This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/07/bird-flu-warning-keepers-told-to-keep-poultry-inside
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Bird flu warning: keepers told to keep poultry inside | Bird flu warning: keepers told to keep poultry inside |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| All bird keepers, from poultry farmers to families with a few chickens, have been ordered to house their animals for a month to protect the UK from a virulent outbreak of avian flu on mainland Europe. | All bird keepers, from poultry farmers to families with a few chickens, have been ordered to house their animals for a month to protect the UK from a virulent outbreak of avian flu on mainland Europe. |
| The government chief vet, Nigel Gibbens, has declared a “prevention zone” for England that requires commercial and individual bird keepers to keep their birds inside for 30 days or take steps to separate them from wild birds. | The government chief vet, Nigel Gibbens, has declared a “prevention zone” for England that requires commercial and individual bird keepers to keep their birds inside for 30 days or take steps to separate them from wild birds. |
| The order, which was texted to poultry farmers on Tuesday, comes after a type of highly pathogenic avian flu, H5N8, was found in dead wild birds and some farm birds across Europe. | The order, which was texted to poultry farmers on Tuesday, comes after a type of highly pathogenic avian flu, H5N8, was found in dead wild birds and some farm birds across Europe. |
| “The risk that we are trying to prevent is to our British poultry flock ... to make sure these birds are protected against disease,” Gibbens told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. | “The risk that we are trying to prevent is to our British poultry flock ... to make sure these birds are protected against disease,” Gibbens told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. |
| He added: “Everybody should do what they can. Pet bird keepers should do their best and take sensible measures to separate them from wild birds, whilst looking after their welfare. I don’t want people putting them in a box in the dark and keeping them there for weeks on end.” | He added: “Everybody should do what they can. Pet bird keepers should do their best and take sensible measures to separate them from wild birds, whilst looking after their welfare. I don’t want people putting them in a box in the dark and keeping them there for weeks on end.” |
| Similar restrictions have been imposed in France after the detection of bird flu in farms in the south-west of the country and in wild ducks in northern France. | Similar restrictions have been imposed in France after the detection of bird flu in farms in the south-west of the country and in wild ducks in northern France. |
| The H5N8 strain of bird flu has not been detected on British farms. Gibbens said that if it was, all the birds in the infected flock would have to be slaughtered, under disease control requirements. | The H5N8 strain of bird flu has not been detected on British farms. Gibbens said that if it was, all the birds in the infected flock would have to be slaughtered, under disease control requirements. |
| Gibbens also urged farmers to take extra measures such as disinfecting clothing and equipment, and making sure feed and water was not accessible to wild birds to prevent infection. | Gibbens also urged farmers to take extra measures such as disinfecting clothing and equipment, and making sure feed and water was not accessible to wild birds to prevent infection. |
| “I ought to emphasise that this disease does get into house birds. So the other important thing for farmers to do is increase and maintain their bio-security so disease isn’t carried into houses where birds are housed.” | “I ought to emphasise that this disease does get into house birds. So the other important thing for farmers to do is increase and maintain their bio-security so disease isn’t carried into houses where birds are housed.” |
| Public Health England (PHE) said the threat to humans from the bird flu strain remained very low. | Public Health England (PHE) said the threat to humans from the bird flu strain remained very low. |
| Gibbens warned that the 30-day order might have to be extended. He said: “We will see how this threat of disease develops during the year. Migration has not yet quite finished; it is possible that disease may circulate in our domestic wild birds as well. We will keep this under review, look at whether it is being effective, look at how well it is being complied with and then take a considered view after 30 days.” | Gibbens warned that the 30-day order might have to be extended. He said: “We will see how this threat of disease develops during the year. Migration has not yet quite finished; it is possible that disease may circulate in our domestic wild birds as well. We will keep this under review, look at whether it is being effective, look at how well it is being complied with and then take a considered view after 30 days.” |
| The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it had increased its surveillance for the disease. In a statement, Gibbens added: “While no cases have been found in the UK, and PHE advises the public health threat is low, we are closely monitoring the situation across Europe and have scaled up surveillance in response to the heightened risk.” | The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it had increased its surveillance for the disease. In a statement, Gibbens added: “While no cases have been found in the UK, and PHE advises the public health threat is low, we are closely monitoring the situation across Europe and have scaled up surveillance in response to the heightened risk.” |
| Poultry keepers are being advised to be vigilant for signs of bird flu and to call their vet promptly if they have any concerns. | Poultry keepers are being advised to be vigilant for signs of bird flu and to call their vet promptly if they have any concerns. |
| Members of the public are also being asked to report cases of dead wild waterfowl such as swans, geese, ducks and gulls, or five or more dead birds of other species to Defra. | Members of the public are also being asked to report cases of dead wild waterfowl such as swans, geese, ducks and gulls, or five or more dead birds of other species to Defra. |
| Mark Gorton, who is director of a free range turkey and chicken producer in Norfolk, said the order to keep birds inside was sensible, and that it was fortunate the situation had not occurred earlier in the run-up to Christmas. | |
| “Most of the Christmas turkeys are done,” he said. “They’re safely packed and in the cold stores, ready for Christmas dinners. It could have been worse if it happened two or three weeks ago, and in this sense Christmas dinner is still safe.” | |
| Gorton’s business, Traditional Norfolk Poultry, has between 500,000 and a million birds at this time of year at small farms across East Anglia. | |
| He said the free range birds have houses which they can shelter in, and they would be kept in these full-time until the order was lifted. | |
| This posed no welfare issues for the birds, and the houses were “very light and airy” with lots of windows, said Gorton. |