BAD, bad news

[cyro51]

We have avian flu in Norfolk again.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/6327193.stm

The day before yesterday I saw a large water bird, possibly a juvenile cygnet, floating down the river. I didn't report it because it was evening and by the time it was investigated it would have floated away, but a lady who feeds the birds said she had never seen it before.

Thank goodness Karen helped me cover my aviary.

Cynthia

[Trees Gray]

DARN I'm so sorry to hear this.


I haven't heard nothing about this H5N1 at all, I was hoping we wouldn't and be done with it for this season.

[AZWhitefeather]

This is indeed terrible news Cynthia.

Cindy

[Reti]

Oh no, terrible news indeed.

Reti

[feralpigeon]

Sorry to hear this, Cynthia. I was also hoping that it would fade away as a non-issue for the season. They do still bring it up as an issue though, in special
news reports.

fp

[cyro51]

They think that the cause was a small bird getting through the ventilation, or something to that effect. Will that stop people caring for garden birds? I thought that it was unlikely to affect them.

Cynthia

[mr squeaks]

I'm so sorry to hear this news, Cynthia!

We will certainly be watching for updates!!

[jazaroo]

Hi Cynthia,

I did see this story reported on CNN this morning and was not pleased, to say the least. I truly hope the story ends here, with no more reported outbreaks.

Ron

[Jules]

Reading the article and doing further research on the history as well as seeing the map of the spread of this horrific disease http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/h...map/html/1.stm
. . it leaves me with a complete sense of helplessness.

When West Nile Virus hit Toronto years ago I had no idea that it would change my life. In a course of about 45 days I lost over five hundred and fifty birds in my back yard alone.

I cannot imagine the impact it has on you being in the path of this influenza virus's destruction.

My heart goes out to you Cynthia.


Julianne

[kittypaws]

Cynthia,

This is so awful - just when we think the dreaded words "bird flu" are disappearing from people' memories something like this happens.

I see it is one of Bernard Matthew's farms! I do not like that man who has profited out of turkeys misery and I am glad he will feel the loss but of course would never want it to happen this way.

Thos poor turkeys that will be gassed - I do hope it is quick for them..

Tania x

[cyro51]

This time the authorities and the media are playing down the possibility of a pandemic. Just as well after all the panic they created last time. There was a newspaper story then about a pigeon that had been found dead in a doorway, poor little thing, and they almost called out the army to remove it as no one dared touch it.

Cynthia

[roy-me-boy]

I am very angry and saddened that this disease as arrived in England! Last Autumn 500,000 pheasants were imported into the UK from France where they had been bred in huge sheds!!! The pheasants were then released into the English countrytside on shooting estates.Were these foriegn birds checked for any disease before being released to mix with our wild birds and mammals? And were any released on Norfolk shooting estates?

[roy-me-boy]

Just to update you all.The authorities have confirmed the bird flue outbreak was NOT spread by wild birds,but was brought here from contaminated meat from Rumania.There was an identical bird flue outbreak in a Bernard Mathews turkey farm in Rumania.The authorities are now trying to discover how it got from there to the Bernard Mathew Farm in England!

[cyro51]

That is good news Roy, as far as the wild birds are concerned. When we went down to the river this morning the Council had nailed posters on thebtrees advising people who to contact if they found dead birds and to wash their hands after feeding the birds.

To my relief they didn't suggest refraining from feeding at all.

Cynthia