Avian Flu

J.R.

Bird flu strain that forced huge culls in Europe found in Peregrine Falcon in Limerick

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/bird-flu-strain-that-forced-huge-culls-in-europe-found-in-peregrine-falcon-in-limerick-39718177.html?fbclid=IwAR3z-_QNsJu_j4ZEVGdOxBsXpQEbuLIDd24EuijPfbTqKG4VUxkZgRPWJak

Birdnuts

2 Sea Eagles died from it on Lough Derg a couple of years ago - what happens is that it comes in on migratory wildfowl at this time of year. They then get sick or die and are then picked off or scavanged by the likes of BOP's etc. In terms of commercial poultry, the biggest risk is species like Wild and feral pigeons spreading it via entering feedlots, poultry houseing etc

deeksofdoom

There was a case of t in Clonakilty a few years ago aswell, but supposedly it didn't pose a threat to public health.

I have been thinking to myself about releasing birds and the threat of introducing something like bird flu or a virus into the locality here. The days of releasing birds are numbered methinks.

Post Script - What I mean is a virus has the potential to jump from birds to humans and what then?

OpenYourEyes

deeksofdoom wrote: »

There was a case of t in Clonakilty a few years ago aswell, but supposedly it didn't pose a threat to public health.

I have been thinking to myself about releasing birds and the threat of introducing something like bird flu or a virus into the locality here. The days of releasing birds are numbered methinks.

Post Script - What I mean is a virus has the potential to jump from birds to humans and what then?

There is always a concern of it jumping to humans, though so far the strain around at the moment (H5N8) hasn't done so. I found a Whooper Swan a couple of winters ago that tested positive for avian flu, and I got a phonecall from a public health official asking how close I got to the bird, if I had any flu symptoms, and if I did they were ready to prescribe and send out Tamiflu to me to stop any potential flu in its tracks. So there are precautions taken around this sort of thing to minimise the risk of it jumping to humans. That being said, you can imagine the heightened risk if it got into a significant number of captive birds in a flock.

OpenYourEyes

Just by way of an update, Avian Flu has been detected in one captive flock as well as wild birds in 7 counties. In several if those counties, multiple birds in the same area have died from it. I'm also aware of more confirmed cases yet to be announced.

More details here: https://birdwatchireland.ie/cases-of-avian-flu-detected-in-ireland/

And here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/50ce4-avian-influenza-bird-flu/


And be sure to report any dead or sick waterbirds to the DAFM hotline as soon as you find them!

Cass

Anything else on this since December?

Springwell

80,000 birds culled in Clough and 31,000 culled in Lisburn this month already

Cass

Jaysus.

Was that because of confirmed or suspected cases or just precautionary?

Springwell

The Clough one was confirmed highly pathogenic H5N8, Lisburn was suspect at cull but later confirmed as H5N8 also

OpenYourEyes

Cass wrote: »

Anything else on this since December?

Theres one 2021 update for ROI available at the link below:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/50ce4-avian-influenza-bird-flu/#2021

"There have been no further outbreaks of avian influenza H5N8 confirmed in poultry or captive birds in the Republic of Ireland since that single outbreak which occurred on 10th December 2020"

"Wild bird species confirmed with HPAI H5N8 in Ireland include the following: whooper swan, mute swan, barnacle goose, curlew, cormorant and peregrine falcon." - these look to cover 7 or 8 counties.