{"id":37606,"date":"2024-06-06T16:18:55","date_gmt":"2024-06-06T14:18:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/d890ddd5-13fe-4e4e-92ae-fc7792eacb25"},"modified":"2024-06-06T17:26:40","modified_gmt":"2024-06-06T15:26:40","slug":"a-deadly-virus-that-infects-and-kills-blackbirds-has-arrived-in-england-and-its-on-the-move-warn-scientists","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/a-deadly-virus-that-infects-and-kills-blackbirds-has-arrived-in-england-and-its-on-the-move-warn-scientists\/","title":{"rendered":"A deadly virus that infects and kills blackbirds has arrived in England \u2013 and it’s on the move, warn scientists"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Usutu virus was first detected in London in 2020. Now concerns are growing as it appears to be spreading across south-east England. <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Thursday, 06 June 2024 at 14:18 PM<\/p>

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Blackbirds<\/a> are in rapid decline in England. Now scientists are worried that a new virus, first recorded in London in 2020, may be contributing to the songbird<\/a>‘s ill fortunes. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

When infected with the Usutu virus (USUV), blackbirds can become lethargic and weak, but are often found dead without previous signs of illness.<\/p>

Concerns about the wellbeing of blackbirds have been raised in recent years as birdwatchers have reported fewer sighting\u00a0in their gardens since 2020. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>

USUV was originally discovered in South Africa in the 1950s and has since spread elsewhere due to bird migration<\/a>. Present in Europe for the past three decades, where it has been linked to avian mass mortality events, it was first detected in London during the summer of 2020. <\/p>

And it may be on the move once more, says experts from the British Trust for Ornithology<\/a> (BTO), who are concerned that the virus appears to have started to infect blackbirds across south-east England.<\/p>

\u201cThere is now evidence of a wider decline in southern England, not seen in other UK regions,\u201d said Hugh Hanmer, one of the survey\u2019s leads and a senior research ecologist at the BTO. <\/p>

When infected with the Usutu virus, blackbirds can become lethargic and weak, but are often found dead without previous signs of illness. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>

How you can help blackbirds<\/h3>

In a bid to redirect the fate of the blackbird, a new citizen science survey is being launched to study the impact of a virus on the UK\u2019s beloved songbird \u2013 and members of the public can contribute their garden sightings to help scientists.\u00a0<\/p>

The survey hopes to compare the numbers and behaviours of blackbirds in different levels of urbanisation. \u201cBy better understanding how blackbirds use our gardens, we hope to halt the declines,\u201d said Hanmer.<\/p>

You can take part in the\u00a0Blackbirds in Gardens survey<\/a>\u00a0by signing up on the BTO website and submitting your sightings. You will need to watch your garden for a minimum of 15 minutes each week until October, during which you will record the peak number of male, female and juvenile blackbirds, and their behaviours. If you find a sick or dead blackbird, or other dead garden wildlife, you are advised to report it to the\u00a0Garden Wildlife Health website<\/a>.<\/p>

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The common house mosquito (Culex pipiens) is ornithophagic, meaning bird-biting. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>

How does the Usutu virus spread and can humans catch it?<\/h3>

In Europe, one of the main vectors for the virus is the\u00a0Culex pipiens<\/em>\u00a0mosquito, an ornithophagic (bird-biting) species that’s also native to the UK. <\/p>

The mosquito species does occasionally bite humans, but the virus\u2019 risk to humans is considered low. No cases of the disease caused by USUV have been detected in humans in the UK, and only a small number of cases in Europe have been reported. The infection is usually asymptomatic (does not cause disease) in humans. <\/p>

This is the first time that a mosquito-borne viral zoonosis \u2013 a disease that can be transmitted between animals and humans \u2013 has emerged in wild animal hosts in the UK.<\/p>

More on birds:<\/strong><\/p>