Bird flu plan swings into action

Hear reaction after a bird flu case was found in Fife

Bird flu contingency plans are being implemented after test results showed that a mute swan found dead in Fife did have the deadly H5N1 virus strain.

An initial 1.8 mile (3km) protection zone was set up around the village of Cellardyke on Wednesday.

A wild bird surveillance area of 2,500 sq km will now be set up after the Scottish Executive confirmed the virus.

The H5N1 virus does not currently pose a large-scale threat to humans as it cannot pass easily between people.

Nature reserves near Cellardyke will also be checked daily, officials have confirmed.

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The dead bird was found in an emaciated state in the harbour at Cellardyke on 29 March. Samples were sent for analysis at the EU's bird flu laboratory in Weybridge, Surrey.

Rural Affairs Minister Ross Finnie said the highly pathogenic strain had been confirmed by lab tests.

Mr Finnie said the outbreak was being treated "very, very seriously indeed" and that the Scottish Executive's civil contingency committee had convened to assess how to handle the outbreak.

AREA ON ALERT Poultry owners within wild bird risk area must keep birds indoors or, if not possible, ensure they are kept away from wild birds Bird transport within 6 mile (10km) surveillance zone will be curbed and gatherings banned Poultry within 1.8 mile (3km) protection zone must be kept indoors and will be tested

Scotland's Chief Veterinary Officer Charles Milne said all poultry premises in the 1.8 mile protection zone would be visited and tested for infection.

Mr Milne said the wider surveillance area had been set up to cover the mute swan habitats based around Fife and the Montrose basin.

He said: "What we are proposing in this area is that we are going to issue a veterinary directive to owners of poultry to house their birds."

He added that it was an increase in biosecurity in response to a risk of disease being present in the mute swan population.

Another 14 birds from Scotland are being checked for bird flu in routine testing, including 12 swans and two other species.

Mr Finnie defended the length of time between the dead swan being found and the tests results being confirmed, saying it was normal procedure.

He said: "We've got to take into account the total number of tests that we've had and the total number that have not proved positive."

In pictures: Bird flu in Fife

The minister also stressed that the risk to human health remained low.

"I am much more concerned at the moment about the potential spread of an animal health disease," he said.

Opposition parties have called for First Minister Jack McConnell to return to the country from New York, where he is taking part in US Tartan Week celebrations.

Mr McConnell has been briefed by Mr Finnie.

An executive spokesman said: "We have been preparing for this for months and the key thing is to update everyone and ensure the plan is being implemented."

VisitScotland, the agency which promotes tourism, said people had no reason to change their travel plans.

Villagers wake up to bird flu Risk zone is created RSPB step up reserve checks

A spokesman said: "People can feel confident and comfortable that they can do all the usual tourist things."

The RSPB said it would now carry out daily checks for sick or dead birds on a number of its east coast reserves.

John Kinnaird, president of the NFU Scotland, said the poultry industry was in a position to meet the potential problems caused by the confirmed H5N1 case.

The swan was discovered eight days ago by a local woman who was walking near-by.

Tina Briscoe, 68, who works at St Andrew's University, found the dead bird washed on the shore at the pier.

Mrs Briscoe expressed concern that the bird was left lying overnight by the authorities before it was collected.

She added: "I would have thought immediate action was needed."

Leading microbiologist Professor Hugh Pennington urged the public not to worry about any personal health risk.

He told BBC Scotland that the number of people who have died from bird flu had been very small compared to the millions of birds who had perished.

However, experts fear the virus could mutate to gain this ability, and in its new form trigger a flu pandemic, potentially putting millions of human lives at risk.

The government advises that anyone who finds one or more dead swans, ducks or geese, more than three dead birds of the same species or more than five dead birds of different species, in the same place, should contact the Defra helpline on 08459 33 55 77.