Latest news with #MartinHeyden
The Irish Sun
01-07-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
‘Do not touch' – Health alert issued over seagulls & other wild sea birds as pet owners urged to ‘keep dogs on lead'
HEALTH chiefs have warned of the danger of touching sick or dead wild birds - over risks of bird flu. In recent weeks, groups of dead wild sea birds have been discovered off the west coast of Ireland. 4 A strain of Avian Influenza is circulating in sea birds Credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire 4 The cases of bird flu detected in wild birds following surveillance testing Credit: The Health Protection Surveillance Centre said avian influenza is a type of influenza that mainly affects wild But it can also occasionally infect some mammals and humans. Officials at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine warned of the disease today. They said: 'Avian Influenza Bird flu is circulating in sea birds. READ MORE ON HEALTH NEWS 'Do not pick up or touch sick or dead wild birds, and keep your pets away from them. 'If you find a sick or dead wild bird, you can report it using the Avian Influenza Wild Bird reporting The While there are many strains of HPAI viruses, the H5N1 virus is considered the 'most serious' for both birds and humans. Most read in Health There have been almost 1,000 human cases of H5N1, half of whom have died, since 2003. The HSPC said it is 'very unusual' for people to catch bird flu but it can happen. They said: 'Currently, it is hard to catch avian influenza from a bird or animal, and there is no evidence that it can be passed between people, but if the virus mutates (changes) this may happen in the future.' HSPC Advice Why it's important to prevent people getting H5N1: It can - rarely - produce serious disease in people Mixing of avian influenza and seasonal flu in a person could allow the virus to mutate and become better at spreading between people If a person is infected with HPAI, it could be passed from people to Irish poultry flocks leading to severe disease among birds. Minister for Agriculture Martin Heyden told He said: "In the past three weeks, there have been a number of reports of groups of dead wild sea birds washing up on shorelines in counties Kerry, Clare and Galway. "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." If a person picks up or handles infected, sick or dead wild birds, they will be monitored for a period of 10 days. They may be offered antiviral medication and vaccination if they are considered to be at risk. 4 The public is being urged to report any sick or dead wild birds Credit: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine 4 Minister Heydon said flocks of dead birds were found in Kerry, Clare and Galway Credit: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
RTÉ News
27-06-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Warning issued after strain of avian influenza detected in wild sea birds
The Department of Agriculture has issued a warning after a strain of avian influenza - or bird flu - was detected in a number of wild sea birds off the west coast of Ireland in recent weeks. Minister for Agriculture Martin Heyden said that "in the past three weeks, there have been a number of reports of groups of dead wild sea birds washing up on shorelines in counties Kerry, Clare and Galway. "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." Members of the public are advised not to touch or pick up dead wild birds and to keep pet dogs on a leash in areas where there are sick or dead wild birds. Meanwhile, poultry farmers in coastal areas of Kerry, Clare and Galway have been advised to implement stringent biosecurity measures to mitigate the risk of the disease spreading to their flocks. Farmers are also asked to report any suspicions of avian influenza to their local Regional Veterinary Office. The department also said the public can continue to report incidents of dead wild birds via its Avian Check app. The HSE and Health Protection Surveillance Centre have advised that the risk to public health from the strain of avian influenza currently circulating (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza subtype H5N1) is considered low for the general public, and low to medium for occupationally exposed people. Special biosecurity regulations for poultry were in place due to the increased risk of bird flu from last December to the end of May. No outbreaks of the high pathogenic HPAI strain were detected in commercial poultry flocks in Ireland last year or so far in 2025.
