Author |
Topic: Avian flu:Don't place all the blame on wild birds (Read 2554 times) |
|
HKBWS Project
HKBWS Officers
BBS God
Please support HKBWS!
Posts: 207
|
 |
Avian flu:Don't place all the blame on wild birds
« on: May 26th, 2006, 10:32am » |
|
Avian flu: Don't place all the blame on wild birds
22 May 2006
News posted in FAO website:
http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/subjects/en/health/diseases-cards/special_ avian.html#
Human activities not birds more likely to spread the virus
Avian influenza (bird flu) is a complex issue in which wild birds have most often been identified as the culprits. It is indeed likely that they can introduce the disease to unaffected areas from countries in which the disease has already been identified - but the disease is spread through the human activities of poultry production, improper hygiene and uncontrolled commercialisation.
It is unreasonable to place the blame on wild birds as the source of the H5N1 strain of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus in the absence of rigorous research into their role in the ecology and dynamics of the virus. FAO has been calling for such research since early 2004, but insufficient resources have been allocated to be able to study the question properly.
The simple fact is that more research is needed to understand wild bird migration and the vulnerability of different species in order to perform proper risk assessments, and recommend risk mitigation measures where required.
To this end, FAO and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) are organising an international scientific conference on avian influenza and wild birds from 30-31 May in Rome to try to understand better the role of wild birds in the transmission of avian flu. Also up for discussion will be the risk of wild birds becoming a permanent reservoir of the virus and identification of the main knowledge gaps for research.
In the meantime, notes Juan Lubroth, Head of FAO's Infectious Disease Group, it is very easy to point the finger at migratory birds, but this distracts from the effort it and OIE are making to improving hygiene, good husbandry and production practices and monitoring of the poultry sector which require strong partnerships between the regulatory government sector and private industry and its farmers.
As an international agency which has invested considerable resources in numerous aspects of biodiversity preservation and conservation, FAO would be the last to pinpoint wildlife as the sole source of virus dissemination.
FAO and OIE, along with working partners such as the Wildlife Conservation Society and Wetlands International, have repeatedly stressed that prevention (through better hygiene in the production chain), control and HPAI eradication efforts should be targeted at all poultry production sectors - be it in the commercial or rural household sectors - in order to contain the disease and prevent it from spreading further.
Surveillance for avian influenza viruses and the presence of the HPAI H5N1 virus in wildlife can be given priority only once adequate surveillance of the poultry sector is in place, since poultry are more likely to transmit infection to humans and other susceptible animals. To devote resources to monitoring wild birds rather than take stock of production practices and improving such practices would not be justified.
At the same time, FAO is not particularly in favour of the banning of regularised and sanctioned hunting of wildlife for sport, tradition or livelihood for the simple reason that informal and illegal would most likely continue. It argues that hunters and hunting clubs should join the avian flu surveillance effort by becoming sources of information and even providers of valuable field samples for the study of viruses that these species could carry.
|
| « Last Edit: May 26th, 2006, 10:33am by HKBWS Project » |
 Logged |
HKBWS Manager (Projects & Communication)
香港觀鳥會 經理(項目及傳訊)
|
|
|
martin
BBS Member
BBS Full Member
Dead Ducks Don't Fly!
Posts: 34
|
|
Wild birds clearly don't play major role in spread
« Reply #1 on: Oct 21st, 2006, 6:06pm » |
|
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/15799726.htm
"Deadly bird flu not forgotten by U.S health officials"
Quote:Now, with the disease still centered in Asia and the failure of
migratory birds to spread the illness to Europe and North America,
the H5N1 virus has dropped out of the media spotlight. The dearth of
coverage has prompted some to think that the threat of a pandemic has
passed.
Health officials were surprised when flocks of migratory birds that
had flown south to Africa and then back to Europe last spring didn't
carry the H5N1 virus as expected. Neither did birds that wintered in
Asia and flew to Alaska last summer to breed. International bird
monitors also found no widespread deaths from the virus among
migratory birds.
Many experts now think that wild migratory birds are only bit players
in the spread of the disease. More likely culprits are humans who
clean, feed and house infected domestic birds and those who prepare
infected birds and transport them to commercial markets, said Rick
Kearney, wildlife program coordinator with the U.S. Geological
Survey.
"Migratory birds may contract the disease and continue in their
migration, but they clearly don't play a major or single role in
spreading the disease," Kearney said. |
|
Sadly, the health officials should not have been surprised. But, way too much stupidity re bird flu; poultry industry - helped by FAO (readily blaming wild birds prior to above statement, and never mind the facts) - has managed some effective obfuscation of truth.
Here in Hong Kong, can hope that situation will remain calm, and that won't again have daft measures like Mai Po closure without H5N1 present there. (With Wetland Park, may be tougher to shut Mai Po now - the park being supposedly a big attraction, hard to close this; if shut Mai Po, could hardly justify the W Park staying open.)
|
|
Logged |
H5N1 Poultry Flu and Wild Birds Forum
HK Outdoors
|
|
|
|
BBS
Help
Search
Members
Login
Register
Send Topic
Print