Dead duck found to have bird flu
A DEAD duck in Leicestershire has tested positive for bird flu, the UK’s chief vet has confirmed.
The wild wigeon was found to be contaminated with the H5N8 strain of avian influenza virus.
It is one of the first birds in England to be tested positive for the deadly strain, with the infection also confirmed in areas of Scotland and Wales.
Public Health England said the risk to humans is “very low” and insisted cooked poultry is safe to eat.
A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs added: “This is the same strain which has been circulating in mainland Europe and which was found at a poultry farm in Lincolnshire, although there is no suggestion the disease has spread from that farm.
“The advice from Public Health England (PHE) remains that the risk to public health from the virus is very low and the Food Standards Agency has made it clear that bird flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers.
“Thoroughly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.”
Chief veterinary officer Nigel Gibbens said the findings were “far from unexpected”.
He added: “We’ll continue to work with ornithological groups to further strengthen surveillance and our understanding of the extent of infection in wild birds.
“The risk to kept birds cannot be eliminated by housing alone. This virus can be carried into buildings on people and things to infect birds. Good biosecurity measures are essential. We also need people to continue to report findings of dead wild birds so that we can investigate.
“It is important to reiterate Public Health England’s advice that the risk to public health is very low and the Food Standards Agency is clear that bird flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers.
Members of the public are encouraged to report dead wild waterfowl - swans, geese or ducks - or other dead wild birds such as gulls or birds of prey, to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77