What about our contact with wild birds 0r our contact with cats who have had contact with wild birds
It's scary

Jackie you ok? Are the birds indoors now?

Can anyone answer a question for me please on this?

A friend of mine has an aviary outside in her garden where she breeds and keeps budgies, etc. nothing exotic, but says she is not going to bring them inside. Now, the thing I would like to know is, are you bringing your birds inside to protect them, or if they are left outside are they a risk to our wild birds too? If she doesn't bring her birds indoors, might they be a risk to the wild birds in her garden too, and thereby spreading the disease further by not bringing hers indoors? I am thinking if this disease, God forbid, does actually come into our Country,I want to do everything in my power to protect our wildlife species, and if it means "shopping" my friend to those in the know, then I'm afraid If it came to it, I would have to do this. I hope it doesn't, but I think she is being totally irresponsible saying there is no way she would ever bring her birds indoors? What do you think?

I think as her birds are in a kind of protected area they are probably safe as birds cannot get in or out and they are not sharing the living space. Also, the food and water is not being shared. Generally, most of the problem is still mainly showing in poultry. Alsot of the flu virus may pass from bird to bird but so far not human to human.

We have to depend on those that come into close contact with birds such as poultry breeders, poultry farmers, bird breeders etc...do all they can and follow any rules to halt its spread.

And should the worse happen and it does affect Humans, whilst the initial outbreak could be dangerous, once the strain has been verified a vaccine will be available within 6 months and this time it will not just be available to some of the population in the UK but all.

The best place to read about it is on DEFRA's website at least they are not being over dramatic like the press
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/dise...e/ai/index.htm

I am a member of some poultry forums and its very sad to hear of neighbours accusing people of putting lifes at risk etc. for having a couple of pet chickens in their garden or pet ducks dumped in parks because the dont want them anymore due to getting paranoid about bird flu ,even a woman who was forced to rehome her much loved 2 chickens and 2 ducks due to neighbours and even her daughters friends were banned from visiting their house because the parents said they would catch bird flu
the press have alot to answer for ,but as usual they are only interested in selling papers

That's really sad reading that PurpleJ. Some people are really stupid, but as you say, it really is down to the press hyping this all up, but even so, no need to go to those lengths is there. I will take a look at that defra site and get genned up on it all now.

I keep myself informed about most things in the news but rarely read a newspaper and listen more closely now to the news that I watch and listen because I know many stories get a slant that means few if any are stright reports.

On friday on Radio 5 there was some sports bullitin reporting what had been said by a footballer but the lead in to the sound bite and out was made to sound different by the words of the script read out by the reporter. A guest in the studio(none other than the film producer/director Sir Alan Parker)actually took the reporter and what he had said to task live on air saying that was not what had actually been said.

The response given in short was something on the lines of you have to make a story sound interesting. No, you want to hear if at all possible what was actually said or what actually happened. And the same is true of this bird flu story.

I had a feeling we'd start to see some members of the public behaving in this way regarding birds. They are same kind who behave about so many things that they think they have seen, heard or read. Even without a story being hyped there are those that only half listen and unfortunately they can make life difficult for the rest of us.

Hi everyone,

Anyone worried about Avian flu...You and Your's on Radio 4 Midday 25th October 2005 an hour long special and of course it will be available online on Listen again at the BBC site.

Also, still available on Listen Again the Radio 5 Report from Sunday on the subject.

Might answer concerns about how pet birds/garden birds etc...may be affected. And how to keep yourself safe too.

i dont have any birds and it terrifies me so i really feel for those of you with pet birds, its really scary