Avian flu coming to Finland in spring along with migratory birds
All captive birds to be kept indoors in 160 communities deemed at risk
|
|
|
A flock of red flamingos trudge around their wintertime pen in the Korkeasaari Zoo in Helsinki. The birds are still free to go outside, but the snow is too deep for their slim legs.
The flamingos face quarantine in mid-March, since all captive birds are to be kept indoors during the springtime migration of water fowl, owing to the risk of avian flu.
Also all the peacocks, emus, white storks, and geese are confined indoors. "All the species that are at risk of coming into contact with water fowl are to be kept indoors", says zoo intendent Kirsi Pyyhönen.
The avian flu virus is especially common amongst water fowl, so the mallards will not be allowed to feed with the captive birds this year.
"This may seem overcautious, but we are just protecting our property. It does look like bird flu is coming", Pynnönen ponders. She is also the chairman of a European committee dealing with water birds.
Avian flu is expected to come to Finland along with the migratory flocks in spring. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has named 160 communities where all fowl must be kept indoors during the springtime migration, from mid-March to the end of May.
The communities at greatest risk are the ones where large amounts of aquatic birds gather. All EU countries have named their own areas at risk, where poultry will not be allowed out of doors. For example, Germany is considering declaring the entire country a risk area.
The Finnish pandemic work group will release its report on March 8th.
"It is no longer news when the virus is found in a bird in a EU country", says Jaana Husu-Kallio, vice chief executive at the European Commission's Department of Health and Consumer Affairs.
According to her, it is it is mainly a matter of random chance, when the migratory birds contract avian flu from each other. Currently, swans in the Danube delta in Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, and Slovenia are known to carry the H5N1 virus.
"The swans that migrate to Finland come from Northern Germany and Denmark", says Husu-Kallio.
If the disease is found in poultry, the EU will begin to restrict transportation. All animal transport was banned for a short period in 2001 as a result of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
The bird organisation BirdLife Finland points out that the influence of wild birds in spreading the disease is not very well-known. The H5N1 virus kills infected birds quickly, and the sick birds are unable to fly long distances.
At least 144 different variants of the avian flu virus have been found, and there are always some wild birds infected with the various forms of the disease.
Summertime trips to Southern Europe have been planned in abundance, despite the cases of avian flu in Greece and Italy.
"There is so much information in the media about the disease, that tourists do not ask us about it", says Arja Pucilowski of tour operators Tjäreborg.
Helsingin Sanomat
|
| 14.2.2006 - TODAY |
 Avian flu coming to Finland in spring along with migratory birds
|
|
