Staying safe with Bird Flu:

Here at Team Titan we recently did a blog post about Bird Flu as our flocks in the U.K were put under lockdown rules after bird flu strains had been found in the U.K. Unfortunately, the news has now reported its first case of a UK citizen catching bird flu - which an extremely rare case!

In light of this news, we thought it would be important to re-iterate ways to keep yourself, your birds and others safe!

The NHS website writes:

Bird flu is spread by close contact with an infected bird (dead or alive).

This includes:

• touching infected birds
• touching droppings or bedding
• killing or preparing infected poultry for cooking

Markets where live birds are sold can also be a source of bird flu. Avoid visiting these markets if you're travelling to countries that have had an outbreak of bird flu. You can check health advice for the country you're visiting on the TravelHealthPro website.

You can't catch bird flu through eating fully cooked poultry or eggs, even in areas with an outbreak of bird flu.

Things you can do to prevent bird flu

If you're visiting a foreign country that's had an outbreak you should:

• wash your hands often with warm water and soap, especially before and after handling food, in particular raw poultry
• use different utensils for cooked and raw meat
• make sure meat is cooked until steaming hot
• avoid contact with live birds and poultry

What not to do:

• do not go near or touch bird droppings or sick or dead birds
• do not go to live animal markets or poultry farms
• do not bring any live birds or poultry back to the UK, including feathers
• do not eat undercooked or raw poultry or duck
• do not eat raw eggs

source: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bird-flu/

GOVERNMENT WEBSITE NEWS: 

Prof Isabel Oliver, chief scientific officer at the UK Health Security Agency, said: "While the risk of avian flu to the general public is very low, we know that some strains do have the potential to spread to humans and that's why we have robust systems in place to detect these early and take action.

"Currently there is no evidence that this strain detected in the UK can spread from person to person, but we know that viruses evolve all the time and we continue to monitor the situation closely.

"We have followed up all of this individual's contacts and have not identified any onward spread."

The UK's chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss said: "We are seeing a growing number of cases in birds on both commercial farms and in backyard flocks across the country.

"We took swift action to limit the spread of the disease at the site in question, all infected birds have been humanely culled, and cleansing and disinfection of the premises is under way. This is a reminder that stringent cleanliness when keeping animals is important."

Prof Ian Jones, who is an expert in viruses at the University of Reading, said there is no risk to chicken meat or eggs and no need for public alarm.

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59896821