#14,552
Every fall, millions of birds which nested over the summer in their high latitude roosting areas begin their southbound journey to overwinter in warmer climes where insects, fruits, and other food items are more abundant.
The major flyways shown at the top of this blog - along with scores of minor pathways not depicted - serve as a sort of global interstate highway for this twice annual mass migration.A study, published in 2016 (see Sci Repts.: Southward Autumn Migration Of Waterfowl Facilitates Transmission Of HPAI H5N1), posited that waterfowl can pick up new HPAI viruses in the spring (likely from poultry or terrestrial birds) on their way to their summer breeding spots - where they spread, amplify, and potentially evolve - only to redistribute them on their southbound journey the following fall.
Over the winters of 2016/17 and 2017/18, two reassorted HPAI viruses appeared in Europe in November, and sparked epizootics. The 2016/17 HPAI H5N8 epizootic was the largest in European history, while the HPAI H5N6 that arrived the following year was much smaller.
Avian flu was practically a no-show last winter in Europe, but each year brings with it a new set of circumstances, and what we see this winter could well depend upon what has been going on - out of our sight - in these high latitude roosting areas these past few months.Which is why the UK's DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs) issued the following advice yesterday.
Bird keepers urged to prepare for winter Avian Flu threat
Poultry farmers and pet bird keepers urged to prepare for winter Avian Flu threat.
Published 7 October 2019
From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Animal and Plant Health Agency
The Chief Veterinary Officers across the UK are encouraging all poultry keepers to take action now to reduce the risk of disease in their birds over the winter.
There are some simple measures that all poultry keepers, whether they are running a large commercial farm, keeping a few hens in their back garden, or rearing game birds, should take to protect their birds against the threat of avian influenza (bird flu) in the coming winter months. These include:
A joint statement by the four Chief Veterinary Officers in the UK today, said:
- Keeping the area where birds live clean and tidy, controlling rats and mice and regularly disinfecting any hard surfaces
- Cleaning footwear before and after visits
- Placing birds’ feed and water in fully enclosed areas that are protected from wild birds, and removing any spilled feed regularly
- Putting fencing around outdoor areas where birds are allowed and limiting their access to ponds or areas visited by wild waterfowl
- Where possible, avoid keeping ducks and geese with other poultry species.
Avian flu is a constant threat to all poultry, and with winter approaching there will be an increasing risk of disease incursion from migrating birds. It is therefore important that all keepers of poultry, including game birds and pet birds, act now to reduce the risk of transmission of avian flu to their flocks.
Good robust biosecurity should be maintained at all times, including regularly cleaning and disinfecting the area where you keep birds and separating them from wild birds wherever possible.
All poultry keepers across the UK are urged to remain vigilant and alert APHA in Great Britain or DAERA in Northern Ireland as soon as they suspect any signs of the disease.
All bird keepers across Great Britain should also register their birds on the Great Britain Poultry Register (GBPR). If you have 50 or more birds, this is a legal requirement. Keepers with fewer than 50 birds are also strongly encouraged to register.
In Northern Ireland there is a legal requirement for all bird keepers to register their birds on the DAERA Bird Register.
Registering your birds means the government can contact you in case of any outbreaks and provide information on the steps to take to limit the chances of your birds contracting disease.
The UK has retained its OIE country freedom status since September 2017, as there have been no detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry or kept birds in the UK since June 2017.
The H5N6 strain of avian influenza was confirmed in 21 wild birds between January and June 2018. No cases were found in domestic poultry, either in commercial or small holdings, or in captive birds in 2018. Whilst there have been no findings in wild birds in the UK since June 2018, the virus is still circulating around the world both in wild birds and domestic poultry. So it is important that you are taking action to improve biosecurity.
The government continues to monitor for incursions of avian flu and is working with the poultry and game bird industries; hen rehoming and pure and traditional poultry breeds stakeholders to help prevent incursions.
For North Americans, our Arctic Refuge, where more than 200 bird species spend their summers, serves as a central hub, and funnels migratory birds south each fall via all four North American Flyways.
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| Credit U.S. Fish & Wildlife |
And as we discussed previously (see here, here, and here), these North American Flyways overlap with both Atlantic and Pacific flyways which could allow HPAI or LPAI carrying birds from Europe or Asia to reach our shores.
All of which makes enhanced biosecurity for poultry flocks the `new normal' for poultry flock owners around the globe. For more on biosecurity here in the United States, you may wish to visit the USDA's:
(Excerpt)
Through the Defend the Flock program, APHIS is encouraging and preparing all poultry owners, including backyard growers, to maintain biosecurity practices at all times. Biosecurity is the key to keeping our nation’s poultry healthy. It’s a responsibility that we all share. Working together, we can defend all flocks from avian influenza and other infectious diseases. Visit the Defend the Flock Commercial Biosecurity and Backyard Biosecurity pages to learn more.(Continue . . . )
The Defend the Flock Resource Center has 24/7 access to checklists and other tools, videos, webinars and educational resources to help you keep your flocks safe and healthy. Materials are available for download or print to share with friends and family, staff, partners, students and other current and future “Flock Defenders.” Connect with Defend the Flock on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-the-minute news and information, including notice of new resources.
