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New case of Avian Influenza reported at site in Pembrokeshire

10 Sep 2022 3 minute read
Photo by the International Livestock Research Institute, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, Christianne Glossop, has confirmed the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 in poultry at a large site in Pembrokeshire.

This is the second confirmed case of avian influenza in Wales this week.

A 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone have been declared around the infected premises near Milford Haven, to limit the risk of disease spread.

On Monday bird flu was detected at a location near Arthog, in Gwynedd, and a 3km Protection Zone and a 10km Surveillance Zone was also put in place.

Within these zones, bird movements and gatherings are restricted and all holdings that keep birds must be declared. The measures are stricter in the 3km Protection Zone. Full information available here.

Vigilant

Bird keepers are being urged to remain vigilant and ensure they have the very highest levels of biosecurity in place.

Health agencies advise that the risk to public health from the virus is very low and the UK food standards agencies advise that avian influenza poses a very low food safety risk for UK consumers.

Last month the Welsh Government set out new guidance to land managers, the public and conservation groups to curb the impact of bird flu in wild birds.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) also suspended all seabird ringing and seabird nest recording after Avian influenza was detected on Anglesey, in Ceredigion and in gannets on Grassholm off the Pembrokeshire coast.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been found at scores of poultry farms and commercial premises across the UK in the past year, while the disease has also ripped through breeding colonies of seabirds, killing thousands in some sites.

Unprecedented

The current outbreak of H5N1 bird flu, which began in October last year, is being described by officials as “unprecedented in its scale and the breadth of species affected”.

It is the longest and largest such outbreak on record in the UK, continuing beyond the normal winter period for the disease and hitting wild birds and breeding colonies of seabirds not normally affected.

Keepers of birds should be vigilant for signs of the disease such as increased mortality, respiratory distress and drops in food or water intake, or egg production and are urged to consult a vet if their birds are unwell.

People should report dead birds and suspicion of avian influenza to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77.

These may be collected for examination and avian influenza surveillance, depending on the species and location. Further information on how to report and dispose dead wild birds can be found here.

It is important not to pick up or touch any sick or dead bird.

An interactive map of avian influenza disease control zones currently in place across GB can be found here.


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The Original Mark
The Original Mark
2 years ago

This story really isn’t getting the coverage it deserves, this issue has been getting worse over the last 3 years, and this outbreak is a continuation from last year, is it linked to climate change? Is bird flu now endemic in the UK, what does this mean to the future of the wild bird population, what does it mean for the future of poultry farmers, Lots of questions and very few answers.

hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago

Wild bird population is exposed to all sorts of rubbish including human food waste which is quite frankly a bad diet choice but so much easier to forage rather than digging for bugs or worms etc. So they eat the remains of a McD, or similar, which if it becomes a habit may lead to a breakdown of their normal capacity to resist diseases. Then wild birds transmit to captive birds and it accelerates. Equally captive birds may be fed a suspect mix of manufactured crap and that weakens further their already suspect resistance. They in turn transmit their disease… Read more »

The Original Mark
The Original Mark
2 years ago

Could someone at NC please explain why my previous comment has been deleted, what was wrong with it? this censorship is becoming a little draconian, when we can’t even pose simple questions.

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