Environment Food and Rural Affairs written question – answered at on 30 November 2012.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to tackle the new strain of avian pox which reduces the survival of great tits especially juvenile birds.
Avian pox in wild birds in the UK has been present for many years and affects many species of wild bird. The great tit is not a threatened wild bird species in Britain and so far evidence does not indicate that the new strain is any more virulent than existing ones. Thus, currently available data do not indicate that the new strain of the disease is at present likely to threaten the British (national) population of this species.
Avian pox is a viral infection and (as with most viruses) there is no specific treatment for the disease. At present therefore, surveillance of the disease and mapping the distribution is the most appropriate scientific approach.
Researchers working on avian pox in great tits are partners in the DEFRA funded GB Wildlife Disease Surveillance Partnership, delivering wildlife disease surveillance to Government. One of the partners, the DEFRA supported Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency Diseases of Wildlife scheme, which has undertaken wildlife disease surveillance in England and Wales since 1998, is helping with this monitoring and has diagnosed cases of avian pox recently in birds submitted to its regional laboratories, in conjunction with one of the other partners, the Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London.
Yes0 people think so
No0 people think not
Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.