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The Poultry Keeper
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stephen
Site Admin
Joined: 13 Apr 2005
Posts: 4882
Location: Billinge, Skåne, Sweden.
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 Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:40 pm Post subject: UK Bird Flu Parrot wasn't bird flu... |
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From the BBC:
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More than 50 finches imported from Taiwan died from the deadly strain of avian flu in a UK quarantine facility, a government probe has found.
Reports a South American parrot in the same Essex centre had the disease seemed to be mistaken, the report said.
Because the tissue samples of the first birds to die were mixed, it was unclear which birds had the H5N1 virus strain.
Later tests showed the Taiwanese birds were the "most likely" virus source, as H5N1 was not found in other species. |
Last edited by stephen on Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:51 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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stephen
Site Admin
Joined: 13 Apr 2005
Posts: 4882
Location: Billinge, Skåne, Sweden.
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| Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:50 pm Post subject: |
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Further update, as the original BBC report was barely in English. From the BBC
| Quote: | Reports a South American parrot brought a deadly strain of bird flu into a UK quarantine centre appear mistaken, a government report has concluded.
The probe says it is more likely that around 50 finches imported from Taiwan brought the virus to the Essex centre.
Because the tissue samples of the first birds to die were mixed, it was unclear which birds had the H5N1 virus strain.
Later tests showed the Taiwanese birds were the "most likely" virus source, as H5N1 was not found in other species.
The report by the National Emergency Epidemiology Group for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) looked at the result of tests on a number of sets of birds at an un-named quarantine centre in Essex.
It found that the highly pathogenic strain of bird flu was initially identified when tissues from two birds that had died in the centre were analysed together.
These were a blue-headed pionus from Surinam and a mesia from Taiwan, which were found dead on 14 October.
Later examinations found a strain of the H5N1 virus in the mixed samples which most closely resembled one found in wild ducks in China earlier in 2005.
But tests on other birds at the centre revealed the H5N1 strain in some of the Taiwanese mesias, but not in the birds from Surinam.
The report concludes that "on the balance of probabilities" the H5N1 was brought to the facility by the mesias.
Smugglers?
It also notes that the disease had not spread between the species of bird held together in quarantine.
Announcing the report's publication, Chief Veterinary Officer Debby Reynolds said the report contained significant findings which further aided the understanding of pathogenic bird flu.
"In particular the apparent lack of transmission of H5N1 between species of the facility will be interesting to the international community.
"The available evidence points to the mesias, which were documented as imported from Taiwan, as the most likely source of the virus."
Responding to the report, the Taiwanese government said: "There is a good possibility that profit-driven traders smuggled mesias from China to Taiwan, using our avian flu-free country as a front from which they laundered these birds to the UK and other countries."
It added that the Defra report had been sent to concerned authorities in Taiwan.
Council probe
Taiwan has also asked if it can send a team to the UK to consult British officials on the report.
The report says that the birds were grouped according to species and location in the quarantine facility and tested in line with accepted epidemiological sampling practice.
However, after bird flu was discovered at the site, Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett announced that a review of quarantine procedures would be conducted by Professor Nigel Dimmock.
The Emeritus Professor of Virology at Warwick University is examining avian quarantine arrangements and procedures for captive birds.
He is set to make recommendations on any necessary changes needed to policies or procedures when he publishes his report at the end of November.
A separate investigation is being undertaken by Essex County Council's trading standards department, into the circumstances surrounding the quarantine of an infected bird.
'Confusion'
The council is responsible for looking at any possible breaches of quarantine rules and import licences.
Shadow environment secretary Oliver Letwin said the report had exposed "confusion" surrounding the handling of the issue.
But environment minister Ben Bradshaw said there was no cause for alarm as there were no indications that any live birds were released from the centre.
"The investigation shows all the birds have been accounted for," he said. |
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Aussie Chick
Joined: 23 Apr 2005
Posts: 2737
Location: Milton Keynes/ Brisbane
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| Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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| That is shocking! |
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Knobby
Joined: 13 Apr 2005
Posts: 6707
Location: North Warwickshire
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| Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 8:15 pm Post subject: |
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Its quite bizzare, that they cant even decide what had bird flu, and what didnt ?  |
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