New outbreak(s) of H5N1 on one or two poultry farms in UK, and – would you believe it!? – Deborah Mackenzie quick to suggest wild birds are responsible, despite not having shred of evidence:
used by wild birds, and is 4 km from a wetlands nature reserve.
The reserve, England’s largest remaining river fen, is
internationally protected under the RAMSAR treaty on wetlands and
home to several endangered species. It also harbors several species
of dabbling duck, which would have flown into the area from breeding
grounds in Siberia over the past 2 months.
Autumn is when the ducks, which can carry H5N1 with no symptoms, are
most likely to be carrying bird flu. The UK’s 1st outbreak was also
near a wetland reserve. Domestic ducks can also harbor the virus
without showing signs.
– good grief! Deb clearly lives in a bunker, away from scientific reports; referring to UK’s first outbreak and nearby wetland reserve, when reports blamed links in poultry trade to continental Europe, and bad biosecurity.
Meanwhile, back in the real world, where leaping to conclusions isn’t so typical as at DB’s desk in the poultry and farming publications related New Sci, the Times is reporting:
The Times has learnt that Gressingham Foods received regular supplies of ducklings delivered by a Dutch exporter.