British birdwatchers to warn of avian flu threat
Birdwatchers will be enlisted to provide an early
warning system amid increasing fears that avian flu will reach
Britain
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is meeting the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the British Trust for Ornithology following the spread of bird flu from Asia to western Russia, a Defra spokesman said.
"We are meeting with the organisations to see how we can work more closely on surveillance and get advice on the migratory patterns of wild birds," the Defra spokesman added.
Asked whether British ornithologists will be relied upon to be the eyes and ears of Defra against the threat of bird flu, the spokesman said: "Absolutely."
The government wants birdwatchers to be particularly vigilant for "die outs" - the deaths of groups of migratory birds for unexplained reasons.
An excellent example of citizens helping government help everyone.
Experts believe the key to stopping a devastating outbreak is catching the virus before it has time to spread to native birds or poultry.
There are fears bird flu could mutate into a form which could be contracted by humans, leading to a possible flu pandemic similar to that which killed 40 million people around the world in 1918.
Migratory wild birds have been blamed for spreading the H5N1 flu strain in Russia, and officials there warned the birds could carry the virus to Europe and North America next spring.
I wonder if anyone has told the White House that birds fly from country to country without permission?
Posted: Thu - August 25, 2005 at 01:28 PM