Scotland announced on Saturday that she would lift her surveillance zone for wild birds as planned on Monday, almost a month after a dead swan was found to have the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu.
The restrictions that were aimed at stopping the spread of the deadly bird flu virus in Scotland have now been lifted in their entirety. The restrictions were imposed after finding the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus in a swan at Cellardyke in Fife.
History of Bird Flu/Avian Influenza
Bird flu is a fatal disease of chickens, turkeys, guinea fowls, and other avian species, especially migratory waterfowl. This virus that causes the bird infection can mutate to infect humans.
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The Scottish Executive had introduced a series of measures that were aimed at stopping any spread of the disease, they were a three kilometre quarantine zone restricted the movement of poultry products, a ten kilometre Wild Bird Surveillance Zone which required the housing of poultry and a ban on live bird movements and a 2,500 square kilometre Wild Bird Risk Area.
The surveillance zones also included 175 properties with 3.1m birds as well as free-range poultry. The experts warned at that time that the Cellardyke swan would be unlikely to be an isolated incident. But the fears it appears were put to rest, as that in fact was the only case with no further infected birds being found. 11 days ago the three-kilometre zone was lifted and now the 10K surveillance zone and wild bird risk area have also been removed. Scotland has already lifted quarantine restrictions on poultry products.
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has spread across Asia into parts of the Middle East, Africa and Europe. It has killed 113 people since 2003, according to the World Health Organisation, and led to the death and culling of 200 million birds.
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has spread across Asia into parts of the Middle East, Africa and Europe. It has killed 113 people since 2003, according to the World Health Organisation, and led to the death and culling of 200 million birds.
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