Avian Influenza Guidelines for Housing of Raptors
Introduction
Government guidance and legislation regarding outbreaks, housing orders and Avian Influenza Prevention Zones (AIPZ) can be found by searching gov.uk for “avian influenza”. All legislation must be adhered to.
Almost all AI infection comes from contact with faeces directly or via water.
Air and dust are not so significant.
There can be 10,000 infectious doses in a single dropping.
The source of most infections in captive birds is people transferring infection into enclosures/mews/aviaries on footwear. Thus, the threshold between the outside and the inside of the building or aviary is the area that needs to be focused on, to prevent the infection from entering the building.
Aviary design can also help - solid roofed aviaries are the best at preventing an infection from wild birds. Aviaries should be constructed in should a way to prevent access by wild birds.
The following advice is designed to not only help prevent an outbreak, but if properly documented will help in demonstrating past biosecurity on the site, which will help the authorities in the event of an outbreak.
Record keeping is key. These guidelines should be printed out and kept on the site where the birds are kept. A “day book” (diary) should be present and disinfectant changes etc. recorded. The day book can also record birds arriving or leaving the site.
A document making a case for each bird in the collection should be prepared. The below graphic is a suggested layout for this document and also contains the sort of information that should be included.
It is legal requirement to report the suspicion of an outbreak. Make sure you have an experienced vet’s contact details.
Foot Baths
Footbaths are an invaluable resource when it comes to controlling infection. There are a range of suitable disinfectants available, and they should be DEFRA approved. The list of approved disinfectants can be found by searching gov.uk for “Defra approved disinfectants”
Footbaths should consist of 2 large waterproof containers (big enough to stand in). Liquid levels to be a minimum of 120mm in each. One footbath to contain clean water (to rinse footwear) the second to contain an approved disinfectant to the correct dilution. The water footbath should contain an astroturf footmat to enable proper cleaning of the soles. Cleaning footwear before disinfecting is important as organic matter interferes with the effectiveness of disinfectants.
Footbaths should be located at the entrance to the bird keeping area and immediately outside every aviary block door.
The water and disinfectant needs to be replaced once it becomes contaminated with organic matter.
All visitors should use the footbaths and should wear footwear capable of being immersed in the footbaths; wellingtons are probably the best choice.
Poultry
There should effective separation between raptors and any other bird species kept on site.
Visitors who keep poultry/waterfowl at their homes should be discouraged. If they do then they must shower and change all clothes and footwear immediately before leaving home and have completely separate clothes for their visit. Their visit and the precautions taken should be recorded in the daybook.
Contractors, delivery drivers etc. should be properly supervised to ensure compliance with biosecurity measures and access should be restricted as far as is practical to site.
Suspected AI infection
In the event of a suspected AI infection call your vet and DEFRA
03000 200 301
If DEFRA are suspicious based on the call, they will instigate an immediate lockdown of the site and the site will be closed to visitors.
A DEFRA vet will be dispatched within 30 minutes and arrive on site within 2 hours. If suspicious, tests are implemented, the results will normally be back by the end of the following day.
The decision to cull birds will be based on the same factors, but will also take into account high value birds and biosecurity. This is where both demonstrable biosecurity and associated record keeping will pay dividends.
In the event of an outbreak
In the event that APHA/DEFRA are on site, it should be made abundantly clear to every single APHA/DEFRA representative that raptors are not to be treated the same as commercial poultry.
Spared birds will be tested twice, 21 days apart.