Page 2. Farming Express
Duck farm first noticed signs of bird flu almost two weeks ago when egg production dropped
but did not report it because they thought animals were just spooked by fireworks
Bird flu alarm was not sounded
at Yorkshire farm for almost a
week
Issues began just three days after
15,000 eggs were sent 50 miles
away
Operator Cherry Valley insisted
egg loss can be a sign of many
things
But it is also one of the six
danger signs of bird flu listed by
Defra
6,000 ducks culled after H5N8
strain became UK’s first case in
six years
WHO scientist claimed it could
pass to humans for the first time
MailOnline: ‘On November 8-9 the
farm first noticed problems and notified
a consultant [private] vet, who was in
•
touch with the Animal and Plant Health
Agency (APHA).
‘There was no suspicion of bird flu
•
originally, party because it was around
bonfire weekend and there were
fireworks.
•
‘These are one of the external factors
which cause stress in animals and egg
production to drop.
•
‘So it could have been one of many
things rather than jumping to the very
•
worst conclusion straight away, much
like a person feeling ill and going to the
GP.’
The bird flu-hit farm where 6,000 ducks The private vet first contacted the APHA
have been culled waited almost a week on November 11, but both parties agreed
to sound the alarm - after staff first
it was probably a bacterial infection and Germany and the Netherlands.
thought the animals were spooked by
prescribed the ducks with antibiotics the A leading health expert claimed there
Bonfire Night.
same day.
will ‘probably be human cases’ of the
Egg production dropped at the Cherry
strain - despite it never infecting a
Valley breeding site in Nafferton, East A fall in egg production can be a
human before.
symptom of several different things.
Yorkshire, on November 8, but a vet
Elizabeth Mumford from the World
only sounded a formal bird flu alert with These include general stresses, such
Health Organisation warned the virus
as disturbance due to such things as
the government on November 14, last
was ‘unpredictable’ as all 6,000 white
fireworks which were a feature of that
Friday.
Pekin ducks on the farm were gassed to
weekend
The firm said staff first thought the
death and dumped in metal containers.
Cherry Valley spokesman
noise of fireworks might have stressed
She said there could be ‘a few sporadic
the birds into laying fewer eggs. Then a
cases’, adding: ‘We believe any time
When ducks continued to die and the
vet suspected a bacterial infection, but
antibiotics didn’t work, the vet reported that humans are in close contact
antibiotics didn’t work.
a suspected bird flu case on November with poultry, there’s a possibility of
Only three days before the first problem
transmission to humans’.
14, the spokesman added.
was seen, a shipment of 15,000 eggs
Although the possibility of seeing
left the farm. They are now being tested Tests then confirmed the disease the
next day and a public warning went out human cases was low, she said: ‘I don’t
for the virus in incubators 50 miles
see why we wouldn’t. If it’s really
a day after that.
away amid fears they may have to be
In a statement, the firm added: ‘There circulating widely, there’s no reason we
destroyed.
are well-established robust processes in shouldn’t see human cases.’
A drop in egg numbers is one of the
It was the first time an expert had
place and they were closely followed.
six key warning signs for spotting
claimed the H5N8 strain could pass to
‘There was no suspicion of bird flu
bird flu listed by the Department for
humans. Other top scientists, including
initially as a fall in egg production
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Britain’s chief vet and Public Health
can be a symptom of several different
(Defra).
But Cherry Valley, which breeds
things. These include general stresses, England, have stressed repeatedly
7million ducks a year for ready meals
such as disturbance due to such things that the risk of transfer to humans is
sold in Tesco, M&S, Lidl and Aldi at 33 as fireworks which were a feature of that negligible.
Yesterday a second site owned by
sites across Britain, said many factors
weekend.’
could have been responsible
Cherry Valley was drawn into bird flu
Defra confirmed yesterday the virus
A Cherry Valley spokesman told
fears for the first time.
was the same H5N8 strain found in
The firm’s Usselby hatchery near Market
Rasen, Lincolnshire, incubating between
14,000 and 15,000 duck eggs which left
the stricken farm on November 5 and
are due to hatch in two weeks.
Defra is now set to test the eggs and
work out whether they need to be
destroyed.
A spokesman said: ‘As part of our robust
action in response to the confirmed case
of avian flu, we are considering a range
of measures including destroying a
shipment of eggs sent to a separate farm
for hatching earlier in November.
‘This is in line with our tried and tested
procedures for dealing with avian flu
outbreaks.’
Cherry Valley admitted the move
•
but insisted: ‘As the World Health
Organisation, the Minister, the Food
Standards Agency, Public Health
England and others have made clear,
there is absolutely no risk to humans and
people should continue to eat all forms
of poultry.
‘Any eggs that are destroyed are done
so to protect the integrity of the supply
chain and ensure that the disease does
not affect more birds.’
Dr Colin Butter, head of avian viral
immunology at The Pirbright Institute
for animal health, said: ‘It’s certainly
possible that eggs from an infected flock
could carry influenza on the ir surface.’
He added: ‘In chickens you would know
very fast because they die. With highly
pathogenic bird flu, which this is, the
can die within a couple of days, so you
know very fast that you have a problem
in the flock.
‘However, with some water fowl such as
ducks, the symptoms of influenza can be
much less severe, so farmers have to be
on a very sharp lookout.’
But he added: ‘There’s all evidence to
suggest this farm picked it up extremely
quickly... [And] I’m quite sure the
scientists from Defra have this question
in hand.’
A Defra spokesman said: ‘The advice
from the Chief Medical Officer and
Public Health England remains that the
risk to public health is very low. The
Food Standards Agency have said there
is no food safety risk for consumers.’