Avian Influenza Testing in Wild Birds - 2012 Quarter 2

The dataset provides a list of the wild birds identified and submitted under both passive and active (targeted) surveillance programmes in Great Britain for testing for Avian Influenza by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). The main emphasis in the surveillance programmes is on patrols of designated reserves by skilled wild bird ecologists and wardens to locate “found dead” wild birds, including “mass mortality incidents”. These Warden Patrols continue all-year-round, and are also seasonally targeted in the winter and spring periods (October to March) each year. Members of the public are also asked to remain vigilant for mass bird mortality incidents occurring in any location in GB and report these to the Defra Helpline. The criteria for a “mass mortality incident” are five or more wild birds of any species at any location in England, Scotland and Wales. The dataset contains information on the identity of the bird, the date, location and which samples were taken from those birds and their test results.  Please Note: The location represents a 10km x 10km square in which the bird was found.  Location data is provided by the submitter and is not verified and, if no location information is available, the location of the testing laboratory may be used. For further information and explanations of the data included in this dataset, please see the data dictionary available for download alongside this dataset.