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Bird flu experts from 15 countries have been sharing their
experiences in the two-day Avian Influenza workshop ‘Practical
Lessons Learned’ on how to monitor and contain the
deadly H5N1 virus in both wild and domestic bird populations.
The meeting was convened by the
Secretariat of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)
and the
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and held by
the Scientific
Task Force on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds
in Aviemore, Scotland, from 26 to 27 June 2007.
The workshop was co-funded by the Scottish
Natural Heritage (SNH), the UN
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), USAID
and the Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS). As an active member
of the Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza, AEWA’s
Technical Officer Sergey Dereliev together with 36 delegates
from different parts of the world heard a series of case
studies presented by scientists from Russia, Ukraine, Nigeria,
Hong Kong, Cambodia, Indonesia, Korea, and Great Britain
including Scotland.
Further presentations were held on general
topics related to Avian Influenza, inter alia on
the activities of the Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza,
the current situation of countries affected by the virus,
on surveillance, early-warning and risk assessment and on
how to handle the media in case of an outbreak. As a major
result of the conference the specialists concluded that
the incidence of avian flu in the wild bird populations
has apparently almost disappeared and that the situation
is likely to hold for the next couple of months.
During the meeting, guidelines on the
direct responses and measures to be taken to monitor the
possibility of infection to and from wildlife were issued.
They should serve as a practical information tool when reacting
to future outbreaks. The guidelines and the results of the
meeting will be published soon.
Conclusions and Recommendations from
the Avian Influenza & Wildlife Workshop held in Aviemore,
Scotland, UK, from 26 to 28 June 2007.
Statement of the Taskforce on Avian Influenza
and Wild Birds:
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http://www.cms.int/news/PRESS/nwPR2007/07_July/TF_statement_outbreaks_HPAI_Europe.pdf
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