Quarantine measures in the UK are to be reviewed after a parrot died from a potentially deadly strain of bird flu.
It is thought the parrot, from South America, was infected by another bird from Taiwan which was in the same quarantine compound in Essex, reports the BBC.
The government is considering changing regulations so that birds from high risk areas are kept apart from those where there is no infection.
The changes come amid renewed calls for a UK ban on the import of live birds.
The chief veterinary officer said holding birds from different countries together would be re-assessed.
At least 60 people have died from the H5-N1 strain of bird flu in Asia, but experts are downplaying the threat as it does not spread easily in humans.
Officials had said the quarantine system was successful as the South American parrot was not released, and the UK’s disease-free status remains in place.
Currently imports are only banned from countries which have bird flu cases, such as Romania, Thailand and Turkey.
The European Commission are due to meet to discuss an EU-wide ban.
Farmers and conservationists are now calling for an immediate ban on all bird imports into the UK.
“The first good news is that quarantine actually worked, but the fact that we’re importing live birds at all into the European Union surely should be stopped at this particular time,” said the National Farmers’ Union president, Tim Bennett.
The head of external affairs for the RSPCA, David Bowles, said a wide-ranging ban was needed immediately.
“At the moment it’s a very strange situation – we have a ban on imports from countries where they have avian flu but we don’t have a ban on other countries.
“And obviously the traders who make a lot of money out of this trade will go to the weakest link, they’ll go to the country where they think the controls are less, they’ll go to the country where they’re still allowed to export.
“Let’s stop that,” Mr Bowles said.
There is a possibility bird markets, fairs and shows could be restricted.
Environment minister Ben Bradshaw earlier said the ban on wild bird imports to the EU was considered before the parrot died in the UK, but a request to the EU was put in since then.
Culling
The birds kept with the parrot have been culled, but further tests are being carried out on them as some died before the parrot did.
Fewer than 10 workers came into contact with the infected bird. All were offered antiviral drugs, and will be monitored for around two weeks. If they develop symptoms, they will be treated as necessary, with treatment depending on their symptoms.
The Department of Environment, Food and Regional Affairs (Defra) is asking for a “case-by-case risk assessment” on all birds in quarantine before they are released.
There are approximately 2,000 birds being held in eight quarantine facilities in the UK that need to be checked.
Quarantine questions
Shadow environment minister Oliver Letwin criticised quarantine procedures, saying the environment ministry was on a “business as usual” footing that was inappropriate under the circumstances.
There are fears the H5N1 strain could trigger a flu pandemic if it mutates with a human flu virus enabling it to spread more easily.
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