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- EDITIONS: Spanish News Today Alicante Today Andalucia Today
Date Published: 01/12/2022
ARCHIVED - Bird flu threat prompts Gibraltar to consider mass culling of chickens and pigeons
Authorities believe it’s “very possible” that avian flu, which can be passed to humans, is already in Gibraltar
Following a dramatic increase in the number of dead seabirds on the Rock’s coasts in recent weeks, the Government of Gibraltar believes it is “very possible” that the bird flu outbreak that has closed countless poultry farms in the UK is already rampant.
The main fear of the authorities is that avian influenza could be passed to humans and mutate into a new, harder to treat strain of the disease.
“We are currently experiencing an early rise in cases of human seasonal influenza with the H1N1 strain,” the director of Public Health, Dr Helen Carter, explained.
“The risk is that someone who is infected with a human strain of seasonal flu can be infected at the same time with the bird flu strain. This mixture of viruses can cause a new strain of flu to form, leading to a more serious illness.”
The expert is working closely with the Environment Agency and Gibraltar’s administration is taking “a precautionary approach”. This, the authorities warn, may involve culling wild birds like pigeons and chickens that come into contact with the public.
Meanwhile, citizens and visitors have been asked to avoid touching any sick or dead birds, particularly seabirds, and instead report the sighting to the Environmental Protection and Research Unit (EPRU).
Bird flu has already reached mainland Spain, largely as a result of the movement of migratory birds that fly south during the winter. The disease has been picked up in seabirds that frequent the Bay of Algeciras and the Strait of Gibraltar, such as gannets and razorbills.
Image: Pixabay
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