The Scottish Executive has today announced that the emergency provisions put in place, after the discovery of the dead swan infected with the H5N1 virus in Fife, have now been lifted.
In this particular case, since the swan had been dead for a considerable time before it was discovered, any outbreak of bird-flu would already have started by the time the swan was found. This incident showed that the measures put in place by the Scottish Executive were not properly followed, and highlights the part country sportsmen can play in the immediate reporting of any dead birds found in unusual numbers or locations.
It is now fairly unlikely that the bird-flu will strike here in Scotland or Northern Ireland in the wild bird population until the end of the summer at least, as migrations are now almost over in the species most likely to carry the virus.
If there is an outbreak before then, the most likely source will be in poultry or game birds imported from Europe, so please be on your guard if you take poults from a source you don't know personally - ask where the birds came from!
It would be a sensible precaution to make sure you have a foot-bath of disinfectant at the entrance to all rearing and release pens, to avoid the chance of tracking any virus into your pens on your boots, and if possible wash your hands with a disinfectant solution between pens, especially if handling food or water supplies for your birds.
Precautions
If you find any dead birds, particularly waterfowl, report the find immediately to your nearest police station. If in doubt, report it anyway - better to be safe than sorry!
It would be sensible to wear rubber gloves when handling the bodies of any birds you shoot, especially when cleaning them to eat. If possible, try to avoid close contact with all of the body fluids - the most likely cause of infection would be inhaling the virus. To minimise this risk, either wear a mask (a simple dust mask, such as are available from DIY shops for painting, etc. should be enough) or prepare the birds outside or in a well-ventilated area. Cooking destroys the virus, so there is no known risk from eating infected birds, provided they are properly cooked.
If you have birds in captivity, the only way you can be reasonably sure of keeping your birds free of infection if there were an outbreak near you is to have your birds indoors. Any contact with wild birds, even sparrows, could carry a risk of infection.
The most likely risk to your birds is from the droppings of wild birds, so you must keep your birds in conditions where this can't happen. In a building is likely to be safe, but if your birds are in aviaries, the roofs must be completely covered by plastic sheet or some other solid layer, and the netting on the sides must be small enough to prevent small wild birds getting in. Realistically, this would mean 1/2 inch (15mm) netting.
If there is any evidence of the bird flu in your area, it would be sensible to use a disinfectant bath at the entrance to your aviaries or pens, to prevent carrying the virus in on your boots, or spreading it from pen to pen.
For the most up to date information available, check the SACS website regularly or telephone SACS Headquarters on 01698 885206.
Avian Flu - Government Compulsory Poultry Registration Scheme
As a result of the current situation with the Avian Flu Virus, the Government has introduced a compulsory registration scheme which will affect many of our members.
To put it simply, anyone who will, at anytime over the coming year, have 50 or more poultry and / or game birds in captivity MUST register their premises.
For our purposes, this will include any game birds being reared, up to the point where they are actually capable of leaving their release pens by themselves. Game birds will include ducks, pheasants and partridges, and you need to include any poultry such as bantams, etc. which you may have.
The regulations do not apply to birds which have already been released, so any remaining stock from last season is not relevant, provided they are not confined in pens.
Please think carefully about your own circumstances, but also the circumstances of anyone you know who might be in a similar position but who may not be aware.
While this disease is potentially very dangerous, there is absolutely no reason to panic at this stage.
There is nothing we in this country can do to prevent the virus from coming here – it will depend almost entirely on migratory bird patterns. If the virus arrives in this country in its present form, the most urgent immediate implications would be for commercial poultry keepers and those who have collections of captive birds. Even if the virus did manage to get into our game birds or the wildfowl population here, the danger to human health is still relatively small.
Eating what you have shot would not be dangerous, even if the bird were infected, because cooking would kill the virus.
The danger would lie in handling the bird, as the virus is in the body fluids of the infected bird. This would include the obvious ones such as blood, mucous and internal fluids, but can also include the bird’s droppings.
To be safe, you must assume that contamination may be all over the carcass, inside and out, of any bird you handle, and act accordingly.
Hygiene
It would be safer to wear rubber gloves when handling and especially when cleaning all birds in the meantime. This will help prevent a virus getting into your body via any cuts or scratches you have on your hands. Avoid holding birds close to your face, to lessen the chance of inhaling the virus.
When you clean a bird, make sure that you have at least a quick look at the internal organs, especially the liver. This applies particularly to those who usually only ‘breast’ birds such as woodpigeons. It is now essential to at least cut into the body cavity at the end of the breastbone and pull it open for a quick check.
You do not need to be a pathologist to know what to look for, and even if you have no idea what you are looking for, you would probably be able to spot a potential problem.
The body cavity of a bird opened in this way contains the intestines, with other specialised organs, the most obvious of which is the liver. If you don’t already know, this looks exactly like a small version of the liver sold for human consumption. Fortunately for us, a bird’s liver is one of the first organs to show obvious signs of any serious disease.
It should be dark red, shiny and clean looking, in a transparent membrane. If it shows any signs of spotting, discoloration, or anything which makes you even wonder, discard the bird, and wash your hands and the area where you are cleaning the birds thoroughly before doing any more birds. Dilute bleach is fine, and won’t taint the remaining birds with a strong smell like some disinfectants.
The most basic precaution of all is your own observation – both of the birds you shoot before you shoot them, and the body of the bird when you handle it.
When you are shooting, watch for any signs which would suggest that the bird is not behaving ‘normally’ in any way for that type of bird. It is impossible to guess what the abnormal behaviour would be in advance, but anything out of the ordinary at all should make you think.
When you have the bird in your hand, immediately think about the appearance before you put it in a game bag. Does it look healthy? Is it a bit thin, or ‘light’? Does the breastbone stick out more than normal? Are there any signs of mucous or discharge around the nostrils, or signs of fouling round the vent feathers, which could indicate diarrhoea?
If the answer to any of these questions is ‘Yes’, of even ‘Maybe’, don’t take any chances! Carry a plastic bag with you at all times, and if you find a bird or birds which look even slightly suspect in any way, pit them in the plastic bag and tie it. Dispose of the carcass safely, still sealed – or consider taking it to a vet to examine. Either way, don’t open the bag again for any reason just in case.
If you discover a group of birds, especially waterfowl, showing signs of illness, report this to either your vet or the local police as a matter of urgency – you may be saving the lives of millions of people throughout the world by your quick action!
The real danger, and this is a truly horrific scenario, would be if the bird flu virus mutates into a form which can easily infect humans, and spreads rapidly from person to person. This would cause the ‘pandemic’ we are all hearing about in the media – a world-wide epidemic of flu. Depending on the actual mutation, this could be catastrophic for the whole human population.
However, like previous flu epidemics, the seriousness of the pandemic will depend on the actual mutation. There is absolutely nothing any of us can do at this stage, apart from one small precaution, and that will depend on your GP.
The epidemic would begin if someone who already has a flu-like virus also contracts the bird-flu virus. The two strains could cross-breed, and this is where the real trouble would begin if it were going to happen.
There is currently no antibody for the potential human version of the bird-flu virus, because it will need to be tailored to kill that specific virus, and we don’t know what (or if!) it will be. We can, however, take steps to prevent catching the ordinary human flu – GP’s have supplies of ‘winter flu’ medication, which they give as a matter of course to people at risk, such as the elderly.
If you keep birds, or if you are in contact with birds regularly, you could discuss with your GP whether there would be an advantage to giving you a dose of this preventative medication.
It is not essential, and the views of GP’s will vary, so don’t worry if yours decides that you don’t need it – he’s the expert.
This issue will be fully covered in the next magazine, due out shortly. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact SACS HQ. We will always have the most up-to the minute information and advice available.
You can contact us on 01698 885206 or 07890 347572, by email at sacs@netherholm.sol.co.uk or via the email facility on this site.
Ian Clark
Director