFRA NEWS RELEASE  

    

Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR

Out of hours telephone 020 7270 8960 Ref: 35/07

Date: 3 February 2007

  

  

H5N1 in poultry in Suffolk confirmed as Asian strain of avian influenza

  

This afternoon the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) confirmed that the H5N1 avian influenza identified in sampled from in poultry found dead on a farm near Lowestoft in Suffolk is the highly pathogenic Asian strain. It is similar to the virus that was found in Hungary in January.

As further information becomes available and in consultation with ornithological experts further restrictions may be required.

 

Keepers of birds are urged to be vigilant and to exercise good biosecurity. Any owners that suspect disease should act quickly and consult their vet. Avian influenza is a notifiable disease and must be reported to the local Divisional Veterinary Manager in the State Veterinary Service (see below).

 

There is no reason for public health concern. 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, particularly faeces. Defra, the Health Protection Agency and local NHS are continuing to work closely to ensure that all necessary precautions are being taken. Despite this incident, the current level of risk to humans from H5N1 remains extremely low.

 

The European Commission has been informed of this development.

 

 

 

[Guest]

Similar to events at Cellardyke, Fife, Scotland, last year, an additional restricted zone has been brought in. Covers a large area.

 

DEFRA NEWS RELEASE  

    

Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR

Out of hours telephone 020 7270 8960 Ref: 36/07

Date: 3 February 2007

  

  

Additional restrictions imposed following confirmation of Highly Pathogenic H5N1

  

Following confirmation of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza Defra has announced that further restrictions will be put in place around the infected premises.

In consultation with ornithologists a wider Restricted Zone has been imposed. This is in addition to the 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone introduced earlier today. The Restricted Zone covers east Suffolk and South East Norfolk bounded to the west and the north by the A140 and A47 respectively, and is approximately 2090sqkm. It requires the isolation of poultry from wild birds and movements to be licensed.

 

As further information becomes available and in consultation with ornithological experts the restrictions in place may be adjusted.

 

Same general principle ... if in one of the three zones, keep the birds in

 

[Guest TAMMY_1]

Dear All

 

 

 

As you will have seen today from the media, the Suffolk strain of bird flu has been confirmed as HPAI H5N1.  It is very similar to the Hungarian strain reported last week.  DEFRA has initiated a restricted zone of a 3km protection zone (PZ) within a  10km surveillance zone (SZ) Moreover, they have extended the buffer zone to a large part of East Anglia taking in most of Suffolk and SE Norfolk covering some 2090 sq m.  All bird keepers (pet, domestic and commercial) are required to house their birds and keep separate form any wild birds until further notice.  Licenced movements of birds only are permitted within this buffer area.

 

 

 

Ornithologists have confirmed that this outbreak is similar to the Asian strain of HPAI AS was the Hungarian.  DEFRA has been  taken by surprise by this outbreak, it is not a typical migratory period but they are optimistic that, like the outbreaks in Western Europe last year, the disease was contained and eradicated in the specified areas without any further spread.  With the initiation of the SZ promptly it is hoped to stamp out this outbreak promptly.  All the turkeys on this farm have now been destroyed.  Investigations continue as to the likely source of the disease but it was noted that the farm was near both the east coast and wetland areas in East Anglia and so sea birds/waterfowl may be the culprits.

 

 

 

What does this mean for us pigeon fanciers?  Well for the immediate future all bird gatherings in England, Scotland and Wales (such as shows and sales) are forbidden.  DEFRA are contacting those gathering/show organisers as I write.  This will undoubtedly also delay the announcement of continental racing which was imminent.  Clearly DEFRA will have important issues to resolve before any decision can be taken on this but I remain optimistic that, with containment of this outbreak, continental racing may take place.

 

 

 

I will keep you informed as and when I have another update but you can of course get the latest from http://www.defra.gov.uk

 

 

 

Regards

 

 

 

Peter Bryant

 

General Manager

 

 

[carl]

Deadly bird flu virus found in Suffolk

 

The turkey deaths were reported on Thursday

 

 

The potentially deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found among turkeys on a poultry farm in Suffolk, officials have confirmed.

 

Experts were called to the Bernard Matthews farm near Halesworth, Suffolk, late on Thursday following the outbreak of an "unexplained" illness.

 

About 2,600 turkeys are thought to have died.

 

The EU Commission confirmed that the virus was H5N1, which has killed more than 100 people - mostly in Asia.

 

A Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokeswoman said the risk of the disease spreading to humans was low and there was no need for "panic".

 

She said staff at the farm - thought to be in the village of Holton - were being monitored and restrictions were in force to stop birds being moved in or out of the site.

 

have your say

 

 

Defra said there were 160,000 other turkeys on the farm.

 

All 160.000 turkys have been culled

 

 

 

THIS IS NOT GOOD NEWS PEOPLE

 

 

 

[me]

Its not good news for Turkeys certainly but on the other hand at the moment its not terribly bad news for doos. Our task, and that means you and me, is to convince the public (and the media if possible) that our doos are almost an irrlevance as far as bird flu is concerned.Which strangely enough is actually true.

[pigeonscout]

Its not good news for Turkeys certainly but on the other hand at the moment its not terribly bad news for doos. Our task, and that means you and me, is to convince the public (and the media if possible) that our doos are almost an irrlevance as far as bird flu is concerned.Which strangely enough is actually true.

 

Well said