Avian Influenza

Following the BVA President, Dr Bob McCracken’s interview on The Today Programme on Thursday 25 August, he has been busy participating in a series of TV and radio interviews as well as giving interviews to the print media.

In speaking to the media Dr McCracken stressed that:

- It is inevitable that avian influenza will spread through the world’s wild bird population;
- It is inevitable that infected will birds will arrive in Europe and the UK (although this does not mean next week, next month or even necessarily next year);
- It is not inevitable that it will appear in domesticated birds;
- However it is quite possible that the virus will get to extensively reared, domesticated birds.

Because of this we must be prepared for such an event - we need to find the first introduction and not the 51st  six months later.

We need to ensure that recycling of the virus within a large poultry site does not occur – i.e. we need to do everything possible to reduce the possibility of a further mutation of the virus and we need to deal effectively with infected birds.

Turning to the current media attention Dr McCracken noted that while it was understandable that there was considerable concern and indeed anxiety about avian ‘flu, hopefully in the not too distant future this would have disappeared.  However the virus would still be present in wild birds and inevitably, with the passage of time, the number of bird populations infected would increase and consequently there would be an increased likelihood of its spread to other countries.
 
The question is therefore what more needs to be done?  Clearly ongoing vigilance is essential – we cannot and must not let our defences drop.

On the European front Dr McCracken called for (and was delighted to see that this was one of the outcomes of yesterday’s Chief Veterinary Officers meeting in Brussels) an enhanced surveillance programme; and on the international front for clarification of the situation in the Far East and in Russia and from this, the development of a strategy, co-ordinated at international level  (WHO, OIE et al) to control and contain the infection in domesticated birds; and

Nationally he stressed the importance of the  continuation of the monitoring programme that will ensure informed decisions are taken at the proper time and a review of the existing surveillance programme, enhanced where necessary – flight pathways, waterways etc.  He also acknowledged the need for members of our specialist division, the British Veterinary Poultry Association, to continue to advise the poultry industry on measures that they should ensure are in place to reduce the likelihood of the virus getting to their birds e.g. enhanced biosecurity on poultry units (double-checking of wild bird proofing etc.).

Dr McCracken concluded by noting that “Whilst the risk of the introduction of the virus in the UK is currently considered to be low, we must recognise that this risk is more likely to increase with time than decrease.”

26 August 2005

Return to Press Releases - 2005