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I still don't see the point of locking up my chickens when I go into the garden and am surrounded by wild birds, which I feed, which could easily poop on me. Or are we supposed to wear hats?

What about water butts that collect from roofs? Will the water be contaminated with the virus via bird droppings?

Calm down, chaps, it's fairly difficult to catch. DEFRA hasn't issued any guidance yet- if we have any vets they might advise here - but I've culled this from the CDC in America. I've highlighted anything I think is specially relevant.


Travelers' Health
Travelers' Health Home > Travel Notices > Outreak Notice

Outbreak Notice
Update: Human Infection with Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus
This information is current as of today, February 18, 2006, 12:16:44 PM

Updated: February 17, 14, 8 and 3, and January 13, 2006; December 27, November 18 and 3, October 28, 26, 21, 18, and 5, 2005

Released: September 23, 2005


Avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses usually affect wild birds but now are infecting and causing serious disease among poultry, such as chickens. Human infections with H5N1 viruses are rare, but have occurred during 2003 - 2006 in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam, with many cases resulting in death.

Most cases of H5N1 infection in humans are thought to have occurred from direct contact with infected poultry in affected countries. Therefore, when possible, care should be taken to avoid contact with live, well-appearing, sick, or dead poultry and with any surfaces that may have been contaminated by poultry or their feces or secretions. Transmission of H5N1 viruses to two persons through consumption of uncooked duck blood may also have occurred in Vietnam in 2005. Uncooked poultry or poultry products, including blood, should not be consumed. For current information about avian influenza and cumulative human case numbers, please see the World Health Organization (WHO) website at http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/.

Countries that have experienced confirmed outbreaks of H5N1 infection among poultry and other birds in 2005-2006 include Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Croatia, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Nigeria, Romania, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam. Poultry outbreaks were also reported in Japan, Laos, and Malaysia during 2004.

CDC remains in communication with WHO and continues to closely monitor the H5N1 situation in countries reporting human cases and bird outbreaks. The threat of a pandemic arising from novel influenza subtypes such as influenza A (H5N1) will be greatly increased if the virus gains the ability to spread from one human to another. Such transmission has not yet been observed. However, a few cases of limited person-to-person spread of H5N1 viruses have been reported, with no instances of transmission continuing beyond one person. For example, one instance of probable person-to-person transmission associated with close contact between an ill child and her mother is thought to have occurred in Thailand in September 2004.

H5N1 infections in humans can cause serious disease and death. A vaccine to protect humans against influenza A (H5N1) is not yet available, but a candidate vaccine is undergoing human clinical trials. The H5N1 viruses currently infecting birds and some humans are resistant to amantadine and rimantadine, two antiviral medications commonly used to treat influenza. The H5N1 viruses are susceptible to the antiviral medications oseltamivir and zanamivir, but the effectiveness of these drugs when used for treatment of H5N1 virus infection is unknown. For more information about influenza antiviral drugs, see http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/treatment/.

CDC has not recommended that the general public avoid travel to any of the countries affected by H5N1. Persons visiting areas with reports of outbreaks of H5N1 among poultry or of human H5N1 cases can reduce their risk of infection by observing the following measures:
Before any international travel to an area affected by H5N1 avian influenza

* Visit CDC's Travelers' Health website at http://www.cdc.gov/travel to educate yourself and others who may be traveling with you about any disease risks and CDC health recommendations for international travel in areas you plan to visit. For other information about avian influenza, see CDC's Avian Influenza website: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/index.htm.
* Be sure you are up to date with all your routine vaccinations, and see your doctor or health-care provider, ideally 4–6 weeks before travel, to get any additional vaccination medications or information you may need.
* Assemble a travel health kit containing basic first aid and medical supplies. Be sure to include a thermometer and alcohol-based hand gel for hand hygiene. See the Travelers Health Kit page in Health Information for International Travel for other suggested items.
* Identify in-country health-care resources in advance of your trip.
* Check your health insurance plan or get additional insurance that covers medical evacuation in case you become sick. Information about medical evacuation services is provided on the U.S. Department of State web page Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad, at http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/hea ... _1185.html.

During travel to an affected area

* Avoid all direct contact with poultry, including touching well-appearing, sick, or dead chickens and ducks. Avoid places such as poultry farms and bird markets where live poultry are raised or kept, and avoid handling surfaces contaminated with poultry feces or secretions.
* As with other infectious illnesses, one of the most important preventive practices is careful and frequent handwashing. Cleaning your hands often with soap and water removes potentially infectious material from your skin and helps prevent disease transmission. Waterless alcohol-based hand gels may be used when soap is not available and hands are not visibly soiled.
* Influenza viruses are destroyed by heat; therefore, as a precaution, all foods from poultry, including eggs and poultry blood, should be thoroughly cooked.
* If you become sick with symptoms such as a fever accompanied by a cough, sore throat, or difficulty breathing or if you develop any illness that requires prompt medical attention, a U.S. consular officer can assist you in locating medical services and informing your family or friends. Inform your health-care provider of any possible exposures to avian influenza. See Seeking Health Care Abroad in Health Information for International Travel for more information about what to do if you become ill while abroad. You should defer further travel until you are free of symptoms, unless traveling locally for medical care.

Note: Some countries have instituted health monitoring techniques, such as temperature screenings, at ports of entry of travelers arriving from areas affected by avian influenza. Please consult the Embassy of your travel destination country if you have any questions.
After your return

* Monitor your health for 10 days.
* If you become ill with a fever plus a cough, sore throat, or trouble breathing during this 10-day period, consult a health-care provider. Before you visit a health-care setting, tell the provider the following: 1) your symptoms, 2) where you traveled, and 3) if you have had direct contact with poultry or close contact with a severely ill person. This way, he or she can be aware that you have traveled to an area reporting avian influenza.
* Do not travel while ill, unless you are seeking medical care. Limiting contact with others as much as possible can help prevent the spread of an infectious illness.

For more information about H5N1 infections in humans, visit the World Health Organization avian influenza website at http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/ and the CDC Avian Influenza site, http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/index.htm. [/color]


The gist of this seems to be close netting and roofing of runs to stop wild birds getting to your chooks. I don't know if small bird such as robins can catch H5N1 but if they can I think I might have to cull rather than take the risk, and wait for an avian vaccine. Doesn't seem to be any evidence of people catching from water butts - there always seems to be close contact with poultry.

If any body wants to know, the latest DEFRA position for the UK is here. Avian flu can only be spread by contact with bird faeces, no mention of water. I guess if anyone is really worried about rain butts they could treat or boil the water.

There, I'm finished.

Crumbs, I have just read through this thread.

Information overload to my rather small peabrain!

I got the idea tho. I really wanted to get two chickens and have held back at the moment because of this flu thing. It seems to be creeping westward and there's not a lot we can do I guess.

It's a wait in see thing I suppose.

Thanks for sharing all the information Hedgewizard.

Heard on the radio this morning the duck in France is now confirmed H5N1. And that they are vaccinating. It must take ages though to get all those small backyard flocks treated!

Somehow I don't think vaccine will be available to the likes of me!

Have you asked the vet - or checked the French equivalent to DEFRA?

Strange developments on our loch - for the first time in ages, the pair of swans weren't there when I passed this afternoon. Instead, a group of 8 seagulls - I've never seen any seagulls around here! Are they invaders, have they infected our swans, are they going to spread the virus around the place!?

Sorry, I shouldn't be joking.

I think tomorrow will see me emptying the stable so that our chooks can go in there - typical... DP has vamoosed off to his mother's house for a week when there is heavy work to be done lol.....actually it will likely be Tuesday that I do it as J is in nursery in the morning.

I must admit that I'm a bit more concerned now that this has shown up in France - I'm not going to panic - what will be will be anyway.

There is talk of scientists trying to plot the route of migration of the birds - there is mention of the Atlantic flight path - does anyone know where that goes??

Yesterday we had a load of oyster catchers and lapwings congregate on the field opposite our house - could they be carriers too???

Do you have your hens locked in from the open run in the uk is there talk of the bird flu in the uk i am getting a larger hen shed this thursday
as my hen shed is 6' by 8' and i would not like to keep them locked up in that small a shed so i have a larger one coming and i will put a covered run on it or am i jumping the gun i hatched all my hens from from eggs/chicks and would not like anything to happen to them they all have names and i never eat anything with a name.
Worried hen owner. jessie.

Hi Jessica,according to Radio Twos Jeremy Vine show today, DEFRA are not insisting that all poultry are to be kept in covered runs at the moment,its just that there needs to be this facility available should an outbreak occur locally,the Minister actually said "where it is practical" in his reference to keeping the birds in a covered run,should this become nessecery,have no idea what is meant by this unless her means vast flocks of free range hens which could not be practically kept indoors. Seemed the gist of the discussion was that the nation is panicking due to the media hype surrounding this virus. Having listened objectively to the show I for one feel reassured that most of the coverage of the virus is scaremongering. I seem to remember there was the same hype with the SARS virus.

Thanks for that good life 1970, i feel a bit better now, i think i was reading to much into it.but i will be prepared for it if it come.
jessie

Hi Hedgewizard,hoping you can explain to me about the vaccine situation: How can a vaccine simply mask the symptoms of the disease? I was taught that a vaccine gave the recipient a tiny amount of the virus,enough to start the body producing antibodies against the virus and therefore th patient became immune,not as was suggested on the radio yesterday, a carrier? Ive been vaccinated against polio,as have most of the population,and thats a live vaccine,but Im not a carrier. Really dont get this,can you help?

As the alchemist isn't around just now, maybe you can get some information from the Soil Association website - they have quite a lot on it.

http://www.soilassociation.org.uk/web/s ... n_flu.html

They say that the vaccine is an inactivated type, unlike the polio vaccine. Birds will basically still get the disease, but with less severe (or hardly noticable) symptoms; they can still shed the virus, too.

Thanks Ina for the link.Seems that the Uk is acting as usual,ostritch fashion!