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Avian Influenza Update: wild bird monitoring area lifted

   

INFORMATION BULLETIN

Ref: 91/08
Date: 27 March 2008

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has today announced that as from 14.00 today, the Wild Bird Monitoring Area and associated disease control restrictions put in place following cases of H5N1 Avian Influenza in wild birds in Dorset will be lifted. 

Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was first confirmed on 10 January 2008 and to date 11 dead birds in the area have tested positive for the virus.

It is 30 days since collection of the last positive bird, but expert ornithological and veterinary advice is that infection may still be found both in this area or elsewhere in the country.  The UK is at a constant and low level of risk of the introduction of HPAI H5N1, with a slight increase in risk during winter and spring migration.  

Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Alick Simmons, said:

“Our active surveillance and sampling in the area has provided evidence that the virus has been confined to mute swans and a single Canada goose, at a very low level.  There is no evidence of disease spreading to domestic birds nor any further cases in wild birds in the past 30 days.

“Given the constant disease risk, further cases of a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza are to be expected. Therefore I would urge all  bird keepers across the country to remain vigilant for signs of disease, and maintain good biosecurity practices.”

Further information

Information is available on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/avianflu/, or from the Defra Helpline (08459 33 55 77) - see www.defra.gov.uk for current opening hours.  Bird keepers can also call the Animal Health recorded information line for the latest updates on 0844 884 4600.

Avian Influenza is a disease of birds. While it can pass very rarely and with difficulty to humans, this usually requires extremely close contact with infected birds, particularly faeces.  Advice from the Food Standards Agency remains that properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.

The restrictions that lift are:

  • requirement to house or otherwise keep poultry or other kept birds separate from wild birds
  • the prohibition on gatherings, hunting of wild birds except under licence, and  release of game birds,
  • requirements for cleansing and disinfection at entrance and exit to poultry/captive bird premises

However, it is important to maintain good biosecurity, and advice on best practice is published at: www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/pdf/bio_poultrykeep.pdf

All Avian Influenza (H1 to H16) can be low pathogenic but only H5 and H7 are known to become highly pathogenic.

All poultry keepers registered with the GB Poultry Register will be contacted by text message with updates. All poultry keepers responsible for a premises with 50 or more birds are legally required to register. Defra strongly encourages those with less than 50 birds to register voluntarily.

The decision to lift the monitoring area was underpinned by the evidence contained in the epidemiology report published on 30 January  and a veterinary risk assessment which will be placed on the Defra website .

End

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Page published: 27 March 2008 at 14:23