New case of bird flu in flock of turkeys

A new case of bird flu has been confirmed in a flock of 6,000 turkeys at a farm in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire, writes Nancy Nicolson.

This follows confirmation of the highly pathogenic H5N8 virus in a flock of turkeys on a nearby farm last month.

Defra said there was unlikely to be a direct link to the previous case, but a full investigation is under way.

A 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone have been put in place around the infected premises to limit the risk of the disease spreading.

A number of the birds have died, and the remaining live birds at the premises are being humanely culled.

Defra’s chief vet Nigel Gibbens said a full investigation was under way to determine the source of the infection.

He added: “This finding reminds us that we must all be vigilant for signs of disease and take steps to minimise the risk of birds catching the disease from wild birds, either directly or through the environment.

“This means complying with the legal requirement currently in place to house birds or otherwise keep them separate from wild birds, and following strict biosecurity measures to minimise the risk of avian flu spreading via the environment.”

This is the same strain which was found in backyard flocks in Carmarthenshire, Wales, and in Settle, North Yorkshire, earlier this month and in a number of wild birds in England, Wales and Scotland.

Meanwhile, members of the public are encouraged to report dead wild waterfowl or gulls, or five or more dead wild birds of other species in the same location, to the Defra helpline on 03459 335577.

...wemust all be vigilant for signs of disease and take steps to minimise the risk of birds catching the disease from wild birds . . . NIGEL GIBBENS