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Avian Influenza H5N6 (Bird Flu) Prevention Zone Declared in England

Avian Influenza H5N6 (Bird Flu) Prevention Zone Declared in England

The virus has been found in a load of wild birds and the government have introduced measures which everyone who keeps birds must follow

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

Here in the UK, we love a good mystery virus scare. We've had SARS, Foot and Mouth disease (which was actually pretty serious), Swine flu - all classics of the genre.

It seems as if nothing gets the media humming like the prospect of imminent death from some animal-borne illness or other.

Well, cast your mind back to 1997. The Spice Girls were in the charts with 'Spice Up Your Life', the world mourned the loss of Princess Diana, and Titanic shattered records and hearts at the box office.

Ah, those were the days. Also that year we saw the introduction of a hip new virus on the scene, Bird Flu.

Now Bird Flu is back, and farmers and the government are understandably worried about it.

Avian Influenza Is Spreading Across the UK.
PA

Thirteen wild birds have been found dead in Warwickshire as a result of the virus and 17 more have been tested and found to be infected in Dorset.

There was a prevention zone set up last week to try to contain the virus, and now DEFRA (the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) has extended that zone to include the whole of England as a precaution as the disease is no longer limited to just one area.

The particular strain that has been found is different to a strain that affected some people in China in 2017.

Whilst the risk to public health is very low and the Food Standards Agency says there is no risk to our food, people keeping birds must now adhere to certain rules.

This includes keeping wild birds away from birds that they keep, feeding them in enclosed areas to keep wild birds out, cleaning and disinfecting footwear, and generally trying to keep areas that birds are kept free from contamination.

A bird flu prevention zone has been declared across England to try stop the virus spreading.
PA

The Chief Veterinary Officer, Nigel Gibbens, said: "Following the latest finding of bird flu in wild birds in Warwickshire, we are extending our action to help prevent the virus spreading to poultry and other domestic birds.

"Whether you keep just a few birds or thousands, you are now legally required to meet enhanced biosecurity requirements and this is in your interests to do, to protect your birds from this highly infectious virus."

Despite this, the current measures only cover England and the Scottish Rural Economy Secretary thinks there is no need to Scots to adopt the measures.

Fergus Ewing said: "Our approach is backed by expert advice that imposing controls on Scottish keepers would not substantially reduce the risk to domestic birds at this time.

"However, we will continue to monitor the situation across the rest of the UK and Europe closely and should circumstance change, then we will of course revisit all available options."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, Animals