Avian influenza update - protection zone to lift


Defra has today confirmed that the Protection Zone put in place as part of control measures for the H7N7 avian influenza outbreak in Oxfordshire will lift at 00.01 Sunday 29 June provided that no new suspect cases are identified before then.

Active surveillance in the area has shown no evidence of disease spread and infection appears to be confined to the one infected premises.

Restrictions associated with the Protection Zone will fall, including the requirement to house birds, and Surveillance Zone controls will instead apply in the area. Restrictions on bird gatherings and movements of poultry and poultry products are still in place, and keepers should maintain good biosecurity practices and report any suspicion of disease immediately.

Notes to editors
1. The earliest that a Protection Zone can be lifted is 21 days after preliminary cleansing and disinfection has been completed on an Infected Premises. The earliest that a Surveillance Zone can be lifted is 30 days after preliminary cleansing and disinfection has been completed. Preliminary cleansing and disinfection was completed on 7 June so this is the earliest possible date to lift the Protection Zone.

2. Advice and information on avian influenza is available via the Defra website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/avianflu or via the Defra Helpline on 08459 33 55 77. Poultry keepers can also call the Animal Health recorded information line for the latest updates on 0844 884 4600.

3. Avian Influenza is a disease of birds and whilst it can pass very rarely and with difficulty to humans, this usually requires extremely close contact with infected birds, particularly faeces. As a precautionary measure those who might have been exposed would be offered the appropriate treatment and protection in line with established protocols.

4. Advice from the Food Standards Agency remains that properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.

Public enquiries 08459 335577;
Press notices are available on our website
http://www.defra.gov.uk
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Website http://www.defra.gov.uk


Published on: 2008-06-28



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Comments Page 1 of 1
Dipl.-Ing. Wilfried Soddemann
Posted 1425 days ago
CUT THE CHAIN OF INFECTIONS !
Spread of avian flu by drinking water
There is a widespread link between avian flu and water, e.g. in Egypt to the Nile delta or Indonesia to residential districts of less prosperous humans with backyard flocks and without central water supply as in Vietnam: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no12/06-0829.ht m . See also the WHO webside: http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/emergin g/h5n1background.pdf and http://www.umg-verlag.de/umwelt-medizin-gesellscha ft/407_m_s.html abstract in English “Influenza: Initial introduction of influenza viruses to the population via abiotic water supply versus biotic human viral respirated droplet shedding” and http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/P IIS1473309907700294/abstract?iseop=true “Transmission of influenza A in human beings”.
Avian flu infections may increase in consequence to increase of virus circulation. Transmission of avian flu by direct contact to infected poultry is an unproved assumption from the WHO. Infected birds and poultry can everywhere contaminate the drinking water. All humans have contact to drinking water. In hot climates/the tropics flood-related influenza is typical after extreme weather and floods. Virulence of influenza viruses depends on temperature and time. Special in cases of local water supplies with “young” and fresh H5N1 contaminated water from low local wells, cisterns, tanks, rain barrels or rice paddies this pathway can explain small clusters in households. At 24°C e.g. in the tropics the virulence of influenza viruses in water amount to 2 days. In temperate climates for “older” water from central water supplies cold water is decisive to virulence of viruses. At 7°C the virulence of influenza viruses in water amount to 14 days.
In temperate climates the strong seasonal waterborne infections like norovirus, rotavirus, salmonellae, campylobacter and - differing from the usual dogma - influenza are mainly triggered by drinking water dependent on the drinking water temperature (in Germany minimum feb/mar – maximum august). There is no evidence that influenza primary is transmitted by saliva droplets. In temperate climates the strong interdependence between influenza infections and environmental temperatures can’t be explained with the primary biotic transmission by saliva droplets from human to human with temperatures of 37.5°C. There must be an abiotic vehicle like cold drinking water. There is no other appropriate abiotic vehicle. In Germany about 98% of inhabitants have a central public water supply with older and better protected water. Therefore in temperate climates like in Germany cold water is decisive to virulence of viruses.
Dipl.-Ing. Wilfried Soddemann
soddemann-aachen@t-online.de
http://www.dugi-ev.de/information.html
Epidemiological Analysis:
http://www.dugi-ev.de/TW_INFEKTIONEN_H5N1_2007 1019.pdf
 


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