Recent reports of dead wild sea birds washing up on shorelines in counties Kerry, Clare and Galway have led the Department of Agriculture to issue a public message advising people not to touch any sea birds.
To date no infected birds have been reported in County Cork however, any outbreak would have a serious impact on local poultry producers, according to one local business owner.
West Cork Eggs is a family based farm located outside Rosscarbery, supplying free range eggs in retail outlets throughout West Cork, and is a previous winner of The Southern Star’s Business Awards.
Owner Caroline Murphy said their birds have only just been left out after the last scare, and a full scale outbreak in West Cork would have a devastating impact on all those in the industry.
‘I know of businesses in the north of the country, which is a very poultry heavy area, and they’ve been wiped out from previous outbreaks; it’s devastating. Even though West Cork is a dairy-heavy area and there aren’t too many poultry farms here, an outbreak in the area would have a massive impact. There are no financial supports in place if something does happen.’
Caroline said they hadn’t received any communication from the department, but as a business they ensure that all necessary precautions are followed.
In a public message from the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, Minister Heydon said, ‘in the past three weeks, in two instances a wild sea bird which washed up on a beach tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza virus, with one case in Kerry and one in Galway.’
The minister reiterated the importance of taking precautions to protect public health, warning people not to touch or pick up dead wild birds.
Dog owners are also advised to keep dogs on a leash in areas where there are sick or dead wild birds.
Experts advise that stringent biosecurity measures will help to mitigate the risk of disease spreading to commercial and residential flock owners.
Anyone who comes across a sick or dead wild bird is asked to report it via the AvianCheck app which can be downloaded via smart phones, tablets, PCs and laptops.
The HSE and Health Protection Surveillance Centre has advised that the risk to public health is considered low for the general public, and low to medium for occupationally exposed people.
