Watch Out

Results from more than 60,000 tests on wild birds and domestic poultry within the European Commission’s borders are being analysed by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency in Weybridge. The agency is also conducting tests on 8,000 chickens and turkeys and at least 3,000 wild birds in Britain to determine whether there is a reservoir of the disease in the country.

The Defra spokesman said: “Farmers should keep a close eye on their poultry for health problems and if there are suspicions then family members should be isolated, protective clothing should be worn and of course it should be reported to the authorities very quickly.

“The evidence from Asia suggests that humans have to have very close proximity to sick animals for humans to contract bird flu.”

Debby Reynolds, the Chief Veterinary Officer, has urged those keeping poultry to feed and water them indoors where possible in order to keep them away from wild birds.

Some farmers are restricting the movement of poultry and are using netting to protect their flocks from wild birds. Those working with poultry are being advised to shower and change their clothes before coming into contact with birds.

The first known form of avian influenza appeared in Italy around 1878 and was known as fowl plague. It was first recognised in the United States in 1924-25

There have been several outbreaks in recent years. In 2003 more than 28 million poultry were slaughtered in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany

Infected birds often die without any signs of disease although symptoms can include a lack of appetite, dullness, respiratory distress, diarrhoea and a drop in egg production

Transmission can occur from direct contact with secretions from infected birds — especially faeces — and contaminated feed, water, equipment and clothing. Contaminated eggs can infect chicks in the incubator

The last outbreak of avian influenza in Britain was in 1991. Another serious epidemic affected Japan, South Korea and South-East Asia early in 2004. This outbreak is still ongoing in China and parts of South-East Asia

There were a small number of cases of avian influenza in the US and Canada in 2004. But the US strain, in Texas, was H5N2, not the same as the strain in South-East Asia

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