Bird flu discovered in England
A case of H5N1 bird flu was confirmed on a Worcestershire wild bird rescue centre and that put the whole UK poultry industry in state of high alert. " It puts additional pressure on the shoulders of British poultry meat producers, who are already working tirelessly to mitigate labour and Brexit challenges", commented BPC in a press release.
"Immediate action has been taken to stop the spread of disease and we continue to work closely with Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency to ensure full vigilance on all poultry sites to minimise the risk to the national flock, EU and international trade and mitigate any impact of our national food security.
Bird flu has been identified earlier in the season than in previous years so we advise all poultry keepers, including hobby/pet keepers, to monitor their birds for any signs of disease. Assess all buildings for leaky roofs or access for unwanted vermin and wild birds, keep boots and equipment clean and disinfected, and restrict access to open water. Excellent biosecurity must be practiced at all times.
Whilst minimising the risk of disease outbreak is paramount all year round, those producing for the Christmas market will have a great deal of investment in a healthy flock at this time of year. Amidst other challenges facing the sector, the last thing we need is another bad winter of Avian Influenza,” British Poultry Council Chief Executive, Richard Griffiths, commented.
A 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone has been put in place around the infected premises after UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss confirmed the presence of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain. All the birds on the premises have been humanely culled.
The risk to human health remains low, says the UK Health Security Agency, and poses a negligible risk to food safety according to the Food Standards Agency.
Last winter, there were several large outbreaks in poultry farms across Britain and the economic impact was high for producers. Also, several other countries such as France, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Germani, the Netherlands, Russia and Ukraine were hit by bird flu outbreaks and lost some of the most lucrative export markets.
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