H5N1 Confirmed in Tenth Swan in Dorset England
Recombinomics Commentary 23:55
February 5, 2008
Defra confirmed on 4 February that another mute swan, found in the same area, has tested positive for H5N1. This brings the total number of swans confirmed with H5N1 in the Control Area to ten. Evidence suggests that the level of infection in the mute swan population is low, and there remains no evidence of spread to other wild birds or domestic poultry.
The above comments describe the tenth H5N1 positive swan detected in Dorset, England (see satellite map). Although H5N1 has been present since December, DEFRA continues to call the level “low” and continues to cite its negative evidence as support for its mantra on a lack of H5N1 spread to other species. Prior to this outbreak, DEFRA detected one H5N1 positive wild bird since the fall of 2005.
Clearly H5N1 is and has been present in dead and live wild birds in the Dorset area for an extended time period, yet DEFRA can only detect the H5N1 in dead mute swans.
These repeated failures to find H5N1 in live wild birds or any dead bird other than a mute swan clearly demonstrate a fatally flawed surveillance system.
Media Links
Recombinomics Presentations
Recombinomics Publications
Recombinomics Paper at Nature Precedings