William Green
Political Correspondent
A CASE of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu was confirmed yesterday in a dead swan found in Scotland as it was revealed 20 further cases are under investigation.
Britain was told to stay calm after it was announced the bird found in the coastal village of Cellardyke, in Fife, had tested positive for the strain that can be deadly to humans.
Emergency measures were put in place in a bid to stop the virus spreading, with cars going in and out of the village stopped by police and drivers asked if they were carrying poultry.
Farmers were told to house poultry where possible or take steps to separate them from wild birds in a 2,500 sq km "wild bird risk area" to the east of the M90 motorway. Gatherings of birds will be banned and surveillance of wild birds increased in the area which contains 3.1 million birds – of which 260,000 are free-range.
But vaccination was ruled out by the Scottish Rural Affairs Minister as it was revealed 20 other birds are being checked for bird flu in Scotland and Northern Ireland – although experts said there was no indication of problems and stressed any possible risk to humans was low, as was the danger of poultry becoming infected.
From Scotland, 12 swans and birds from two other species are being investigated in a move that comes after two dead swans were discovered in a Glasgow park.
Six dead swans were also reported to authorities in Northern Ireland, with four carcasses recovered in Portglenone, Co Antrim, and two in Moira, Co Down, yesterday morning.
The Government's crisis management committee, Cobra, met in London with officials from the Scottish Executive and Whitehall departments – including rural affairs, health and the Cabinet Office.
The Cabinet Office confirmed Rural Affairs Minister Ben Bradshaw was present and that the meeting concluded all relevant steps were being taken and would reconvene today.
Scottish ministers also met in Edinburgh, with a spokesman saying preparations had been in place for months and that the key was to keep everyone informed and ensure plans were implemented.
Prime Minister Tony Blair urged calm, saying appropriate steps were being taken and the public needed to fully understand that it only had implications for poultry and those handling the birds.
"This is not a human-to-human virus, it is something that is transmitted to poultry. It is only if humans are in direct and very intensive contact with poultry that there is any risk involved," said Mr Blair.
The National Farmers' Union (NFU) said the confirmation was a "significant" development in terms of poultry health but had no implications for public health or consumers.
"This is an unwelcome but certainly not unexpected development," said NFU president Peter Kendall.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell also called for a measured response and said the Government appeared to have the situation in hand.
Sir Menzies, in whose Fife constituency the dead swan was found, added the public should heed advice from the Environment Department on the identification of potential cases of avian flu.
The calls for calm came as the authorities came under fire for taking more than a week to establish that the dead swan was carrying the H5N1 strain of bird flu.
The swan was found on Cellardyke harbour slipway last Wednesday but not removed until the following day, while confirmation that it had the "highly pathogenic" H5N1 strain only came yesterday.
St Andrews University technician Tina Briscoe, who contacted police after spotting the bird last Wednesday, said she was initially told to contact an animal welfare charity.
She said: "It was reported in the evening to Defra and they collected the bird around lunchtime, about 12.30 or so, the following day. I would have expected a quicker reaction, particularly because in the tidal water it could have been washed away or cats could have picked on it."
Criticism also came from the owner of the only commercial poultry farm within a surveillance zone in Fife.
Donald Peddie, who operates Kilduncan Poultry Farm at Kingsbarns, six miles from Cellardyke, said he first heard about the bird flu discovery on TV.
Mr Peddie, whose 22,000 chickens produce 20,000 eggs a week, said: "I think there are questions about how the information came out. I would have expected to be contacted a bit earlier."
Peter Ainsworth, Tory Shadow Environment Secretary, said seamless co-ordination between the authorities was vital and that small poultry farmers got the information and support they needed.
But Scotland's Chief Veterinary Officer Charles Milne insisted procedures were followed correctly and the results had been obtained at the earliest opportunity.
The UK has now become the 13th EU country to be hit by the virus.

Busy Helpline
A Defra bird flu helpline received more than 500 calls after news of the Scottish outbreak emerged yesterday.
Some were to report findings of dead birds, while others were asking for advice on protecting poultry or on entering birds on a national register.
Anyone finding a dead swan, duck or goose, or three or more dead wild or garden birds together, should contact the helpline on 08459 335577. A single dead small garden or wild bird should be left alone.