Swans - so serene, yet now so deadly

Filed Under Bird Flu

With their abilitiy to fly long distances, swans have been responsible for carrying bird flu into several countries. The swan found in Scotland apparently was washed ashore into the harbour of a small coastal village called Cellardyke in Scotland.

It must have died reasonably close to shore, though it was reportedly decomposed and had been seen floating in the water for several days. It makes me wonder if the North Sea (and others) is littered with dead swans who never made it to land. If they float after death, which is sounds like they do, it must be likely that seagulls would peck at them and therefore become infected too. I don’t know if other bird species, such as gulls, are susceptible to avian influenza, but if they are then this represents real concern because the spread of the disease could be very rapid indeed.

I need to know about the species specificity of avian flu. When I find out, I’ll pass it on. If you know, please let me know too, or post a comment.