Re: German Poultry Co. invades Scotland
- From: "Burkie" <Burkie50@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 7 Apr 2006 09:45:08 -0700
Embedded in the previous post is this link. Seems relevant to you
folkses' situation.
All the Best.....hope you manage to get Sir Dave King under your
control.
Either he's gay, a total idiot, or incapable of dealing with
reality.....or all the above. But then, he's your official Scientific
Expert. I've got my opinion, but can't express that on a forum
openly.
Burkie
BIRD FLU HAS LANDED!
THE nightmare of the bird flu epidemic hitting the UK was realised in
East Fife this week after a dead swan found in Cellardyke harbour
tested positive for the dreaded disease
While the exact strain of the virus - discovered in a bird last
Wednesday - was not known when the Herald/Citizen went to press
yesterday, there were fears that it could be the deadly H5N1 strain.
The discovery has now prompted an appeal for small poultry keepers in
the area to make themselves known.
Free Range egg producer Moira Henderson, Ring Farm, Chance Inn, has
chaired the Scottish Egg Producers Retailers Association (SEPRA) for
six years.
She said yesterday: "I can assure you that a firewall has been built up
around the situation and that if this was to happen anywhere, really,
Cellardyke was as good a place as any as there are no poultry units
within the three kilometre protection zone.
"There are a couple of commercial units (broilers and layers) within
the 10 kilometre surveillance area, but measures have been put in place
to protect those. There are no birds outside. They are all housed and,
therefore, have not come into contact with wild birds.''
Mrs Henderson said she was more concerned about unregistered owners of
units of fewer than 50 birds.
She added "There are people with a couple of pens at the back door who
have not been asked to register with the National Register of Poultry
Keepers.
''We would ask that they make themselves known to their local vet. We
are not going to come in and cull their birds, but within the Fife area
it would be extremely helpful if we had a very tight firewall with no
cracks in it.
"We need to know where these people are. They are probably more at risk
from contact with wild birds than our commercial birds.
"We are still waiting to hear if the virus is H5N1 and, even if it is,
measures have already been put into place so then it would just be a
waiting game.''
She also issued a strong plea for poultry owners to be extra vigilant:
"Owners should watch out for more nasal excretions and changes in
colour of the comb (from red to purple). Basically the birds keel over
and die very quickly.
''It is a very, very quick disease and this is a time for honesty and
integrity. Please don't hide it. That is far more dangerous to
everybody.''
Mrs Henderson is the first woman president of SEPRA.
Ironically, on the day the media storm broke around her, she was en
route to the funeral of the association's first chair, Jimmy Steele, in
Forfar.
The National Farmers Union Scotland said the news was "extremely
concerning" and warned Fife farmers to prepare for orders to haul their
poultry inside, an instruction which has already been issued to local
farmers within a 10-mile radius.
NHS Fife has appealed for calm and stated that the risk to public
health remained very low.
"Obviously this is an extremely concerning development. We will be
liaising with the authorities to determine the veterinary advice on the
next steps," said James Withers, the NFU's chief executive.
"It appears this finding has been in a wild bird, so there is no
evidence yet it has reached the farmed population, and experience of
cases elsewhere in Europe show there is no guarantee it will do so.
"Any poultry farmers in the immediate area should bring their poultry
indoors and those out with the 10km surveillance zone should prepare
for a national order to do the same. We're urging all our members to
double check the measures they have in place to prevent, as far as
possible, contact between wild birds and farmed poultry.
"The poultry industry has been preparing for this day, but it doesn't
make it any less worrying. We will have to wait and see if the
preliminary tests are confirmed and indeed if this is the H5N1 strain
which could require UK-wide preventative measures. We are working very
closely with the Scottish Executive as this unfolds."
NHS Fife has stressed to the public not to panic, and that the health
risk to humans is extremely low, but it has urged people not to handle
any dead birds.
Its Director of Public Health also told farmers to separate their own
birds from any wild birds to minimise risk of the spread.
She said: "While avian influenza cannot be ruled out at this stage
there is no reason for public health concern.
"Avian Influenza is a disease of birds and whilet it can pass, with
difficulty, to humans this requires extremely close contact with
infected poultry, particularly faeces.
"It is highly unlikely to be passed from human to human."
Aviagen, the firm which plans to build a controversial chicken farm in
Cupar and has one in Tayport, refused to comment.
07 April 2006
.
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