Bird flu horror is back as six swans die
SIX swans have died since last weekend sparking fears the horror of bird flu is back.
Exactly one year on since avian flu ravaged half the swan population of Stratford - killing 50 birds - this week's devastating death toll continues to rise.
There is no cure to the deadly virus which leaves swans immobile or swimming in circles unable to coordinate movement or feed themselves as they go through a sad and lonely death.
Yesterday, Defra collected the bodies of the six dead animals and tests could take a week to confirm bird flu as cause of death but the speed and spread of the fatalities suggests the avian flu nightmare has returned to the River Avon.
Of greatest concern is the dead swans were mature, therefore not cygnets, and showed no signs of being victims of a territorial dispute or physical attack; the latest dead swan - reported Wednesday - was near the chain ferry which runs between the Recreation Ground and Southern Lane, Stratford.
“I’m praying it’s not bird flu,” said Cyril Bennis, who is the swan carer in Stratford who had the heart-breaking task of retrieving 50 dead swans from the river last October.
“This is staggering. The fact that it was three mature swans and not cygnets worries me and we can’t take it for granted because it’s unusual to get six deaths in such a short space of time with the first three reported in just 24 hours. Defra will make the decision if it’s avian flu. We hope it’s not because last year was extremely difficult and killed a lot of the swan population and we were powerless to stop it.”
He remains haunted by the memory of hauling swan carcasses from the River Avon and in an alarming development a dead Canada goose was also spotted in a field at Walton near Wellesbourne on Tuesday, again no injuries.
When last year’s bird flu plague struck the loss prompted an outpouring of sadness from the public in tribute to the iconic bird which flourished on the River Avon for nearly 40 years after its numbers were badly depleted in the early 1970s but it remains unclear as to whether the killer disease ever went away from last October and in May this year Cyril plucked a heron from the Avon which Defra confirmed tested positive for avian flu.
In another worrying development, the National Farmers Union (NFU) is advising its members to stay alert to the signs of bird flu in poultry.
Farmer James Mottershead, NFU poultry board chairman, said: “We have experienced a very difficult year due to the threat of avian influenza, AI.
“The Chief Veterinary Officer has deemed the threat to be low for poultry exposure to the HPAI H5 strain here in the UK but outbreaks are still occurring and Warwickshire farmers and those across the country are remaining vigilant.
“The NFU has spoken with government and they have provided funding for research into avian influenza which we hope will help us understand more about the disease and how we can prevent it, and ultimately put bird keepers in a better position to protect their flocks.”
Warwickshire NFU chairman Mark Meadows, who farms at Alderminster, said: “The NFU is busy working for its members across the county on this issue and many others.
“At this time, maintaining good biosecurity measures is important for all Warwickshire bird keepers, whether they are a commercial farmer or someone who just keeps a small number of hens in their garden in Stratford.
“We want to work with government to minimise the impacts of any future outbreaks of avian influenza so that we do not experience another year like this one.
“Any NFU member with poultry can access the latest information from www.nfuonline.com on the internet and we are also offering some guidance to backyard flock keepers on www.countrysideonline.co.uk to help them protect their birds”
Elsewhere, Defra introduced new measures to combat bird flu yesterday, Wednesday.
Regional housing measures for poultry and captive birds were introduced in Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex on 00:01 Wednesday
to help stop the spread of avian influenza - bird flu.
This means that all bird keepers in these hotspots must keep their birds indoors and follow strict biosecurity measures to help protect their flocks, of whatever type or size.
The Chief Veterinary Officer is now encouraging all bird keepers in the affected regions to use the next few days to prepare, including taking steps to safeguard animal welfare, consult their private vet and expand housing where necessary.
The UK has faced its largest ever outbreak of bird flu with over 170 cases confirmed across the country since late October 2021.
Public health advice remains that the risk to human health from the virus is very low and food standards bodies advise that avian influenzas pose a very low food safety risk for UK consumers. Do not touch or pick up any dead or sick birds that you find and instead report them to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77. There is no impact on the consumption of properly cooked poultry products, including eggs.
