Warning to public in Cork City after bird flu outbreak at the Lough

The Lough in Cork City. Picture: Larry Cummins

Visitors to the Lough in Cork City are being asked to avoid contact with sick or dead birds at the sanctuary as an outbreak of avian flu has been confirmed.

Tests for the disease on a number of birds which were found dead at the sanctuary proved conclusive for the highly pathogenic flu variant, which is commonly referred to as bird flu.

Anyone visiting the Lough is advised:

• Not to touch sick or dead wild birds, and do not handle bird feathers found in the area;
• Not to bring sick wild birds home;
• Keep pets away from sick and dead wild birds — dogs should be kept on a leash where sick or dead wild birds are present.

A statement from Cork City Council, the local authority that manages the Lough, said: “Bird flu or avian influenza is a viral disease which affects the respiratory, digestive and/or nervous system of many species of wild birds and poultry. It is highly contagious amongst birds and it is a notifiable animal disease. 

“It can also pose a threat to people and other animals in certain circumstances, but these types of infections are rare. It is very unusual for people to catch bird flu.”

Fishing has been banned at the Lough due to the outbreak, while the bird feeder has also been decommissioned. 

The city council said it and the Cork Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are providing expert advice to the Department of Agriculture in relation to the outbreak, and they are undertaking intensive monitoring and surveillance of the birds present there.

The council said: “Agreed protocols are in place to ensure the swift removal of sick or dead birds from the area.” 

However, it said: “The avian influenza virus can survive for several weeks in the environment because the faeces of infected birds contains a high level of virus — an area can remain infective irrespective of whether bird carcasses are removed from an area or not.” 

The World Organisation for Animal Health warned in recent months that bird flu has evolved beyond an animal health crisis into a global emergency, threatening agriculture, food security, trade, and ecosystems.

In July, dead wild seabirds washed up on shorelines in Kerry, Clare and Galway, with some testing positive for the contagious virus.

As a result, agriculture minister Martin Heydon said all poultry flock owners in these coastal areas, whether they have commercial farms or a few backyard hens, should implement stringent biosecurity measures to mitigate the risk of the disease spreading to their flocks.

The public can and should report any sick or dead birds to the city council, or to the DAFM via the local regional veterinary office by using the Avian Check Wild Bird App aviancheck.apps.services.agriculture.gov.ie/, or by contacting the National Disease Emergency Hotline [phone] (outside office hours).