A touch of Asian Flu?

Poultry producers are constantly on the lookout for sickness in their birds. Thankfully, we have a healthy national flock and there are currently no really major disease problems around. However, we must always be vigilant either for signs of significant disease or more proactively in making sure we have an effective biosecurity programme in place to cope with good times and bad.

We are always nervous when we hear of "epidemics" of uncontrolled disease in poultry in Europe or other parts of the World and this is heightened when the daily news is full of headlines predicting disastrous epidemics in the global human population. All of us are understandably concerned about the worrying news from the Far East both for our birds, possible risks to us working with stock, our families and the wider community of consumers.

But just how worried should we be? Could it happen here?

The short answer is a qualified no. Firstly, we had an equally virulent virus across the North Sea in Holland last year which led to the destruction of 30 million birds but it did not spread to the UK poultry flock, and there was only one recorded human fatality in a Dutch poultry vet. Secondly, we have an industry well served by its poultry veterinarians, the State Veterinary Service and Defra with a structure and strategy in place to rapidly detect and handle an outbreak. This is being constantly updated in the wake of criticism (mostly unfounded) with Defra's handling of the major Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in the UK in 2001.

Compare this with the Far East, where even the most generous of commentators would have to admit that the handling of an outbreak of virulent disease, which appears to have been rampant in the region for the last six months without any affected attempts at control, is nothing short of a disgrace. The failure to take action has allowed the infection to spread across at least ten countries in the region and therefore there is the likelihood that some nation's poultry industries will never recover.

What is the virus involved?

The cause is an Avian Influenza virus of the H5N1 strain, which incidentally is the same type as was detected in Hong Kong in 1997, although it is too early to say whether this virus has just been sitting there ever since that time.

Avian influenza viruses of the strains H5 and H7 are those which can cause the virulent disease known as Fowl Plague (the virus involved in Holland in 2003 was in fact H7N7). The EU has a stringent number of rules and regulations concerning the detection and control of these H5 and H7 viruses, and even before the Dutch outbreak of 2003, this was being tightened even further.

What about the risk here?

The risk to the UK is very low with only four virulent virus outbreaks recorded in the UK since 1959, and none since the single shed of turkeys affected in England in 1990. The greatest risk to the UK national flock remains through contact with wild migrating birds, in particular their droppings. This is always a seasonal hazard in the UK, especially on the East Coast, but the situation across Europe this Winter has been very "quiet" and the very mild weather has meant that birds have not been travelling the vast distances they can when there are more extensive freezing conditions.

So what is the risk from the Far East?

The hazards would be live birds imported from the region (which virtually never occurs anyway, and certainly isn't occurring now), fresh poultry meat (now banned for the next six months) or people and equipment. The latter are a very low risk as long as normal hygienic conditions are followed.

Much has been made of the decision to ban fresh poultry meat into the EU from the affected region. This has greatly confused newspaper reporters! The assumption was that the consumption of such meat would poison or infect people – the risk from this route is so infinitesimally small as to be discounted.

The reasoning behind such a ban is that it is at least theoretically possible for poultry (wild or commercial) in UK to eat raw or undercooked poultry meat from the Far East which may contain the virus and hence become infected and put the UK national flock at risk. Again, this risk is incredibly small but the reasoning of "why take the risk" is reasonable and understandable. The same would happen the other way around if we had disease.

So just how dangerous is it working with poultry, as we do, day in, day out?

Avian flu viruses and pig flu viruses are known to be able to mix with other flu viruses including human strains. On extremely rare occasions, it seems that when they mix they can produce a new virus to which people have little or no immunity and can cause significant disease especially in vulnerable people.

Perhaps the biggest natural experiment has occurred in the Far East where people have much closer contact with their poultry via live bird markets than we do in Europe and disease has been active probably since last July. In that time, only around 20 people are known to have contracted the infection and died. Naturally distressing and worrying but scarcely an epidemic.

The chances of us and our families becoming sick from working with and handling poultry is again very small. Obviously it is sensible to observe normal hygienic procedures of frequent hand washing or sanitising and the wearing of protective clothing as it is with handling any type of stock and even, to some extent, grooming our own pets. Vulnerable people, ie those with severe chest infections or whose immune system is expected to be below par due to sickness or specific treatments should obviously avoid contact with stock, or at least wear protective face masks.

However, for the rest of us the hazard seldom amounts to a risk of illness. Anyone who has specific concerns should consult their medical practitioner and further useful information can be obtained on Defra's website at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/avianinfluenza.htm

So where do we go from here and what can we do in the UK?

The hope is that the authorities will now move to bring the outbreaks in the Far East under control and hence reduce the risk to both poultry and human populations worldwide. The fact that they have been so slow off the mark will mean that this won't be sorted out overnight.

For UK producers the answer is to remain vigilant and remember that we are more likely to be at risk from birds migrating on their normal travels across Europe each Winter than from the problems on the other side of the World.

However, for you as producers the main points to think of are the following:

• Constant monitoring of the health of your birds to detect problems early. Look at mortality, abnormal clinical signs, changes in feed and water consumption, egg production or egg quality effects.

• Involve your veterinary surgeon if any problems arise.

• Operate the highest possible standards of biosecurity and disease prevention on your farms. The most important aspects with respect to Avian Influenza are:

Avoid unnecessary visitors to your farms.

Ensure all vehicles which must have access to your sites are clean and disinfect their wheels and underside before entry.

Do nothing to encourage wild birds, ensuring houses are bird proof and that all feed spillages are cleared up immediately. Avoid scratch feeding outside on range.

Use boots and foot dips containing regularly changed high quality disinfectant when moving from house to house or when first entering any house on your site.

Remember that biosecurity is a management practice that we should all have in place, each and every day, and not just in response to major problems elsewhere.

The move to increasing numbers of birds on range is likely to increase the risk of Avian Influenza introduction into the UK over the next few years, as it did in Holland but, as we said last year, and as Nick Ross say