Keep garden feeders clean to halt bird flu, public told
Half a million animals have been culled in UK’S worst H5N1 outbreak amid fears it could spread to humans
BIRD lovers have been urged to clean feeders in their garden regularly to avoid infection from the UK’S worst outbreak of avian flu.
Half a million birds have already been culled in the surge of H5N1, which mainly affects ducks, geese and swans.
There have been 40 cases around the country, and the disease is believed to have been spread by migratory wild birds from Russia and Eastern Europe.
All kept birds, including pets and farm animals, have been ordered to be held indoors since late November.
On Wednesday morning, pelicans were seen being transported from the lake in St James’s Park, London, to their enclosure on the reserve’s Duck Island as a precaution.
While there have been no cases of human infection from the virus in the UK, it has a mortality rate of around 50 per cent in other countries where people have been infected.
Humans can catch the disease by touching infected birds, or their droppings, including when killing or preparing infected poultry.
People with bird feeders in their garden have been urged to clean them regularly and space them out to prevent the spread of the disease.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said: “Everyone should take care to maintain good hygiene when feeding garden birds, regularly cleaning feeders outside with mild disinfectant, removing old bird food, spacing out feeders as much as possible and washing your hands.”
A spokesman said that the charity was not calling on people to stop feeding garden birds, as the disease mainly affected larger species.
However, the public have been advised not to approach dead or dying birds, even if they appear to be in distress. Avian flu can cause birds to stumble around, their necks to twist, and their heads to swell.
It causes a similar internal reaction to those caused by influenza viruses in humans, and has caused dozens of cases, mostly in Asia.
Christine Middlemiss, Britain’s chief vet, told the BBC that the disease was at a “phenomenal level” that has “huge human, animal and trade implications”.
She added that biosecurity measures would need to continue for some time because the migratory period for birds did not end until March.