‘European Union blames migratory birds unfairly for bird flu’

This video is called Physics of Bird Migration.

Translated from NOS TV in the Netherlands:

“Migratory birds are an easy scapegoat”

Tuesday 18 Nov 2014, 20:47 (Update: 18-11-14, 21:02)

Prominent scientists doubt that the latest variant of avian influenza is brought to Western Europe by migratory birds. The theory of the spread by migratory birds was yesterday published more or less as an established fact by poultry experts of the European Commission.

According to Henk van der Jeugd of the Dutch Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) in Wageningen there is still too little known to draw conclusions. “Migratory birds are an easy scapegoat,” he says. “If migratory birds brought the virus, then we would have to find it in wild birds in the vicinity of the affected captive bird business.” But that has not been done yet.

He thinks the facts should be investigated thoroughly. “Otherwise no effective measures can be taken.” …

Mallards

Because migratory birds were designated as disseminators of the virus, according to Van der Jeugd other possibilities were neglected. For example, migratory birds may become infected by native birds, instead of the other way round.

Last month a NIOO study about ducks in the Netherlands showed that migratory wild mallards here get a mild form of bird flu from native ducks, which have the virus, but do not themselves become ill.

See also here.

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