Commerce and Employment, as the States Department responsible for animal health and welfare, has taken steps to ensure that the island is prepared should ‘bird flu’ infect any local poultry flocks. It has worked closely with the States Veterinary Officer, the industry, and with other States Departments and local agencies, to develop a local workable plan to guide the actions that will need to be taken to contain the disease, so that it affects as few birds as possible. The H5N1 strain of avian influenza, now reported in southern Europe, is a disease of birds and poultry. The Director of Public Health has confirmed that any risk to human health currently only arises in people who have very close contact with infected birds. It is important to ensure that any outbreak in poultry will be quickly recognised, clinically diagnosed by a veterinary surgeon, confirmed by laboratory analysis, and contained so that other flocks or wild birds in the locality are not infected.

There is a risk that local poultry and pigeons might become infected and this could quickly spread to other flocks within the Island unless suspect bird deaths are reported quickly and precautions taken to reduce the risk of spread to other flocks.

The large commercial egg producers in Guernsey are highly professional and responsible, work closely with veterinary advisers and have bio-security arrangements in place. However, we know that many small semi-commercial and hobby poultry keepers need advice on how to protect their birds. For this reason we have produced a short guidance note from the States Veterinary Officer on how to recognise the disease and the bio-security precautions that should be put in place. This is available on the Department’s website, from the Department’s offices (Raymond Falla House, St Martins – telephone 234567), or from some local feed suppliers. It is important that the Department is able to contact flock owners and keepers in the future in the event of any developments. For this reason we are asking all owners of poultry, keepers of small flocks of one or two birds as well as large flock owners, to ‘register’ their flocks with the Department. We are not alone in asking flock owners to do this as all poultry keepers throughout Britain and Europe will shortly have a legal responsibility to register their birds, and in England poultry owners are invited to register their flocks within the next month.

We may need to contact you so please let us know that you keep poultry or other birds either by completing the registration forms that are available at feed suppliers (Stan Brouard Ltd, Camp du Roi Stores), in the Guernsey Press, on the Department’s website, or by telephone or personal applicationat Raymond Falla House, St Martins. We will then send you an advisory note on Avian Influenza from Mr Bishop, Guernsey States Veterinary Officer, and keep you informed of future developments.

In the event of an outbreak, we would have particular concerns over the health of poultry farmers, or keepers, their families and their staff; and we would also wish to take measures that would contain the infection and prevent the spread to other flocks of poultry, or wild birds, within the island.

The Director of Public Health advises that poultry keepers may wish to consult their own doctor to discuss the advisability of being vaccinated with this year’s formulation of the influenza vaccine. This would minimise any risk of a ‘transspecies mutation’ occurring in the unlikely event that they might look after a chicken with Avian H5N1 whilst already suffering from a ‘flu’ infection.

Poultry meat and eggs remain a nutritious part of our diet, especially when backed by animal welfare and food assurance schemes. Virtually all the fresh poultry meat supplied is of British origin and many of the eggs are locally produced within Guernsey. It would be a tragedy if this were undermined by the threat of Avian Influenza, or by unfounded scare stories. We would underline the fact that the World Health Organisation and the British Food Standards Agency have both confirmed that properly cooked poultry products present absolutely no risk to human health.

Contact:
Dr Andrew Casebow
Agriculture and Environment Adviser
Commerce and Employment Department
Raymond Falla House
Longue Rue, St Martins,
Guernsey
GY1 6AF
United Kingdom.

Telephone: 01481 234567

Commerce and Employment Department