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        Special Topics 特別主題 >> Wild Birds & Avian Flu 野鳥與禽流感 >>  BirdLife: Avian Flu & Wild Birds 4/2/04 鳥盟:野鳥與禽流感
        
(Message started by: Project Officer on Feb 4^th, 2004, 10:49am)

Title: BirdLife: Avian Flu & Wild Birds 4/2/04 鳥盟:野鳥與禽流感
Post by Project Officer on Feb 4^th, 2004, 10:49am

News release from BirdLife International
http://www.birdlife.net/action/change/avian_flu/index.html

Avian Flu and wild birds

The recent outbreak of avian flu in Asia (early 2004) has generated a large amount of press speculation about the possible causes of the illness. High-profile actions, such as the EU's temporary ban on the importation of cage birds from nine Asian countries, have added to this. Some stories in the press are beginning to blame wild birds for the spread of the disease. However, it is more likely that most or all of the spread of the disease is being caused by the large scale international and internal trade in Asia of domestic poultry, and possibly also wild caught birds traded for food and as cage birds:

This time of year (February) is not a period where birds undertake long-distance migrations from their SE Asian wintering grounds
Although wild birds are known to carry the virus and develop the disease, there is no direct evidence that they are the vector between the current widespread outbreaks
There are no known cases of transmission between wild birds and humans.

Rather, intensive farming practices and inadequate disease reporting and control seem to be the main factors behind this outbreak of avian flu. The solution lies in changing farming, trading and veterinary practices. This is where management measures should continue to be applied.

While further research on the role of wild birds is needed, it is BirdLife's view that this is likely minimal in the current outbreak, and that:

Widespread culls of wild birds would be completely unjustified
There is no risk from visiting places to watch migratory birds
The possible role of other, more likely, vectors (e.g. human travellers with infected footwear from poultry farms, exported poultry) should be urgently investigated.

However,

It would be prudent to protect domestic poultry from contact with wild birds
The hunting and keeping of wild birds does carry the risk of transmission of flu-like viruses from wild birds to domestic birds, and the remote possibility of of transmission to humans. This risk is greatly increased by the trading of wild birds in markets.

The future risks of disease transmission from wild bird populations can be greatly reduced through appropriate conservation measures. There is need to reserve places for migratory birds (especially ducks) where they are not trapped or hunted and their habitats are not encroached by farming. In particular, wetland Important Bird Areas need to be adequately safeguarded.

Title: Re: BirdLife International - Avian Flu and Wild Bi
Post by Martin Williams on Feb 4^th, 2004, 11:07am

Too bad Birdlife haven't discriminated between natural bird flu - which surely can be spread by wild birds - and this nasty, artificial variant, which is a child of the poultry industry.
[It appears from this release that they consider it a distant issue, so haven't looked at the issue closely]