PRESS AT PIGEONS AGAIN RE AVIAN FLU

[THE FIFER]

HAS ANYONE READ THE COURIER THIS MORNING, ITS ALL ABOUT PIGEONS IN GENERAL AND IF THE PUBLIC READ THIS PIGEONS ARE FINNISHED, SOMETHING MUST GET DONE BU OUR GOVERNING BODIES, I AM STUCK FOR TIME JUST NOW BUT WILL POST IT LATER, BUT THIS WILL PUT THE FEAR OF DEATH INTO THE PUBLIC, THEY ARE EVEN TELLING ABOUT OTHER DISEASE PIGEONS CARRY, THIS IS A WORRIE AND IF LEFT TO CONTINUE, THERE WILL BE KNOW PIGEONS PERIOD NEVER MIND RACING,

[Pompey Mick]

When you print the article could you give us contact details, also pass on details to Peter Bryant of the RPRA who has been busy refuting these inflammatory Press reports.  I am beginning to believe that these people all have shares in pharmaceutical companies who are the only winners in this sorry saga.

[Guest]

I posted off the Edinburgh Evening News item to the SHU, hope you do the same with the Courier item, Fifer.

 

Courier is, I think, from the same stable as Sunday Post, which I stopped buying 30 years ago because of the continual moans and unsubstantiated claims against anything the paper took a dislike to.

 

Due respect, Mick, don't think papers will give a toss if anyone contacts them; only interested in selling newpapers ... vote with your pocket ... then again, if the likes of the Daily Star didn't reply to anyone, maybe the Press Complaints Commission is the next step?????????

 

Have suggested that SHU adopt a car sticker campaign, which I think will spread the message more widely and more effectively:

 

"Racing Pigeons DONT spread bird flu" was my suggestion, but I'm sure others will come up with equally short, blunt and truthful logos to get the message accross.

 

[Guest]

heres the press complaints commssion website where a complaint can be sent via :

 

http://www.pcc.org.uk/

[saleman]

"Racing Pigeons DONT spread bird flu" in todays courier it says they do spread bird flu :-/ :-/ :-/does'nt help us pleople reading this :-/ :-/ :-/

[mealybar]

The Courier: http://www.thecourier.co.uk/

 

I cant find the article on their website, but its basically the same as the one in the Scotsman: http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=328462006

[Guest]

"Racing Pigeons DONT spread bird flu" in todays courier it says they do spread bird flu :-/ :-/ :-/does'nt help us pleople reading this :-/ :-/ :-/

 

 

Extract from avian flu post 528, 11th Feb:

 

"MISCELLANEOUS: HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE IN ANIMALS RELATED TO AVIAN INFLUENZA HUMAN CASES OBSERVED IN CHINA (PEOPLE'S REP. OF ~)

 

Information received on 27 January 2006 from Mr Jia Youling, Director General, Veterinary Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing:

 

Report date: 27 January 2006.

 

Special note: since no animal outbreaks were found ...  the expert group dispatched by Ministry of Agriculture .. applied stringent surveillance measures to domestic poultry and pigeons and other birds in Wuhou District, including 71,160 chickens, 8,997 ducks and 118,727 pigeons

 

Surveillance results:

 

(1) no abnormal deaths were found.

 

(2) Cloacal swab samples were collected from the chickens, ducks and pigeons in sites surrounding the patient's place of residence. Surveillance results: negative."

 

 

 

 

Some strains of the H5N1 virus affect pigeons, for example, Hong Kong, Thailand and Turkey, while others obviously don't, like this one in China. SO HOW CAN ANYONE MAKE BOLD SWEEPING STATEMENTS ABOUT SOMETHING SO UNPREDICATABLE?

[THE FIFER]

I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO ATTACH A COPY OF THE PAPER ONTO THE FORUM WITHOUT SUCCESS, BUT HERE IS A BIT FROM IT, THE HEADING : FEAR OF PIGEONS SPREADING VIRUS,     IT SAYS THAT "PIGEONS COULD CARRY DEADLY BIRD FLU INTO CITY CENTRES"  I THINK HERE THEY ARE REFERING TO FERAL PIGEONS, QUOTE: "THE FERAL BIRDS ALREADY CONSIDERED A HEALTH HAZARD IN URBAN AREAS, CAN BE INFECTED AND KILLED BY THE H5N1 STRAIN SCIENTISTS HAVE LEARNED"  QUOTE: "AN EXPERT YESTERDAY WARNED THAT IF H5N1 WAS CONFIRMED IN BRITISH WILD BIRDS, ALL SPECIES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AT RISK"  QUOTE: Dr. BOB McCRACKEN FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE BRITISH VETERINARY ASSOCIATION SAID "IN THE EVENT OF THE INFECTION BEING PRESENT IN OUR WILD BIRD POPULATION THERE IS A DANGER TO ALL AVIAN SPECIES--- WILD, FERAL AND DOMESTIC--- AND THAT INCLUDES PIGEONS"  UNQUOTE THIS IS ONLY A SMALL READING OF THE ARTICLE, BUT TO THE PUBLIC I THINK WILL PUT ALL PIGEONS AS A DANGER TO THEM, I WILL e-mail A FULL COPY TO PETER BRYANT AND ALSO TO THE SHU THE LATER I THINK SHOULD GET OFF THEIR BACK SIDES AND DO SOMETHING, ABOUT ALL THIS PRESS DOWNING RACING PIGEONS, ANOTHER QUOTE FROM TJHE ARTICLE : PIGEONS ARE ALREADY KNOWN TO SPREAD PSITTACOSIS IN THEIR FAECES--A FLU LIKE ILLNESS THAT CAN LEAD TO PNEUMONIA,LIVER DISEASE AND DEATH."  SO COME ON DO U NOT THINK THIS WILL SCARE THE LIVING DAY LIGHTS OUT OF THE PUBLIC.

[THE FIFER]

YES MEALYBAR THE LINK U HAVE FOR THE SCOTSMAN HAS THE SAME ARTICLE AS THE COURIER, SO ANYONE WANTING TO SEE IT click on >>>      http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=328462006

[Guest]

... THE PUBLIC I THINK WILL PUT ALL PIGEONS AS A DANGER TO THEM, ANOTHER QUOTE FROM TJHE ARTICLE : PIGEONS ARE ALREADY KNOWN TO SPREAD PSITTACOSIS IN THEIR FAECES--A FLU LIKE ILLNESS THAT CAN LEAD TO PNEUMONIA,LIVER DISEASE AND DEATH."  

 

Edited your post down to show clearly the 'bit' I am responding to, Fifer.

 

Hope you will agree that the one thing that can counter stuff & nonsense is fact from damned good sources. FACT FROM DAMNED GOOD SOURCE:-

 

"DEFRA Wild bird surviellance as at 1st March:

 

feral pigeons

 

found present:- aspergillosis (really a fungal poisoning), canker, PMV, Respitory, poisoning, trauma including gunshot wounds.

 

racing pigeons

 

found present:-  trauma including gunshot wounds."

 

 

The ammos there, it just needs to be used.

 

 

Full report at:-

 

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/wildbirds/survey-results.htm

[Guest]

What DEFRA says about racing pigeons:-

 

Pigeon Shows and pigeon racing

 

Scientific evidence suggests that pigeons are not very susceptible to HPAI infection.

 

On veterinary advice licensed pigeon shows can now proceed because the risk that these will spread avian influenza is currently assessed as low. The pigeon racing season is due to start in April 2006, although a small number are planned before then. Work is underway to allow these races to take place.

 

Licences for pigeon shows will be issued provided that certain biosecurity and other conditions are met. Further information on pigeon shows and gatherings is available.

 

 

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/qanda/assessment.htm#q26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[square_peg]

THE SUN

TODAY IN THE GARDENING PAGE

in the Q + A section somebody asks if they can catch bird flu from PELLETED CHICKEN MANURE      the answer was "IT'S UNLIKELY AS THE MANURE IS PASTEURISED BY HEATING TO A TEMPERATURE OF 60'C"

 

what the hell is next >

[jimmy white]

;D ;D manure is "past eur ised "  if thrown at you ;D ;D

[jimmy white]

e mailed scotsman as a non pigeon fancier, about the hawks etc    itll probably do know goood ,but worth a try

[THE FIFER]

I AGREE WITH U BRUNO, BUT IS DEFRA GOING TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW, ITS THE PAPERS THAT THE PUBLIC READ AND GET THERE INFO FROM AND NOT GETTING THE TRUE FACTS, IS DEFRA OR ANYONE ELSE PULLING THE PAPERS UP IF THEY ARE WRONG, IF THE PUBLIC GET SOMETHING INTO THEIR HEADS THEY ARE A LARGE FORCE TO DEAL WITH, AND THEY ARE NOT GOING TO LISTEN TO THE FANCIER AS THEY THINK WE HAVE A VESTED INTEREST, JUST THE SAME AS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HAWKS BEING KILLERS, THEY JUST THINK WE ARE LOOKING AFTER NUMBER ONE, ITS ABOUT TIME ALL ORGANISATIONS IE UNIONS ETC IN THE UK GOT TO GETHER AND GET THINGS PUT IN PLACE AND PUT THE PRESS IN PLACE IF THEY ARE NOT PUTTING OUT THE TRUE FACTS, BECAUSE AS OF NOW THE PUBLIC ARE GETTING SCARED OF ANY BIRDS, AND WHAT MAKES PIGEONS LOOK BAD TO THEM IS THEY FLY ABOUT IN BATCHES .

[jimmy white]

i think ,fifer peter bryant is doing just that, but i know what you mean

[THE FIFER]

YES HE IS DOING A GOOD JOB, BUT U KNOW THE BIGGER THE VIOCE THE MORE THEY WILL LISTEN,THE PIGEON FANCY IN THE UK OR EUROPE FOR THAT IS A BIG ORGANISATION, BUT ONLY ONE STANDING UP IS TOO SMALL, THEY MUST ALL GET TOGETHER ON THIS, I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANY RESPOND FROM THE SHU, PIGEON ORGANISATIONS SHOULD ALL GET TOGETHER AND PUT THINGS RIGHT, BEFORE ITS TOO LATE, THE PUBLIC ARE ONLY GETTING WHAT THE PRESS PUT OUT AND THATS NOT GOOD.

[fredspears44]

YES I AGREE WITH YOU FIFER BETTER AS A BIG VOICE  AS ONE (1) VOICE

[fredspears44]

IF THAT WAS A SENARIO AT A PLACE OF WORK WE WOULD BE ALL IN THE CAR PARK

[zetlandlad999]

Peter Bryant may have sent out a press release to the media with all the latest FACTS and scientific evidence about Racing Pigeons and AI, but i very much doubt that the PRESS will read or publish it, it will alay peoples fears and they wont sell papers. better to keep sending out spuriouse statements and keep the public in a state of panic, the public want to know what is happening so they buy the papers. Doesnt matter that half of whats published is untrue.

[Guest]

Hi

If a paper is putting things into print which is not true, It is natural for them not to answer the points against what they are printing because as it has been already said they are opportunists and as we all know love to spread dirt, that is the way of news put into print in the main.

So' one way of counteracting them is for a page of Advertising naming the paper concerned and putting the true facts in the advertisment , and this can be done by putting it in a rival newspaper. i am sure they will jump at the chance of knocking there competition and getting one over them its in there nature to do so.This can be done by the Govening body or indeed an individual.

Ex_Pat

[Pompey Mick]

On reading the report in the Scotsman, it is obvious that the paper is putting its own slant on an Avian Flu press release which talks about ALL birds.

The feral pigeon has long been an easy target for the Press knowing that, according to local governments , they are a 'Health Hazard' and  carry all diseases known to mankind and it is about time this claim was put into context. All the diseases these birds are supposed to be infected with are diseases that are normally spread by humans themselves. I would like to see scientific evidence that these birds are spreaders of human diseases rather than just a nuisance. All the time Joe Public looks to ferals as health risks they will readily  accept that  the scruffy street pigeon is the problem rather than pretty ducks and swans.

 

[mealybar]

"DEFRA Wild bird surviellance as at 1st March:

 

feral pigeons

 

found present:- aspergillosis (really a fungal poisoning), canker, PMV, Respitory, poisoning, trauma including gunshot wounds.

 

racing pigeons

 

found present:-  trauma including gunshot wounds."

 

The distinction needs to be made between feral and our pigeons because there is a world of difference. Feral pigeons can and will have some things wrong with them (look at their condition), just like all feral or wild animals. [if I lived on the street I'm sure I'd have something wrong with me :)]

 

Regarding the diseased spread through the droppings, yes, but are you get close enough to catch any of these?, I'm sure you'd get some nasty things from rat droppings, and mans best friend, the dog, its droppings can cause blindness!

 

Its just people getting on the anti-pigeon bangwagon, where it should be the anti-feral pigeon bangwagon, yes?

[Guest]

Hi Mealybar

I have had and raced pigeons for over 50 years, Spent. around an average of 8 hours a day working with them. No harm through pigeon Droppings or anything else to do with pigeons has hurt me. IF' they are looked after in the correct way. Anything living' if negected or mis-used will create health problems. Much of the Flu virus now happing started in impovished areas, where the chickens share the living quarters of the humans so it does not need much working out as to why these problems come about Sad as it is it happens, and it is up to us humans to see the problems are cut as much as possible. And The normal person does not distigush the difference between Feral Pigeons and Racing pigeons kept in a pigeon loft They are to them one and the same

Ex_Pat

[mark]

who cares what any body else thinks as long as you enjoy your hobby  you have to forgive ignorent people who know nothing about pigeon racing.