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A SIXTH CASE of bird flu in Ireland since last year has been confirmed by the Department of Agriculture.
The most recent case of the H5N8 strain of the virus was found in a whooper swan in Nenagh, Co Tipperary. This is the fourth case this year – all four were whooper swans.
It is the second case in Tipperary, as another swan found to have bird flu was discovered in January in the Borrisokane area of the county.
After the first case at the end of 2016, the department emphasised the requirement to confine poultry and other birds, and to apply strict bio-security measures to prevent the introduction of avian influenza.
However, no human infections with this strain of the virus have been reported world-wide so the risk to humans in considered to be very low. The public is advised not to handle sick or dead birds.
Department staff are collecting birds for testing to help understand how the disease is distributed geographically, in different species and over time.
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If you see a whooper swan flying towards you I suggest you duck!!
How can they tell if it had the bird flu? Did it have a …. whooping cough? Tishhhh
I reckon so get that swan a tissue
Did the swan present itself for medical examination ? :)
@Halla Straight to the vet for a check up
Ah jaysus what a load of swan
Universal medical card for flu jabs is what’s needed, along with intensive immigration scrutiny, visas, green cards, cameras at all migration stop overs, & all the rules & regs that can be devised to protect our chickens!
On the other hand, why not let bird & poultry populations develop natural resistance by exposure to these bugs, instead of protectionism which is both impossible & expensive, not to mention the inevitable contamination of the food chain.
Also, is it another pointer to global warming that these swans migrate north to south, east to west, & infected birds are surviving these journeys?
Or is it already endemic here, & the exhausted immigrants are exposed on arrival??
Damn And I just had a whooper burger from the only place allowed to sell Swan, Burger king :)
I think we need to put a travel ban on goose majority countries.
have your say