“Suspicious” Bird Deaths Spark Concern:
By Erica Wells -
Nassau, Bahamas:
A team of government officials is expected to travel to Inagua today to investigate the "suspicious" deaths of a number of birds found in the Bahamas National Trust National Park.
Eric Carey, director of parks and science at the national trust told The Bahama Journal yesterday that a total of 16 birds – 10 flamingos, five roseate spoonbills and one cormorant – were found dead over a period of two days by the park’s warden Henry Nixon, who reported the incident immediately.
Mr. Carey said that according to the senior warden’s report, there was no sign of blood from a gunshot or mangling from a dog or wild hog.
"When [16] birds die suddenly from one area you obviously become concerned, and the first thing you think of is bird flu because of all the news," said Mr. Carey.
Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, Leslie Miller, confirmed to The Bahama Journal that a team from his ministry was expected to visit the area today to collect samples.
Mr. Carey, who contacted government officials immediately after receiving the report from the park’s warden, said he was happy that the concern was being taken seriously.
And noted that the warden, Mr. Nixon, was careful not to touch any of the dead birds.
Although there is no indication that the deaths are linked to bird flu – also known as avian flu – Mr. Carey said the incidents have sparked concern.
Fourteen countries – from Indian to Nigeria and Egypt to France – have reported their first cases of birds infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu since the beginning of February, the World Health Organisation has reported.
Many of the recent outbreaks were in Europe, where wild birds have tested positive for the disease.
The local Department of Agriculture has already banned all live and raw poultry imports from European Union countries and said late last year that it was gearing up for the possibility of major bird depopulations to protect against an outbreak of the flu.
The move is part of an overall effort involving a number of government ministries to protect the country from an outbreak that has so far killed hundreds of birds and dozens of people as it spreads across Asia and parts of Europe.
There are two components to the bird flu – fowl-to-fowl and human-to-human – but the most immediate concern, according local health officials, is the fowl-to-fowl transmission, as the human-to-human transmission has not yet occurred.
The flu virus, H5N1, is highly lethal, and while it does not spread easily to people, humans have virtually no immunity. International health officials are concerned that if the virus mutates into a form that passes easily among humans, it could kill millions of people around the world. The virus is continually evolving, and the number of countries where birds are infected and come into contact with humans continues to increase, according to international news reports.
The human-to-human transmission is right now only a potential threat and there are no clear signs when that will happen, health officials have emphasised.
Local tourism officials are also expected to play their part in guarding against an outbreak.
Officials are scheduled to attend the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s upcoming meeting on avian flu. As the flu spreads, the UN said it is leading a concerted effort, working with national governments and international agencies to ensure that WHO regulations are widely understood and followed.
The meeting is scheduled for March 10th in Berlin.
The Inagua National Park is in the centre of Great Inagua and covers 183,740 acres of land surrounding Windsor Lake. The park is famous as the largest nesting ground for West Indian flamingos, with flocks numbering up to 55,000.
28 February 2006
