Bird flu fear sparks warning to cook poultry properly

ANOTHER case of the lethal H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed in Europe and warnings have been issued eggs and poultry meat should be well cooked.

Tests are continuing on a cygnet found dead in Kilcoole, Co Wicklow but Department of Agriculture officials say initial results show no traces of the deadly virus. However, it will take up to ten days before the tests are conclusive.

The march of the bird flu across Russia and into Europe was confirmed yesterday when the European Commission said the virus had killed wild swans in a Croatian nature park.

Birds, live poultry and feathers from the region were banned last week after more than a dozen swans in the Zdenci park were suspected to have contracted the virus.

Croatia has also stopped exporting some poultry. The EU announced a ban on Tuesday on the import of all pet birds from outside the Union after a recommendation from veterinary experts was adopted by agriculture ministers.

China confirmed its third case this week as the deadly avian flu first reported in Asia two years ago moves further into Europe having been reported in Romania, Russia and Turkey earlier this month.

Meanwhile six mute swans and cygnets and three foxes were found dead close to one another in Kilcoole some days ago.

Aidan Murray of the Department of Agriculture said they suspect they died from poison but tests are being carried out on the carcass of one of the cygnets.

“We are satisfied there is no avian influenza connection as if there was a flu virus it would have shown up by now. We are not concerned about it,” he said.

However, testing will continue and according to Junior Minister in the Department of the Environment, Batt O’Keeffe, a final result should be available in ten days time.

He told the Dáil his Department was considering possible additional measures should the virus reach western Europe, including limiting or stopping the hunting, capture and transport of wild birds and the closure of nature and wildfowl reserves and national parks to the public.

The Departments of Agriculture and Environment are revising their risk assessment analysis in line with an EU request and will report back on November 5.

This may or may not result in a decision to have poultry farmers keep birds indoors in certain areas such as near wetlands where migratory birds winter.

The European Food Safety Authority has recommended people not to eat uncooked eggs or poultry meat. “Cooking poultry and eggs will protect humans from salmonella or other organisms, and if the avian influenza virus is present, it would also be inactivated through cooking,” a spokesperson at the Parma-based EU agency said.

However, scientists are trying to dampen down any fears about the spread of the disease which so far has not mutated into a form that can spread among humans.