Andersen has leisure property in Leirvåg in Harstad municipality. A few weeks ago, he saw several crutches lying in the same place for a long time. He went over to some of them to film the birds. Although he came close, they were unable to fly their way. At the same time, he and the neighbor began to find dead birds. – I have found six on my property, and the neighbor has found 16. I know of a third neighbor who has found ten dead birds, says Kjell Arvid Andersen. Kjell Arvid Andersen watches a video of a sick crutch. Photo: Børge Hoseth / news Several dead birds are to be observed in the area on Bjarkøya. Andersen grew up on the island. – I have never experienced anything like this before. Several people are being investigated. They thought this was so strange that they contacted the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. Three of the dead crutches were sent to the Veterinary Institute for sampling. The answer came back a week ago. All three birds had been diagnosed with bird flu. This is confirmed by the head of department in Midtre Hålogaland for the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, Lill-Tone Klæboe, to news. Although the authorities have not imposed any restrictions on poultry farmers, the newspaper Harstad Tidende reports that farmers in the area are now taking precautions. Two dead birds were found at opposite ends of a staircase. Photo: Siv Skogholt Birds from Kvæfjord and Lofoten were also sent for sampling for bird flu on Friday. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority states that answers to the tests here will be ready in a week and a half at the earliest. FACTS: Bird flu Bird flu is a contagious viral disease in birds, which can lead to a mortality in poultry flocks of up to 100 per cent. The disease is caused by an influenza A virus. Different variants of the bird flu virus lead to illness of varying severity. The severe form of the disease is termed highly pathogenic (highly pathogenic) bird flu. There are also variants of bird flu that are not disease-causing, or only cause mild respiratory symptoms when they infect poultry. Bird flu is transmitted by droplet transmission from the upper respiratory tract, and through faeces or dust from faeces that is picked up through the beak or breathed in. Faeces from one infected bird can infect many thousands of poultry. Bird flu is very rarely transmitted from birds to humans. Those who have been infected have, as far as is known, been in very close contact with sick or dead birds. There are no examples of the disease being transmitted to humans via food or drinking water. (Source: Norwegian Food Safety Authority) News for seabirds Bird flu in wild birds was detected in Norway for the first time in a goose in 2020. In the last six months, 41 cases have been registered, according to the Veterinary Institute. The disease has been detected as far north as the Nordkapp. Dead bird found on Bjarkøy in Harstad municipality. Photo: Kjell Arvid Andersen Tilfalla in Harstad is among the first for crutches. Bjørnar Ytrehus is a professor at the Veterinary Institute. He confirms that it is new and serious that bird flu has now been detected in seabirds. – It is serious because many of the seabirds are struggling and their population is in decline. Seabirds do not need additional challenges. Here comes the disease and increased mortality in addition to many other challenges, he says. The birds that have been diagnosed with bird flu belong in a large colony of critters in Sør-Troms, in the Sundsvollsundet nature reserve. Sundsvollsundet nature reserve on Helløya, seen from Bjarkøya. Photo: Børge Hoseth / news – It is very serious during the nesting season, when the birds are so close to each other physically and nest so closely. They now have a period when they lie in the nest and feed the young. As a result, they can be stressed and have a poor immune system. He points out that bird flu has almost wiped out bird colonies in southern Europe. One has lost an entire cohort to the disease. Fear of infection to mammals Ytrehus say they primarily fear that the bird flu virus will spread to domesticated birds. Bjørnar Ytrehus, professor at the Veterinary Institute. Photo: Privat But they are also afraid that the infection could also spread to animals that eat birds, such as mink, otters and foxes. – We do not want bird flu to become more adapted to mammals. If it enters mammals, it is one step closer to humans, says the professor. He urges people to notify the Norwegian Food Safety Authority if they find dead birds. – People should not handle or examine birds themselves. If you have to remove a bird, I would advise people to use plastic gloves. One should then turn a bag upside down, grab the bird with it, and close the bag, he says.
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Bird flu detected on crutches in Harstad – news Troms and Finnmark
