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Avian Influenza The following article is taken from Bird Table 44, mailed to BTO Garden BirdWatchers at the beginning of December 2005. As such it is based on information that was current at the time. For up to date information please see our main page on avian flu. Click here to access this. The recent spread of avian influenza (bird flu) across Asia and into Eastern Europe poses challenges to those concerned with the health of domestic poultry and the conservation of wild birds. Within the UK, the main threat is to the poultry industry and actions taken by the UK Government are targeted at minimising this risk, by maximising our vigilance and preparing a contingency plan should the virus arrive. BTO, RSPB, WWT and the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) are working with government departments to assess the risks posed by movements of wild birds, to undertake surveillance and to disseminate guidance for birdwatchers and wildfowlers. Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (including H5N1) can cause great mortality in domestic poultry flocks but are very rare in wild birds. H5N1 is highly pathogenic but was never recorded in wild birds before the recent outbreaks in SE Asia, Russia and countries around the Black Sea. It is likely that it originated in domestic poultry before being passed to wild birds. Transmission is promoted in domestic flocks, due to the density of birds and the consequent close contact with faecal and other secretions through which the virus can be transmitted. Husbandry methods in SE Asia, where domestic flocks are often allowed to mix freely with wild birds, especially ducks and geese, has allowed the virus to spread. Lots of wild birds get flu – just like humans do. H5N1 happens to be a particularly nasty form of the virus that has occasionally cropped up in the past and is currently out of control in Asia. In fact, H5N1 occurred in Scottish poultry in 1953 and in English poultry in 1963 and 1991 (according to information pulled together by Prof. Chris Feare for the RSPB). These outbreaks were all contained successfully. Some of the preventative actions being taken in this country are aimed at migratory birds but the more we learn about practises within the caged bird and poultry industries, the more it becomes obvious that these are other, potentially more worrying, causes of the spread of H5N1:
BTO, RSPB and WWT have issued guidelines to birdwatchers, particularly asking them to be on the look out for unusually large numbers of dead birds. These guidelines are available elsewhere on the BTO website. (Click here to access these guidelines). Please be assured that all of the conservation organisations are being cautious in their approaches. For instance, it is likely that one or more nature reserves might be closed at some time this winter whilst samples from dead birds are checked that they do not test positive for H5N1. We hope that these precautionary actions will not cause panic. We are also bound to see headlines that say, “bird tests positive for bird flu”. Birds get flu, just like we do, and this is not a problem, unless the flu turns out to be H5N1. What about feeding garden birds? There have been no recorded instances of transmission of bird flu between infected wild birds and humans. The H5N1 virus strain is not currently contagious between humans and most human cases to date have been associated with close contact with infected domestic poultry. Even if H5N1 did occur in the UK, the risk of a human contracting the disease from a wild bird is remote, unless there was excessive close contact with infected birds and their excreta. Although, we should
not worry unduly about contracting bird flu from our garden birds,
the hysteria in the media does have one benefit – it reminds
us that we should be careful about hygiene when feeding garden birds.
The advice remains the same as it always was; after handling birds
or bird feeders, wash your hands with soap and water and dry them
thoroughly. For more guidance about how to look after your birds
and to make sure that you also take care of yourself, please see
the Garden BirdWatch hygiene leaflet, distributed in September.
If you have friends who would like a copy, the GBW team will be
happy to send out more copies. |
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