Deadly Route of the Infected Swans
The Sunday Times - Britain
09 April 2006
Dipesh Gadher, Steven Swinford and Camillo Fracassini
Britain's first bird flu case has German link
SCIENTISTS have linked Britain’s first case of avian flu to a strain of the deadly H5N1 virus that has killed more than 100 wild birds around a German island in the Baltic sea.
Genetic tests carried out on the dead swan from Cellardyke, Fife, reveal that it was infected by a strain of the virus that is “almost an exact match” for the one found in dead swans on the island of Rügen in February.
The findings suggest that the Scottish case is the continuation of a bird flu outbreak that has swept across Europe rather than a new form of the virus, which some experts had feared.
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U.N. environment agency calls for restoration to reduce exposure opportunities
Washington -- The threat of avian flu epidemics might be reduced if lost and degraded wetlands were restored to provide better habitat for disease-carrying migratory species and reduce their contact with domestic poultry.
The U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) announced the findings of the commissioned study in Nairobi, Kenya, April 11.
The research found that the loss of natural wetlands compels wild species to join domestic species in farm ponds and paddy fields.
Avian flu viruses are carried by wild birds. Even though the wild birds do not get sick, their contact with domestic birds is considered a major reason for the spread of the disease.
The study also advises relocating large-scale poultry-raising enterprises away from migratory bird flyways. “Intensive poultry operations along migratory wild bird routes are incompatible with protecting the health of ecosystems that birds depend upon,” according to the UNEP research. “They also increase the risks of transfer of pathogens between migrating birds and domestic fowl.”
The U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) announced the findings of the commissioned study in Nairobi, Kenya, April 11.
The research found that the loss of natural wetlands compels wild species to join domestic species in farm ponds and paddy fields.
Avian flu viruses are carried by wild birds. Even though the wild birds do not get sick, their contact with domestic birds is considered a major reason for the spread of the disease.
The study also advises relocating large-scale poultry-raising enterprises away from migratory bird flyways. “Intensive poultry operations along migratory wild bird routes are incompatible with protecting the health of ecosystems that birds depend upon,” according to the UNEP research. “They also increase the risks of transfer of pathogens between migrating birds and domestic fowl.”
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