Reply To: Farms, wild birds and biosecurity re flu esp H5N1

[Martin W]

Just come across a site founded in wake of UK’s foot and mouth epidemic in 2001; "providing a daily commentary on matters having a connection with animal health or welfare or legislation from the perspective of an independent onlooker." Has news page devoted to H5N1, esp re wild birds, biosecurity, and vaccination. UK focus, but info culled from many sources. Warmwell.com or, direct to Avian influenza

Two letters from UK virologist Dr Ruth Watkins of interest (as perhaps not elsewhere); suggesting vaccination for poultry in Turkey. (In letter posted on this forum, vet Les Sims has written of vaccination being important in Hong Kong’s success in controlling H5N1: Learning to live with H5N1 In second letter, Watkins makes ominous prediction should things go awry in Turkey:

Quote:

It would seem that Turkey’s exit strategy could be to eliminate the keeping of domestic poultry altogether- I have seen this on the latest ProMed bulletin. This may be very unfortunate for the nutrition and health of its poorer population who- if they ever get the meagre monetary compensation proposed- may be hard pushed to find it would cover another long term source of nutrition as valuable as poultry. They may become like the Maltese and attempt to catch and kill every migrating bird that passes through Turkey- a disaster for wild birds.