Fourteen More Birds Being Tested For Bird Flu In Scotland

Twelve swans and two other birds are being tested for bird flu. Charles Milne, Scotland's Chief Veterinary Officer, says they are routine tests and there are no indications that H5N1 may be present.


Authorities confirmed a couple of days ago that a dead swan found in Fife, in a village called Cellardyke, about ten miles from St. Andrews, had died of H5N1 infection. The other 14 birds being currently tested are also from the general area near to where the swan was found.


A 2,500 square kilometre area, around where the infected swan was found, will be declared a 'wild bird risk area'. This area is said to have over three million birds.


All poultry farmers within that area have been told by authorities to 'house' their birds (bring them indoors) to separate them from wild fowl.


The British people and the media are concerned that authorities took so long too react to the first case of avian flu in Britain. A lady who works in St. Andrews University first spotted the dead swan. She called the police who advised her to contact some animal charity. It is disconcerting that the police had not been properly trained. They should have had the details for contacting the proper authorities (Defra). The lady called Defra that evening. It was not till the next day, at lunchtime, that somebody came to have a look.


During this long delay the swan could have been swept away by the tide, picked to bits by animals and birds who may have then become infected.


The dead bird was taken to a lab, which did not open till Monday (it was Friday afternoon). To cut a long story short - it took eight days to come up with a positive lab test.


If bird flu is to be contained, UK authorities will have to come up with something better than that. At here we have had a flood of emails from Brits concerning this. Here are parts of some of them:


-- It is one thing to be phlegmatic. Quite another to be downright incompetent!!


-- The way UK authorities reacted to our first case of bird flu reminds me of the Keystone Cops.


-- A combination of Monty Python and Laurel and Hardy.


-- We were told on TV last night that everything is under control because we have had the experience of Foot and Mouth and Mad Cow Disease. That's my worry!! We do seem to be the ones who get these things!!


-- How can they just stand there and say things were done as quickly as possible. If that is the best they can do - replace them.


-- As an island nation we sometimes have a false sense of security. This is not foxes with rabies - they can't swim the channel. This is a disease brought in by birds. They fly over…..GOT IT!!


-- It worries me that the UK has become more and more like America. All spin and no substance. Our lax response reminded me so much of how the US government first reacted to Katrina.


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