Animal and Plant Diseases
Animal Diseases
Avian influenza (Bird Flu)
Latest Situation:
10 January 2008 - Defra has today confirmed Avian Influenza in three dead wild mute swans in the Chesil Beach area in Dorset, following positive test results from the Veterinary Laboratories Agency for the highly pathogenic strain of H5N1. These birds were found and tested following our routine surveillance programme.
A Wild Bird Control Area and Monitoring Area are being established around the premises, encompassing Chesil Beach and Portland Bill, and the shape of these is based on expert ornithological advice.
Inside these areas bird keepers are required to house their birds or otherwise isolate them from contact with wild birds, bird movements will be restricted, and bird gatherings are banned. Defra is also working closely with ornithological and other experts to consider what wider measures may be needed.
No disease has been found in domestic birds, and a programme of surveillance is being carried out in the local wild bird population. There will be no culling of wild birds because such action may disperse birds further and would not aid control.
For full details and latest situation updates please vist the DEFRA website [External website]
Department of Health: Public health advice for those going to or returning from bird flu-affected areas - This leaflet and accompanying poster provides public health advice for those going to or returning from Bird flu-affected areas. It contains information on this potentially serious disease and the precautions you should take to help protect yourself.
ADVICE FROM DEFRA
Members of the public should NOT handle dead birds. If you find a dead bird, report this to the Defra helpline on 08459 33 55 77. Try to provide as much information as you can about what you've seen so the Veterinary Service can make an initial assessment. (Please note that the line is busy and it may take a while to get through.)
Environment Agency - Help for poultry owners and people concerned about avian flu [External website]
If you have to handle birds, please make sure you have received suitable training on handling dead or live animals and you have appropriate equipment. Follow these guidelines:
- Wear disposable protective gloves when picking up and handling the carcass (not latex).
- If you need to transport a carcass, place it inside two sealed waterproof plastic bags. Ensure there is no leakage.
- Place the bag on a plastic sheet inside the vehicle.
- Wash hands, nails and forearms thoroughly with soap and water after handling.
- Clean any contaminated clothing and contaminated parts of your vehicle with soap or disinfectant.
- DO NOT put dead birds in the freezer.
- DO NOT leave dead birds lying around.
- Keep children away from dead birds.
HSE website - bird flu If you work with birds, check the Health and Safety Executive website for advice on Working with Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu Virus [External website].
- WHO: Avian Flu Q&A [External website] - detailed explanation from the World Health Organisation
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)
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Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is an infectious disease affecting
cloven-hoofed animals, in particular cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and deer.
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While FMD is not normally fatal to adult animals, it is debilitating and
causes significant loss of productivity; for example milk yields may drop
or the animals may become lame. In young animals it can be fatal on a
large scale.
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Advice from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) is that foot and mouth
disease is not a direct public health threat. The Food Standards Agency
considers that foot and mouth disease has no implications for the human
food chain.
Recent Cases:
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August 2007 - Following an investigation of suspected vesicular disease
by Animal Health on a holding near Guildford in Surrey, laboratory
results on the evening of Friday 3 August 2007 indicated the presence of
the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) virus in samples from cattle on the
premises. The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer Debby Reynolds confirmed the
presence of FMD on the basis of the initial laboratory results.
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Defra: Latest Information on the
outbreak in Surrey [External website]
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Questions and
Answers [External website].
Advice from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra):
Government Planning:
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Defra
[External
website] is the lead department for animal diseases, including
Foot and Mouth Disease. Animal disease is a largely devolved matter, with
responsibility sitting with the devolved administrations – the Scottish
Executive [External website], Welsh Assembly
Government [External website] and Northern Ireland
departments [External website]. Defra and the
devolved administratinos work very closely together.
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Defra's revised Contingency Plan for Exotic Animal
Diseases [External website] was laid before
Parliament on 13 December 2006. The plan, produced for Defra by the State
Veterinary Service, covers arrangements for response to an outbreak of
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Avian Influenza (AI), Newcastle Disease
(ND), Classical Swine Fever (CSF), African Swine Fever (ASF) and Swine
Vesicular Disease (SVD).
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Defra's FMD Emergency Vaccination Protocol [External PDF, 16
pages 109kb] outlines the factors that would need to be
considered in the decision to use emergency vaccination.
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Defra have produced an FMD Disease
Control Policy Communications Strategy [External PDF, 24
pages 124kb] aimed at planning for communications in advance of,
and during, an FMD outbreak by contributing an 'emergency
vaccination' element for inclusion in department's Contingency
Plan.
Links:
Food Alerts
Plant diseases
Fisheries
Training
- The Emergency Planning College (EPC) [External website] is the leading provider of training for emergency preparedness, attracting delegates with responsibility for preventing, planning for, responding to or recovering from a major incident. The EPC runs courses on the impact of animal diseases as well as other aspects of civil protection:
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