Bird flu lab works round the clock to cope with test demand
THE laboratory responsible for testing birds for the deadly H5N1 avian flu virus announced last night that it would work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to deal with any new cases.
About 60 birds a day are now arriving at the Weybridge laboratory of the Veterinary Laboratories Agency.
Since February 1, 1,100 tests have been carried out at Weybridge, including 500 on swans. Most have been conducted as routine tests — which is why it took a week to find H5N1 in the Fife swan — but now the cases of all dead swans referred to the laboratory are being treated as urgent.
Officials refused to speculate yesterday on the chances of finding other birds infected with H5N1, but it is more likely than not that they will. Vets expect to find a number of infected birds in the Fife area.The key will be keeping the infection out of poultry flocks.
Yesterday Ross Finnie, Scotland’s Rural Affairs Minister, met leaders of the National Farmers’ Union.
He said: “The poultry producers who were present said they were very pleased with the proportionate nature of the response which we have taken to this crisis.
“They were very confident that by applying these measures they could contain this outbreak.”
It was confirmed last night that 9 of the 14 other dead birds from the area — 12 swans and 2 other birds — did not have the same strain of the virus.
Tests were still being carried out on the 5 remaining dead birds.
Owners of the 48 free-range farms in a 2,500-sq km (1553-sq mile) area who have been instructed to bring their birds indoors could face losing their free-range status if the order is in force for more than 12 weeks. Some vets fear that H5N1 could become endemic in wild birds, which would make it impossible to lift the order.