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Bird flu alert at Abbotsbury Swannery *updated*
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| CULL RULED OUT: Abbotsbury Swannery |
WARDENS were on high alert today and patrols stepped up after three dead swans from Abbotsbury were found to have bird flu.
The mute swans were found to have been carrying the lethal H5N1 strain of the virus during routine tests.
Swannery site manager John Houston said that the outbreak was likely to have been caused by a wild bird flying on to the site.
Now the swannery is sealed off within a bird control zone stretching 20km from Abbots-bury to Portland Bill.
Swannery staff are stepping up patrols to look for any other ill and dead birds. They are ready to alert the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for urgent testing if they find any.
Wardens in Weymouth's nature reserves have also been told to remain extra vigilant for signs of the deadly bird flu virus spreading.
Extra patrols of Radipole Lake Nature Reserve and Lodmoor Country Park reserve will be carried out in the next few days.
Defra confirmed that the swans had the deadly H5N1 strain, but ruled out any cull of the swans or wild birds.
Mr Houston, the general manager of Abbotsbury Tourism, said: "When I first heard I was shocked and disappointed but now that it's here we're going to manage and deal with it and limit the effect on swans and staff.
"Hopefully we will see it through quickly and be able to reopen to the public and have a decent season."
A member of staff found the three swans on Monday. Defra performed routine test on the birds and told Abbotsbury Swannery managers of the results 48 hours later.
Staff at the swannery have also been tested for the virus by the Health Protection Agency, but Mr Houston said they had been reassured there is very limited danger to employees because the site is open access with no confined exposure.
All poultry keepers on the British Poultry Register are being notified, and the European Union Comm-ission has been informed.
2:58pm Thursday 10th January 2008
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CommentPosted by: paul, wyke on 3:20pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Nightmare news this has the potential to be quite bad considering all the birds on the fleet and the length of the fleet down to portland harbour
Nightmare news this has the potential to be quite bad considering all the birds on the fleet and the length of the fleet down to portland harbour
Posted by: wayitis, dorset on 3:27pm Thu 10 Jan 08
I presume this is the strain that can spread to humans HN51? Very bad news for the Swannery, hope it does not spread further and that Defra do not handle it as stupidly as they did those cows with foot and mouth a while back by walking them through a stream with foot and mouth!
I presume this is the strain that can spread to humans HN51? Very bad news for the Swannery, hope it does not spread further and that Defra do not handle it as stupidly as they did those cows with foot and mouth a while back by walking them through a stream with foot and mouth!
Posted by: Albo, Wyke Regis on 4:33pm Thu 10 Jan 08
H5N1 CAN spread to humans, but you've got to live in a small cardboard box with a dozen infected birds for a week before the virus passes over. Highly unlikely.
H5N1 CAN spread to humans, but you've got to live in a small cardboard box with a dozen infected birds for a week before the virus passes over. Highly unlikely.
Posted by: wayitis, dorset on 5:04pm Thu 10 Jan 08
hmmm your a bioligist then Albo? Hihgly unlikely one must take all sensible preautions.
hmmm your a bioligist then Albo? Hihgly unlikely one must take all sensible preautions.
Posted by: sam, bridport on 5:39pm Thu 10 Jan 08
i am going toi have a look tomo loads of news ppl there lol
i am going toi have a look tomo loads of news ppl there lol
Posted by: Albo, Wyke Regis on 6:20pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Wayitis: I was, until very recently, on the editorial staff of a respected medical journal. You pick a bit up...
Wayitis: I was, until very recently, on the editorial staff of a respected medical journal. You pick a bit up...
Posted by: wayitis, dorset on 6:35pm Thu 10 Jan 08
C'mon albo that does not make you medically qualified in any way, these things change quickly. Agreed though chances are VERY slim but none the less I can gurantee there will be apathy around these parts among livestock owners especially on small scale.
I know that from previous times watching farmers etc not bothering to take sensible precautions. As soon as I heard the story break I rang around several peole I know who raise chickens on a small scale to make sure they knew and to get them indoors.
C'mon albo that does not make you medically qualified in any way, these things change quickly. Agreed though chances are VERY slim but none the less I can gurantee there will be apathy around these parts among livestock owners especially on small scale.
I know that from previous times watching farmers etc not bothering to take sensible precautions. As soon as I heard the story break I rang around several peole I know who raise chickens on a small scale to make sure they knew and to get them indoors.
Posted by: tweety, dorset on 6:37pm Thu 10 Jan 08
I can' help but think that because these are the "Queens" swans" and protected that is the reason for not culling. If they were Chickens I think they would. Is that sensible? Not that I want them culled by I really think they would if they were not Swans
I can' help but think that because these are the "Queens" swans" and protected that is the reason for not culling. If they were Chickens I think they would. Is that sensible? Not that I want them culled by I really think they would if they were not Swans
Posted by: MIG, Poole on 7:36pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Just a couple of points:
1. The scientific community have stated that the H5N1 strain of this virus CAN pass to humans, but the only humans that have so far contracted it have been those both living and working in very close proximity to infected birds.
2. Not all mute swans are the property of the Crown. My understanding is that birds hatched, bred,ringed and living at Abbotsbury Swannery are one of the excluded colonies.
3. I also understand that not all mute swans at Abbotsbury are resident, Some are seasonal visitors, also I have seen Abbotsbury rings in Poole park.
Just a couple of points:
1. The scientific community have stated that the H5N1 strain of this virus CAN pass to humans, but the only humans that have so far contracted it have been those both living and working in very close proximity to infected birds.
2. Not all mute swans are the property of the Crown. My understanding is that birds hatched, bred,ringed and living at Abbotsbury Swannery are one of the excluded colonies.
3. I also understand that not all mute swans at Abbotsbury are resident, Some are seasonal visitors, also I have seen Abbotsbury rings in Poole park.
Posted by: James Young, Dorchester on 7:56pm Thu 10 Jan 08
[quote][bold]MIG[/bold] wrote:
Just a couple of points: 1. The scientific community have stated that the H5N1 strain of this virus CAN pass to humans, but the only humans that have so far contracted it have been those both living and working in very close proximity to infected birds. 2. Not all mute swans are the property of the Crown. My understanding is that birds hatched, bred,ringed and living at Abbotsbury Swannery are one of the excluded colonies. 3. I also understand that not all mute swans at Abbotsbury are resident, Some are seasonal visitors, also I have seen Abbotsbury rings in Poole park.[/quote] I think it's also true to say (Albo might know) that the real risk is if a person infected with bird flu also gets infected with normal flu and some kind of mutation takes place.
To put it into perspective there have been less than 100 proven deaths worldwide - most in conditions where chicken and man live close together - and none of the outbreaks in eastern europe have resulted in known human infection.
Personally i won't be eating swan for a while.
As a light aside, early symptoms of bird flu include an inability to park the car properly, the need to bury your wallet at the bottom of your handbag at the checkout, and strange cooing noises in the presence of small children.
MIG wrote:
Just a couple of points: 1. The scientific community have stated that the H5N1 strain of this virus CAN pass to humans, but the only humans that have so far contracted it have been those both living and working in very close proximity to infected birds. 2. Not all mute swans are the property of the Crown. My understanding is that birds hatched, bred,ringed and living at Abbotsbury Swannery are one of the excluded colonies. 3. I also understand that not all mute swans at Abbotsbury are resident, Some are seasonal visitors, also I have seen Abbotsbury rings in Poole park.
I think it's also true to say (Albo might know) that the real risk is if a person infected with bird flu also gets infected with normal flu and some kind of mutation takes place.
To put it into perspective there have been less than 100 proven deaths worldwide - most in conditions where chicken and man live close together - and none of the outbreaks in eastern europe have resulted in known human infection.
Personally i won't be eating swan for a while.
As a light aside, early symptoms of bird flu include an inability to park the car properly, the need to bury your wallet at the bottom of your handbag at the checkout, and strange cooing noises in the presence of small children.
Posted by: Foghorn Leghorn on 8:02pm Thu 10 Jan 08
[quote]To put it into perspective there have been less than 100 proven deaths worldwide - most in conditions where chicken and man live close together[/quote] May be that is why the Verne has just agreed to home 20 chickens...
To put it into perspective there have been less than 100 proven deaths worldwide - most in conditions where chicken and man live close together
May be that is why the Verne has just agreed to home 20 chickens...
Posted by: Paul on 8:56pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Time to cash in on a bit of hysteria:
http://hickmanssurvi
valkits.co.uk/
Time to cash in on a bit of hysteria:
http://hickmanssurvi
valkits.co.uk/
Posted by: wayitis, Dorset (masked) on 8:56pm Thu 10 Jan 08
[quote][bold]Foghorn Leghorn[/bold] wrote:
[quote]To put it into perspective there have been less than 100 proven deaths worldwide - most in conditions where chicken and man live close together[/quote] May be that is why the Verne has just agreed to home 20 chickens...[/quote] Ah! so they have brought back the death sentence then:-)
Foghorn Leghorn wrote:
To put it into perspective there have been less than 100 proven deaths worldwide - most in conditions where chicken and man live close together
May be that is why the Verne has just agreed to home 20 chickens...
Ah! so they have brought back the death sentence then:-)
Posted by: Dorset Boy, Wilds of Dorset on 8:57am Fri 11 Jan 08
[quote][bold]tweety[/bold] wrote:
I can' help but think that because these are the "Queens" swans" and protected that is the reason for not culling. If they were Chickens I think they would. Is that sensible? Not that I want them culled by I really think they would if they were not Swans[/quote] For your information [bold]tweety[/bold] if you new your local history you would find that this herd is NOT Queens swans but is privately owned, since 1539, by the Ilchester Estate, formerly known as Strangways Estate.
tweety wrote:
I can' help but think that because these are the "Queens" swans" and protected that is the reason for not culling. If they were Chickens I think they would. Is that sensible? Not that I want them culled by I really think they would if they were not Swans
For your information
tweety if you new your local history you would find that this herd is NOT Queens swans but is privately owned, since 1539, by the Ilchester Estate, formerly known as Strangways Estate.
Posted by: Witheld on 7:41pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Bypass now!
Posted by: Berton jean-François, FRANCE on 1:00pm Thu 17 Jan 08
I am writing from France …do you know if there is one or several poultry farms around the Abbotsbury swannery...????
I am writing from France …do you know if there is one or several poultry farms around the Abbotsbury swannery...????
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