Conservation Science in the RSPB 2006

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Underpinning the RSPB’s response to
the spread of H5N1 avian influenza
Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian
influenza is not new; prior to the
case in Cellardyke, Scotland, in
April 2006 there were outbreaks in
poultry in Scotland in 1959 and
Norfolk in 1991. The virus that is
currently circulating probably
evolved in poultry in China a
decade ago. It is causing concern
because it is capable of passing
directly from birds to humans
without an intermediate host, and
the mortality rate in reported
human cases is high. Speculation
that it could mutate or
recombine with a human influenza
virus to become transmissible
between humans has led to fears
of a pandemic.
The rapidity of the global spread of
H5N1 and the high level of often misinformed
public concern about the
disease, has forced governments to
formulate policies in advance of full
scientific understanding. Movements
of poultry have been heavily
implicated in much of the current
spread but, because wild birds have
become infected and have been
shown to carry the virus across
international boundaries, much
attention has focussed on them. An
RSPB team has been tackling the
issue and seeking to ensure that
official policy, action and
pronouncements are based on
sound science.
A key element has been to work with
BTO, WWT, BASC and the statutory
conservation agencies on an
ornithological advisory group convened
by Defra to advise government on the
risks of wild birds bringing the disease
to the UK. The message, that culls of
wild birds cannot be effective in
controlling the disease and thus
should not be attempted, has been
successfully promoted. The need for a
natureportfolio.com
more co-ordinated programme of
‘die-off’ surveillance has also been
strongly advocated.
More specifically, there has been a
need to highlight the potential
conservation implications for key
species at risk from the disease itself
or from misguided attempts at culls
or disturbance of breeding birds. The
RSPB has been playing a major role in
the Government’s surveillance strategy.
During winter 2005–06 site-managers
on 66 RSPB reserves undertook twiceweekly
flock scans looking out for sick
or dead birds: 161 dead birds of 31
species were found of which 17 were
collected by the veterinary authorities.
None were infected.
The risk to public health in the
developed world from the virus
currently infecting wild birds is
extremely small. The main threat is to
the poultry industry, where wild birds
could play a role in disease
transmission; this risk can be managed
through structured surveillance and
appropriate bio-security measures.
We expect to continue to need to be
involved in helping to maintain the
balance between action based on
science and more visceral responses
to public or other misconceptions on
the role of wild birds and the
feasibility of action targeted at them.
Contact:
andy.evans@rspb.org.uk
H5N1 killed more than 10% of the
world population of bar-headed
geese in 2005.
The regularly updated RSPB position on avian
influenza is available at
www.rspb.org.uk/policy/avianinfluenza/index.asp
Feare C (2005) Conservation Implications of
Avian Influenza. RSPB Research Report No 14.
RSPB, Sandy.