July 20 (UPI) — Wales confirmed a summer outbreak of bird flu Thursday among seabird colonies on its southwestern coast with the public being asked to report dead or dying birds to authorities, but to stay clear of them and keep their dogs on a lead.
Testing on some of the hundreds of dead birds washed up on the beaches of South Pembrokeshire — mostly guillemots, razorbills and gannets — had determined they died from avian influenza, Pembrokeshire Council said in a news release.
A multi-agency response had been initiated to deal with the outbreak but no so-called “Avian Influenza Prevention Zone” had been declared, it added.
“Welsh Government advice is that bird keepers should continue to complete the biosecurity self-assessment checklist. Scrupulous biosecurity is the most effective method of disease control available and all bird keepers should follow enhanced biosecurity measures at all times to prevent the risk of future outbreaks,” said the council.
The outbreak in one of Britain’s most important seabird habitats came one day before schools break up for the summer holidays and visitors begin flocking to the rocky coastline and islands that make up the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
“It is really important that members of the public don’t touch dead or sick birds but also that they help us to understand the conservation impacts on our internationally important seabird populations by continuing to report any they might find,” said Lisa Morgan, Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales’ Head of Islands and Living Seas.
Following the positive tests of two poultry workers at a farm in England in May two more people have been infected with the H5N1 strain, the U.K. Health Security Agency said Wednesday but it stressed the virus did not infect people easily and there was no human-to-human transmission.
However, the European Food Safety Authority said an 18-country outbreak there was the largest ever seen on the continent.
