Thriller continues over deaths of greater than 3,500 birds on Aberdeenshire coast amid suspected avian flu outbreak

Jul 20, 2023 at 1:46 PM

More than 3,500 birds have died on the Aberdeenshire coast, nonetheless thriller stays over whether or not a suspected avian flu outbreak or “other factors” are behind the mass fatalities.

Scotland’s chief veterinary officer Sheila Voas stated whereas there was a lot of confirmed circumstances of hen flu, not all carcasses despatched for testing have returned optimistic outcomes which suggests there “may be other factors responsible for the mass die-offs”.

Aberdeenshire Council’s panorama providers employees have to date collected 3,559 useless seabirds because the starting of final week.

As of Wednesday, groups had eliminated 1,464 useless birds from Inverbervie Beach, 1,051 from Stonehaven Beach, 427 from Johnshaven Beach, 310 from Balmedie Beach, 187 at St Cyrus Beach and 120 from Cruden Bay.

Members of the general public who’ve been attempting to help within the clean-up have previously been warned to not bin or bury the carcasses, and to maintain their canine away.

Safety recommendation

Do not choose up or contact useless or sick wild birds
Keep pets/canine away from any useless or sick birds
Do not feed wild waterfowl
If you discover a dwell sick hen, name the Scottish SPCA on 03000 999 999 – however don’t take it to one of many charity’s animal rescue and rehoming centres
If you retain poultry or different birds, it’s critical that you simply wash your arms and clear and disinfect your footwear earlier than tending to any animals
Sightings of useless birds could be reported by way of the federal government web site or by phoning the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) helpline on 03459 33 55 77

NatureScot stated it’s nonetheless awaiting additional take a look at outcomes to find out the precise reason behind loss of life because the nation’s avian flu taskforce remains on “high alert”.

Ms Voas added: “Avian flu is currently impacting wild seabird populations across the east coast of the UK. This is unusual as the disease normally impacts bird populations in the winter months.

“In Scotland, we now have had a lot of confirmed circumstances however not all carcasses which were despatched for testing have yielded optimistic outcomes. This implies that there could also be different components answerable for the mass die-offs which can be at the moment occurring.

“We are continuing to keep the situation under review.”

Read extra:
Owners urged to keep pets indoors during bird flu outbreak
How worried do humans need to be about bird flu?

NatureScot beforehand reported that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) had been confirmed in sandwich tern, widespread tern, kittiwake, herring gull, black-headed gull and guillemot birds to date this yr.

At Forvie National Nature Reserve, greater than 200 sandwich terns have died from bird flu. Signs of the virus have additionally been noticed in widespread and arctic terns, with additional take a look at outcomes awaited.

Kittiwakes have additionally examined optimistic for avian flu on the Isle of May National Nature Reserve within the Firth of Forth.

Ms Voas added: “The risk to humans is low, as confirmed by our medical colleagues, but we advise not to pick up dead birds as the carcasses may carry other diseases which may impact human health.”