Trust keeps eye on bird flu cases (From Gazette Series)

Trust keeps eye on bird flu cases

THE Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge is said to be monitoring the bird flu situation closely this week after more and more birds have died from the disease in Europe.

The trust has confirmed that the first case of avian influenza in France had increased the threat of it spreading to Britain but a spokesman for the trust said it was not inevitable that the disease would appear in Britain.

However, the trust's experts added that warmer weather forecasts across Europe would reduce the number of birds heading to our shores.

Experts at the Slimbridge centre said this meant there was still only a "slim" chance of H5N1 flu arriving, as infected birds were not on a migratory path to Britain.

Dr Ruth Cromie (corr), head of water bird biology at the centre, said: "It is not inevitable the disease is going to come in with wild birds.

"I don't feel we have to lock up all our birds now."

As a precaution, the centre has intensified its surveillance programme stepping up its guard against the virus. This includes taking samples from healthy birds at the reserve.

The prevention programme forms part of a nationwide plan, which has led to testing on dead swans suspected of carrying H5N1 in nine lakes in Britain. All were tested negative earlier this week.

The centre will remain open to the public and the trust's employees have said the risk to humans visiting places with wild birds was "negligible."