BIRD FLU ANARCHY IN THE UK : WHY THE EIGHT DAY DELAY?

By Darryl Mason

No sooner had the avian influenza virus been confirmed as the cause of death for a swan found in a small Scottish village then the outrage began over why it took eight long days for the virus' presence in the UK to be announced.

The outrage and anger is totally justified. By being so afraid of possibly causing a panic, and by trying to delay the flow-on effects to the British poultry industry, there is a very real chance now that the virus has spread far and wide across the UK.

The always excellent The Scotsman newspaper (registration required) has a timeline from when the corpse of the swan was discovered to when the announcement was made. Here's the link to the timeline, and here's a few excerpts from it :

"• Wednesday, 29 March, 5pm - a dead swan lying on the harbour slipway in Cellardyke, Fife, is reported to the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The swan had earlier been reported to police, who told the caller to contact an animal welfare charity. The mangled bird is said to have probably been dead for "a few days".

• Thursday, 30 March, 12:30pm - the bird is collected by a vet. Samples are taken and sent to the world reference laboratory for avian flu at Weybridge, Surrey.

• Friday, 31 March - samples are received by scientists.

• Monday, 3 April - testing begins. Scotland's chief veterinary officer, Charles Milne, later insists procedures carried out were are in line with "routine surveillance".

• Wednesday, 5 April - Mr Milne is made aware in early afternoon that the swan had tested positive for bird flu.

• Wednesday, 5 April, 8:30pm - the Scottish Executive issues a statement confirming the swan had bird flu.

• Wednesday, 5 April, 10pm - local people, including the owner of a large poultry farm at Kingsbarns, less than six miles from Cellardyke, learn from news bulletins that the swan had bird flu.

• Thursday, 6 April, 10am - Mr Milne gives a press conference and defends the time taken to confirm the bird flu infection.

• Thursday, 6 April, 2:15pm - RSPB confirm it was told by DEFRA that the test results for the H5N1 strain were positive.

• Thursday, 6 April, 4pm - Scottish Executive confirms the swan had the H5N1 strain."

Also from The Scotsman :

"Britian was supposed to be on bird flu alert but it still took eight days to confirm that the dead swan in Fife had H5N1 - a delay heavily criticised yesterday.

"Dan Young, a local resident, reported the dead bird lying on the harbour slipway at Cellardyke last Wednesday evening, but it was not picked up that night because officials did not work after 5pm.

"I was a little surprised, possibly, that they didn't come out the same evening. It ended up being picked up about midday on the Thursday - so it was there for 16 hours or so."

UPDATE :Thanks to The Scotsman for not screaming at us to take down this full timeline. Repay the kindness shown by visiting their site. Definitely one of the best media websites out of the UK.

THE DELAY BETWEEN WHEN THE SAMPLES WERE RECIEVED ON MARCH 30 AND TESTING FINALLY BEGAN IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY DON'T DO TESTING OVER THE WEEKEND! That is so absurd it's almost funny. Almost.


UK PRIME MINISTER SAYS "DON'T PANIC!"

Tony Blair on the annoucement : "It is very important that people understand this. This is not a human-to-human virus, it is something that is transmitted to poultry.

"It is only if humans are in direct and very intensive contact with poultry that there is any risk involved."

Or in very close contact with someone who is already infected with the bird flu virus from being in contact with an infected bird, but we digress.

The UK Soil Association has been far more open and to the point about the possible risk associated with infected poultry :

"...as long as you are not drinking the raw blood of chickens, then your risks are very low," a spokeman said on Sky News.

And here's a selection from the thousands of articles already generated by this announcement :

Famers Told To Isolate 3 Million Birds In Massive 1000 Mile Wide 'At Risk' Zone

"Sloppy Response" To Avian Flu Threat Is Inexcusable

14 More Birds Now Being Tested For The Virus

Goverment Attacked Over Bird Flu 'Delay'

UK Bird Flu Crisis Committee Meets

Dead Swans Found In Glasgow Park Test Negative