Bird flu and the angler

Although I personally believe the media hype surrounding the discovery of bird flu in Scotland has been blown out of all proportion (especially the chances of it's theoretical spread to humans), as anglers, we should be aware of what to do if we spot any signs that waterbirds may be infected. We are, after all, the eyes and ears of the waterside.
It seemed obvious to me that the disease would arrive here... migrating waterbirds were almost bound to bring it over fairly quickly from Western Europe and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out how easily that would happen. It was inevitable and we should certainly not be surprised if more cases to turn up over the coming weeks.
Although I am solely a river angler and have happily hung up my rods for the traditional closed-season, I am slightly concerned that the authorities will see fit to ban angling in areas where the disease is discovered (remember the Foot & Mouth crisis). I can see no real reason why they should do this while it remains solely a disease of birds, but panicing politicians have been known to do strange things before and I dare say they will continue to do so. Whatever they do, the quicker the disease is spotted, the less it should spread, so it would be in everyone's interest to try to identify any outbreaks early. To this end, DEFRA have apparently set up a bird flu hotline where anglers and other interested parties could report possible outbreaks on 08459 335577. It might be a good idea for anglers to add this number to their mobile phones in case they need to use it. I believe Swans and wild geese are the most likely candidates as they migrate in from long distances, whereas most common ducks such as mallards etc. are less likely to have the disease, at least until it establishes itself over here. Anyway, keep your eyes peeled and lets hope we can get back to some form of normality soon. I'm fed up with it already.

Trev

PS: Before anyone pulls me up... I'm NOT suggesting that the disease isn't a very serious threat to birds (it obviously is!) and it could well be disasterous to the poultry industry. Just looking at it as a normal "person in th street".

Agree completly with you Trevor. The press do like to panick us. I bet more people die in one county from traffic accidents in a year than have died from bird flu.

Birds always have an excuse.
It used to be headaches, now it seems its the flu !!!

Disco :0)
Agree with Tev's comments we have to be Vigilant.
Having said that and without wanting to cause a panic ?we? anglers could be one of the most vulnerable to catching bird flu.

As yet the flu has not mutated into a human form (hopefully it won?t), which causes a pandemic.
But globally a 100 people have caught bird flu and 50 have died. These people have had direct contact with infected bird, most living in the Far East and Turkey. Effectively, these people have been living with the birds in their houses, with rudimentary health care, hygiene and sanitation provision.

In the normal course of our every day lives the only contact we have with birds is eating their eggs and flesh, and there is no problem with either, providing they?re cooked properly.

However, as anglers we do come into contact with the faeces of geese, swans and ducks on a regular basis. Even more so at this time of year because we can only fish Stillwater. Defra officials were saying today on the radio and TV that this flu can be spread by bird-to-bird transmission by this route.

It is I suggest, very wise that as an angler you don?t pick a swim, which has excessive amounts of fresh faeces in or around it.
Not sure how long the virus is active out of the body of a bird, but again it would be wise to keep cups and the like off the floor, and hand to mouth contact to the minimum.

If you have bird faeces on any of your gear clean ASAP with disinfectant.
Disinfectant hand wipes would be a good idea if you don?t already carry them.

These I believe are sensible precautions we can all take, without being alarmist or over reactionary.

Yes Phil,
That was exactly the kind of level-headed, sensible advice I was hoping to initiate with the original post. Cheers.
Trev

yeah i got pooed by ducks the other day when fishing, it was nasty lol, does it spread in the faeces?

Christian
Yes it can according to Dfera officials, but don't run away with the fact that your going to get it. Follow the above and any theoretical risk there is to you, or anyone else, will be cut dramatically.

AI is spread by movement of infected birds or contact with respiratory secretions, and in particular faeces, either directly or through contaminated objects, clothes or vehicles

For the facts on H5 N1 see here
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/qanda/background.htm#2

At this point in time, as the above facts, as they?re known indicate, it is remote that anyone who doesn?t have direct contact but not prolonged with infected birds will get Bird flu H5 N1,
But it is here, all be it in one dead swan so far. Others are more than likely to appear in the not to distant future and that?s a racing certainty.

But taking the sensible precautions I?ve written about above, the theoretical risk does I believe reduces dramatically.

What I?d like to tell you about is what its like to get a bird flu, in my case it Fowl Pest not the present bird flu. Fowl Pest is an H5 virus but not H5 N1.

When I was about 17 I worked on a farm that kept poultry (about 10,000 layers) and it was hit by an outbreak of FP. We, the farm workers, had been in close contact with the birds in the incubation period and unknown to use, we were being exposed to FP for protracted periods e.g. 9 hours a day 6 days a week.

When it was confirmed by MAFF that the farm had the disease we had to capture the birds for the Ministry Officials so they could kill them. Biohazard security was minimal in those days, different now!
We had no white overalls and masks as now. From memory the only protective measure we had to take were disinfecting our wellies and removing our farm overalls when we left the farm site.
As a result of the exposure all the farm worker got sever flu, including me. Now like most I?ve had flu even managed to get Asia Flu in the 1950s as a kid, but the effects of the Flu we got from Fowl Pest were horrendous the running nose, aching joints and headaches lasted a good 2 weeks, the chest infection 5 weeks. In all it was about 8 weeks before any of us felt anything like normal.

Interestingly, none of our families got this flu though, and we all came from large families, averaging at least 5 people. Now had it been a human form of flu, you?d have expected at least some to have contracted it!
It didn?t happen!
So regarding H5 N1 being found in the UK, and based on my own experience of FP, I?m not overly concerned about it, providing sensible precautions are followed.

Having said that, and if the effects of this bird flu for anyone who does get the bird type, are the same or worse as FP, I feel for them, because it?s horrible in the extreme.

Phil thanks for that. Just had a look on the defr site. It does not give much info on what to look for in the wild birds with regard to symptoms.

Do you know what we should be looking out for. As surly we do not what to be reporting every dead bird we see as this would just overburden the relavant agencys and give the press more ammo in stirring up a panic.

Bryan
I would imagine the symptoms of H5 N1 bird flu is very much like the symptoms of Fowl Pest an H5 bird flu virus.
That being the birds are listless, won?t feed. The eyes appear dull. This is because the inner shield eyelid, which they use when flying, seems to covering the whole eyeball and they have difficulty controlling its normal usage. The eyes may be encrusted with matter in the corners.

The beak again may be encrusted in the corners with mucus. The bird(s) may have a slightly open beak and panting for breath. They may also do a lot of head shaking to expel mucus that?s clogging the beak and airway. The feathers lose the sheen to them and look drab.

The bird(s) look distinctly unwell, which they are. They are more than likely to be found on their own or on the very perimeter if they?re in a flock.

If you do find a bird in the above state, under no circumstances should you attempt to catch it, pick it up or come into contact with it in anyway.

Report its location to Defra on the number given by Trev.

Thanks Phil.

Don't worry i have no intention of touching it in any way. It's just as you i am out a lot and if i see something i dont want to be wasting peoples time.