06 February 2007
The Medical Officer of Health, Dr Rosemary Geller and States Veterinary Officer, Linda Lowseck are keen to reinforce that Jersey has not had any reported instances of Avian Influenza (also known as ‘Bird flu’) following the recent case in Suffolk. Surveillance is continuing and the public should be re-assured that a detailed cross-department plan has been developed should the disease reach the Island.
The importation of live birds into the Island has been temporarily suspended to minimise the risk of bird flu coming to Jersey following the Suffolk case. Linda Lowseck commented: “Anyone keeping poultry (from one single bird to a large commercial quantity) is required by Law to register them with the Environment department. If they haven’t yet done this I would advise them to contact our department and we will send out a registration form. Needless to say it is crucial that we have access to all poultry owners should Avian flu become a real threat to the Island. We have already sent out an information pack to all registered poultry keepers giving them key details and advice on keeping birds and the symptoms of Avian Flu, again, please contact the department if you would like to receive this information.”
Mrs Lowseck continued: “We have gathered together a group of people from across States departments so that we can respond to any Avian flu related occurrence in a coordinated way. Both Dr Geller and I would like to reiterate to the public that our website holds the latest advice and information relevant to Jersey on bird flu symptoms and precautions.”
The Medical Officer of Health advises good hygiene practices when caring for birds to reduce the risk of infection from birds to humans. This is good practice, as it will also reduce the risk of infection from salmonella and campylobacter which can be present in poultry droppings. More detailed guidance on this can be found on the website. Dr Mark Jones, Consultant in Community Paediatrics, advises that poultry should be housed separately from people’s homes and that young children should be kept away from the areas where poultry are fed.
Avian influenza (H5N1) is a disease of birds, and, very infrequently, it can infect humans. This has happened in parts of the world where widespread infection has been reported and humans have been in direct contact with infected birds. No cases have been linked to the consumption of properly cooked poultry or eggs.
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