[Backinwellies]

I see they have at last stopped gatherings of poultry  .... can still transport them all over the country though!   With transmission far more likely from poultry to poultry rather than from wild birds (other than wetland birds) this seems daft!.... or am I missing something?!

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

yes too many grey areas
either stop movement or dont!

[pgkevet]

..it's the holiday season so even more birds need to be moved. Short term economic motives always trump logic.

[harmony]

The last case of this strain of avian flu was two years ago and it prompted measures around that outbreak. Those restrictions were lifted just over a month later. This time, presumably, because of the number of cases in Europe, the reaction had been much wider restrictions.


Most of us are only dealing with a few birds. Spare a thought for those people who are having to house hundreds of birds and whose livelihoods are at risk.


There aren't many poultry sales at this time of year but I assume there needs to be some transport of birds to keep the poultry industry going but it isn't through open markets anyway.

[Backinwellies]

There aren't many poultry sales at this time of year but I assume there needs to be some transport of birds to keep the poultry industry going but it isn't through open markets anyway.

The Bernard Matthews outbreak was though to be via just one of these business transports ... will be interesting to see if they discover the cause this time

[hexhammeasure]

has pigeon racing ended for the year?

[Eve]

..it's the holiday season so even more birds need to be moved. Short term economic motives always trump logic.

The christmas birds have all been processed already, that started weeks ago. Not a turkey, goose or duck left to do.

[Daisys Mum]

has pigeon racing ended for the year?

Apparently pigeons don't pose a great risk 

[Penninehillbilly]

has pigeon racing ended for the year?

Apparently pigeons don't pose a great risk 

[Daisys Mum]

"The ban on gatherings does not apply to pigeons or aviary birds which are at much lower risk of passing the disease to domestic poultry"
[/size]As taken from gov. Press release. Perhaps they don't poop as they fly over your chicken runs[/color]

[macgro7]

What gatherings do you mean?
Went to the melton cattle market yesterday.  There were a lot less birds than normal but it was running! Chickens, pigeons, ducks, geese and turkeys have been sold there

[harmony]

There aren't many poultry sales at this time of year but I assume there needs to be some transport of birds to keep the poultry industry going but it isn't through open markets anyway.

The Bernard Matthews outbreak was though to be via just one of these business transports ... will be interesting to see if they discover the cause this time

There have always been movement restrictions in the outbreak and surveillance zones, has there not?


Also, is part of the problem in any disease outbreak, that by the time people know there is a problem and report it movements will have already taken place? With the large producers there is a record of the movements and part of the investigation is to trace all the movements.


It seems to me that when there is a case, in this country, looking at the information provided by the government, they are generally isolated and remain contained, which must say something for the measures put in place and the management of bio security in these places.


All the incidents seem to blame wild birds as the source.

[harmony]

What gatherings do you mean?
Went to the melton cattle market yesterday.  There were a lot less birds than normal but it was running! Chickens, pigeons, ducks, geese and turkeys have been sold there

Chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys should not have been sold there yesterday.

[ColinS]

There have always been movement restrictions in the outbreak and surveillance zones, has there not?

Well, if you read the DEFRA document for the affected farm in Lincolnshire:-

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/578789/ai-pz-lincolnshire-161216.pdf

The surveillance zone only requires records of the movements to be kept as soon as possible after the event - it seems the movements are not in any way restricted.

[ColinS]

All the incidents seem to blame wild birds as the source.

As with all wars, truth is an early casualty. It seems there are strong arguments both ways. see:-
http://www.nabu-buchholz.de/app/download/6686478163/Steiof+et+al+2015.pdf?t=1480584163

And then:-

http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/programmes/en/empres/news_031116b.html

They can't both be right.