UK scientists in bird flu initiative
Leading scientists in the UK are to join forces in a major initiative in the battle against bird flu.
The avian influenza H5N1 virus that has gripped the UK, France and other parts of continental Europe has been one of the most devastating outbreaks in recent years. So much so that many shoots have either abandoned plans for the forthcoming season or severely curtailed them, as we have reported in Sporting Gun.
Now Defra has announced that it will oversee a consortium of British scientists who will work together in the hope of finding new ways to contain future outbreaks. The eight-strong consortium is headed by the world-leading research team at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and has received £1.5 million from the Biotechnology and Biosciences
