Bird influenza is spreading around the world, this is how Finland tries to combat the disease

Birdwatchers The next spring's advancement of the binoculars in the sting, but the arrival of migratory birds is also a threat. Namely, returnees can carry bird flu.

In almost all countries of the European Union, the disease has already been found in wild birds. Several countries have also reported cases in poultry.

In the United States, the bird flu situation was buzzing last year. Due to the disease cases, the premises have had to stop tens of millions of birds, and for example Egg prices are raised to records. Bird flu also spread in dairy cattle, where dozens of people got the disease.

One person died in the bird flu in January in Louisiana.

In Finland, in the early part of the year, two cases of birds have been detected in Finland, one in the nails in Turku and the other in the hen in Taivassalo. Last year there was only one case.

“A citizen does not have to worry about their own health at the moment,” says a senior researcher Erika Lindh From the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

“As we begin to see a lot of bird deaths, there is a significant risk that infections will spread to farm animals. When we have eruptions of inflammation of farm animals, such as fur or poultry, the potential effects of human health will also increase. ”

Wild Bird infections cannot be restricted. Indeed, authorities and facilities are trying to prevent the disease from spreading to farm animals such as poultry and fur farms.

« There are infections in Finland, and in Europe, bird flu is currently very wide in wild birds and also in poultry, » says Tiia TuupanenSpecialist in the control of animal diseases from the Food Agency.

The Food Agency monitors the occurrence of the disease in wild birds and poultry, instructs animal spaces to prevent infections and is responsible for examining samples.

In Finland, no bird flu has been found in humans. There are nearly a thousand cases in the world, and hundreds of people have died of the disease in this millennium.

Poultry farms and fur farms have for those involved with animals Vaccination is now available in Finlandwhich THL urges you to take as soon as possible. THL is responsible for vaccination recommendations related to bird flu and monitors the occurrence of the disease in humans.

The risk of infections increases as spring migration progresses.

So far Bird influenza has been found to be quite poorly transmitted to humans. The virus appears in the bird digestive tract, where the conditions are very different from that of human upper respiratory tract.

However, infection can be obtained from sick or dead animals and their secretions. Most of the cases found in humans have been serious, with the exception of Most of the US infections.

In the United States, a person over 65 who died of the disease had been in contact with the birds in their yard.

According to THL's Lindh, the H5N1 virus, which causes respiratory infection in people, should be transformed in order to easily become infectious from one person to another. So far, there have been only a few possible cases in the world where infection may have come from another person.

« For example, they have been situations where a family member has taken care of the infected family member for a longer period of time and have been in a very close contact, » Lindh says.

Finnish The poultry area and authorities are waiting for a more difficult situation last year. However, it is difficult to predict the development of the infection situation.

“When you look at the world, and especially to Europe, this is worrying. Last year was easier, but this year is expected to be heavier, ”says Veera LehtiläExecutive Director of the Poultry Association.

Vaccines were offered to those in the industry for the first time last year, but their sales were poor. Lehtilä estimates that it was timing.

« This year, THL is on the move earlier in communication and they work, among other things, a lot of cooperation with the industry. »

By Tuesday, March 11, vaccinations had been distributed to about 500 people, according to THL.

In poultry farms And all animal keepers, for their part, have the responsibility for minimizing the risk of disease.

The farms are given instructions to prevent infections. For example, there should be no vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the poultry space, and other hygiene must also be taken care of. The farms should have a disease that allows all visitors to go before treating animals.

Practices also exist to prevent other diseases, such as Salmonella. Was found in Finland extraordinarily extensive Salmonella suspicion Earlier in the spring. Lehtilä assures that control is working and citizens do not have to worry about the case. In Finland, there are rarely cases of salmonella cases.

“We have some salmonella case every year, and in this situation it has been caught,” says Lehtilä.

At the time of spring migration on poultry farms is a ban on bird outdoors, In order to avoid contact with wild birds carrying bird flu. The prohibition, which has been a practice in the industry for several years, is valid until the end of May.

The poultry sector attaches particular importance to the adequacy of authority resources, as it must be fast with suspicions of infectious infections.

“We are concerned about the adequacy of authority resources. If a virus that is sensitive to bird flu is entered into the sector, there is a risk that it can also spread there. Restrictive measures must be quickly taken into force. Authorities have a big difference, ”says Lehtilä.

According to Tuupanen, the food agency, the resources for the investigation of the samples have not yet been increased. Municipal veterinarians take samples of the animals on the premises that the Food Agency is studying.

“Doubts are regularly examined. In this regard, the situation has not changed significantly in Finland, at least not yet, ”says Tuupanen.

In addition to large production facilities, there are thousands of smaller chickens in Finland, for example in hobby use.

The other year, the bird flu began to spread with fur farms, which had to stop hundreds of thousands of animals. Many fur gardens also ceased their activities.

In the United States, the disease began to spread on milking farms. In Finland, no special instructions have been given to cattle farms to prevent bird flu. The guideline is to contact the veterinarian immediately if there is a suspicion of infection, says Terhi LaaksonenDirector of Health and Welfare of the Food Agency.

Stateside Egg prices rose dramatically because tens of millions of birds have been stopped due to the disease.

It is unlikely that a similar egg shortage in Finland will be created in Finland. On the other hand, if the bird flu could be dipped in production, it would also be visible on store shelves, says Lehtilä.

The poultry facilities in Finland are concentrated in Southwest Finland, Satakunta and Southern Ostrobothnia. According to Lehtilä, the medium -sized egg farm in Finland has about 20,000 to 30,000 eggs.

“If we take all the egg eggs in Finland, we have one medium -sized US egg space. Even our largest spaces are very moderate on a global scale, ”says Lehtilä.

US President Donald Trump As the season began, the country's disease center (CDC) interrupted the update of bird flu, but information has now been obtained again. According to the authority, the risk for citizens is still low, but the risk was moderate to those who work with farm animals.

« The situation now seen in the United States, where the virus circulates widely in addition to poultry in the dairy cattle, would hardly move directly to us, » says THL's Lindh.