Bird flu outbreak hits Devon farm

ANUMBER of birds have been culled at a commercial property near Dartington, in Devon, following another confirmed case of bird flu in the area.

Ducks and other poultry at the property tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, resulting in all of them being culled.

The area was previously under a 3km protection zone, following the discovery of the outbreak. This has now become part of a 10km surveillance zone around the area.

All bird keepers in the UK with more than 500 birds are under strict biological security measures to cope with the outbreak of bird flu which has swept through the nation this year, resulting in the death of around 2.8 million birds, according to the National Geographic back in September.

There are currently two 10km active surveillance zones in Devon, according to Defra’s avian flu disease map. These cover Totnes, Ashburton, and Buckfastleigh, as well as the surrounding areas.

Since the outbreak earlier this year, dead birds started cropping up on beaches across the South West, notably in Cornwall, and Paignton Zoo was forced to close for a time in August following a suspected case of the disease. The outbreak has affected commercial and private bird keepers across the country.

If you are in a 10km surveillance zone or a 10km temporary control zone, you must:

■ Keep a record of all poultry or poultry eggs that enter or leave your premises, except table eggs that are being moved direct to wholesale or retail premises to be sold;

■ Not move poultry, other captive birds, or mammals (including pigs) to or from premises where poultry or other captive birds are kept without a licence (there are exceptions for pets);

■ Not spread poultry litter, manure or slurry, or remove them from your premises.