Bird flu not spread on the wings of wild birds

May 14 2006

According to a Dutch environmental organisation, the on-going fear that flocks of wild birds will spread the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu through Africa and Europe may be ill founded.

Wetlands International say laying the blame on the wild bird population is possibly an impulsive and dangerous conclusion.

H5N1 has been spreading steadily from Asia to Africa and Europe since 2003 and at least 113 people have died from the strain, which led to the slaughter of more than 200 million animals to prevent what health officials had warned could be a pandemic.

In 2005 millions of wild waterbirds and domestic birds, mainly chickens, died from H5N1 or had to be culled in order to stop the spread of the disease.

Wild migrating waterbirds are considered by many experts as one of the main causes of the spread of the flu and the gathering of millions of them in wetlands is seen as a major risk factor.

The environmental group say however that the evidence for a major role for wild birds is weak as millions of waterbirds have already migrated from Asia to West Asia and Africa and to date the deadly flu did not travel with them.

One explanation offered might be that infected birds die quickly.

According to Ward Hagemeijer, who studies the disease for the organization, some 5,000 wild birds were tested in countries including Tunisia, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Senegal, Malawi and Kenya but they failed to find the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus, which can be fatal in humans.

Wetlands International says the global trade in millions of chickens and other poultry possibly presents a much bigger risk and they are calling for additional attention for the risks of the bio-industry and the global trade of poultry.

Scientists do admit they do not know why bird flu does not appear to be spreading in the wild as widely and quickly as feared.

Experts while expressing relief that the deadly strain has been absent in many migrating birds, say the data gathered is limited and they are not as yet prepared to declare a victory against H5N1 in wild birds.

When the virus appeared in February in swans and other wild birds in widely dispersed areas of Europe, a high alert was imposed with the European Union ordering poultry to be kept indoors to avoid contact with potentially infected geese and other migrators.

Recently the EU has eased up on some of the measures imposed but has extended preventive measures for poultry in farms near wildlife water reserves and river deltas until the end of the year.

H5N1 has been spreading steadily from Asia to Africa and Europe since 2003 and at least 113 people have died from the strain, which led to the slaughter of more than 200 million animals to prevent what health officials had warned could be a pandemic.

To date there is no evidence that the disease can be transmitted from human to human.

Wetlands International says they have a credible history in monitoring waterbirds their flyways and important wetland sites and are committed to providing correct and sound information.

The group provides information and knowledge to decision makers at international conventions and conducts international programmes for both the UN and the European Union.

For more information on Wetlands International go to http://www.wetlands.org/.