9 birds died as a result of bird flu – NRK Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio

– All known cases of avian influenza have occurred in Bergen and Rogaland. The curfew is now being extended to various parts of the country, says lead inspector for the Norwegian Food Safety Authority Irene Skei Mjømen.

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority introduces a curfew for poultry and it is these counties that are affected:

• Trøndelag
• Møre and Romsdal
• Vestland
• Rogaland
• Agder
• Vestfold and Telemark
• The Bay
• Oslo
• Inside

– We have received reports that not everyone has welcomed the birds yet, that we need everyone to do so now to prevent further infection, says Irene Mjømen.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza

The bird flu that has been detected in Bergen and Rogaland is of the type H5N8, which means highly pathogenic bird flu.

– There is a 75% chance that birds will die from the virus, so we want to prevent the infection from entering the commercial poultry industry. We communicate well with those who deal with poultry trade conditions and it is now important that they tighten their routines around infection control, says Irene Skei Mjømen.

According to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, human infection with this virus has never been detected, so the risk of it occurring is low.

Scary, but not a disaster yet

– The biggest challenge arises if the virus is transmitted to domestic birds. If you get an infection in the herd, you can expect all the animals to die. Whether you have five chickens in the garden or 7,500 on the farm, you can lose them all overnight, so to speak, says Margrethe Brantsæter, who is the general manager of the Norwegian Poultry Association.

Brantsæter says that to prevent the spread of the wild bird population, it is important that domestic birds in high-risk areas stay under cover. It is also good that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has stopped hunting birds, as it is important that wild birds remain as quiet as possible. Now everyone must do their part to reduce the pressure of infection.

– That the wild bird has been diagnosed with the virus is scary, but it is not a disaster. Now, the most important thing is that everyone who has poultry in the garden protect the birds and avoid all contact between wild birds and domestic birds. In order for us to prevent the infection situation from escalating, it is absolutely crucial that the curfew is enforced, says Brantsæter.

Ask the audience to follow you

– We depend on people to follow us and notify us if they see dead birds. So that we can run more tests to detect any infection. It is also important to say that it is not dangerous to eat birds or eggs during this period, concludes Irene Skei Mjømen from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.

In addition to the curfew, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has put together a list of preventive measures for those who keep chickens in the garden:

• Make as few visits as possible to the poultry farm.
• All people who come in contact with your birds should wear clean clothes and shoes and wash their hands. Perhaps it is advisable to have your own shoes that are not used outside or shoe covers, when you go to your pet? The most important thing is to make sure that shoes that have been in contact with wild bird feces do not enter the area where you keep them.
• Have you ever been in contact with wild birds? Take a shower and change clothes before being in contact with your own birds.
• Keep it clean and tidy around chicken coops and pens. Make sure to remove spills of food, eggs, and anything else that may attract wild birds.