Bird flu is still with us and cases have been widespread in the UK
AVIAN Influenza (AI) has been about for several years in Europe and the UK’S wild birds and poultry are most at risk during the winter months.
Why? Because as wild birds migrate from eastern Europe to the warmer winters, they bring the AI with them.
Waterfowl arriving on estuaries and inland waters such as reservoirs have been the main source, the AI then transmits into other wild birds and then to domestic poultry they come in contact with, via faeces or other bodily fluids.
So far this winter there have been more 280 cases confirmed in wild birds all around the country. Reports of suspected cases are usually dead birds found by the public, these have ranged from swans to birds of prey.
In domestic poultry and kept birds, there have been 17 cases spread around England with one case in Scotland. They have been an equal mix of backyard flocks and commercial units.
The mortality rate in flocks depends on the strain of the virus and the type of birds. In High Pathogenic strains such as H5N8 or H5N1, mortality is high whereas Low Pathogenic strains such as H5N2 it is low and outbreaks are harder to spot.
The risk to humans is not from consuming poultry meat or eggs, it is because the AI virus like all viruses changes frequently, creating new strains and one of the new strains may spread easily among people. But there is no evidence that any recent strain of avian influenza has been able to.
Avian influenza isn’t an airborne virus. To reduce the risk of AI spreading to domestic poultry from wild birds, since December 14 all bird-keepers in England, whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock, are required by law to take a
range of biosecurity precautions including keeping their birds indoors except in very specific circumstances. An outbreak of avian influenza in back garden poultry has the same effect on farmers and trade in poultry as an outbreak on a commercial farm.
It results in the same restrictions on movement of birds. The recent case in Derbyshire, referred to as Willington but was actually close to Radbourne, resulted in a 3km Protection Zone and a 10km Surveillance Zone being drawn around the case. This had implications for movements of other livestock not just poultry within and to and from the zones.
If you have any doubts about the health of your birds, seek veterinary advice but first and foremost reduce the risk of contamination from wild birds by keeping your birds housed, stopping wild birds from accessing the hen house and not taking faeces into the house on boots or bedding.
If housing is impossible and for further biosecurity advice, visit the NFU website at nfuonline.com