‘All can play a part’ in tackling avian flu as another outbreak is confirmed in Scotland
THE Scottish Government has confirmed another outbreak of avian flu in Scotland.
The latest incident of the virus has been found on a farm near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire.
However, the premises was deemed a “special category premises” due to its non-commercial nature and, based on a veterinary risk assessment, no new disease control zones were applied.
The outbreak follows similar incidents across Gretna, Moffat, Arbroath and Annan since the beginning of November 2021.
The Scottish Government said that there have been recent findings of dead wild birds linked to the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in a variety of species across the country.
Such deaths have been identified at locations across Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dumfries and Galloway, Falkirk, Fife,
Highland, Midlothian, Perth and Kinross, and South Lanarkshire.
It comes as the body that represents Scotland’s farmers has warned that bird owners are flouting rules over stopping the spread of avian flu, placing the whole Scottish poultry industry at “an unacceptable risk”. Now NFU Scotland says non-compliance with the housing order “remains commonplace in backyard or garden flocks”.
Although the protection and surveillance zones associated with infections recorded in
Scotland earlier this winter have now all been lifted from affected premises, there remains a prevention zone across the whole of the UK which requires all poultry to be housed and biosecurity measures to be strictly observed.
Thousands of wild geese on the Solway coast in Dumfries and Galloway have already died during the AI outbreak.
Given the unprecedented level of threat posed by AI to commercial flocks, the union is calling for all non-essential inspections on poultry units to be conducted virtually at this time.
NFU Scotland’s poultry Policy manager, Penny Middleton, said: “The Avian influenza situation continues to cause huge concern and all flock owners in Scotland – large and small – must house birds and adhere to biosecurity measures.
“Unfortunately, it is apparent from anecdotal reports that non-compliance with the housing order remains commonplace in backyard or garden flocks and that places the whole Scottish poultry industry at an unacceptable risk. All bird keepers, whether you only have one or two hens or thousands, must keep birds indoors and follow strict biosecurity measures to limit the spread and eradicate the disease.
“All can play a part in tackling this devastating disease, including the public, should you be out taking a walk this winter.
“If you find a single dead swan, goose, or duck, a single dead bird of prey, or five or more dead wild birds of any other species including gulls, then you should report them to Defra’s national telephone helpline: 03459 33 55 77 (select option 7).
“Let’s all do our bit to help those who supply Scotland with our eggs and poultry meat.”