UK - Bird flu reported in poultry - November 2020 - 3 outbreaks

[Gert van der Hoek]

11/02/2020 | Nov 2 (Reuters) - Britain on Monday said it confirmed bird flu at a chicken farm near Frodsham in Cheshire, England, but said the risk to public safety from the virus was "very low." "All 13,000 birds at the farm, which produces hatching eggs, will be humanely culled to limit the spread of the disease," the government said in a statement. "Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat." The case involved bird flu of type H5N8, the statement added.

[Gert van der Hoek]

Latest situation

Premises near Frodsham, Cheshire


Avian influenza of the H5N8 strain has been confirmed at a premises near Frodsham in Cheshire on 2 November 2020.

All 13,000 birds at the farm, which produces hatching eggs, will be humanely culled to limit the spread of the disease. A 3km and 10km temporary control zones have been put in place around the infected site to limit the risk of the disease spreading.

Details of the measures that apply in the temporary control zones can be found in the declaration.

Declaration of a Temporary Control Zone (Avian Influenza) (PDF, 1.62MB, 14 pages)

This is unrelated to the low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) H5N2 outbreak near Deal, Kent that was confirmed this morning.

[Gert van der Hoek]

H5N8 avian influenza at the broiler breeder rearing farm in Cheshire now confirmed as highly pathogenic.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-influenza-bird-flu-identified-at-cheshire-broiler-breeder

[Gert van der Hoek]

Bird flu: Third outbreak detected in England - cull begins and control zones in place

A third case of bird flu has been detected in England at a premises near Leominster in Herefordshire - after two other cases were discovered last week.

The latest case in broiler breeder chickens follows those found in Cheshire and Kent on 2 November.

Birds are being culled and control zones have been put in place, the government has confirmed.

Bird flu is a name used to refer to a variety of virus strains that infect birds. It first emerged in 2007 but has rarely spread from birds to humans.

Authorities say they are taking "immediate and robust action" after the H5N8 strain was found in Herefordshire and Cheshire, and H5N2 was confirmed in Kent.

[Gert van der Hoek]

Avian influenza H5N8 (pathogenicity yet to be determined) in broiler breeder chickens at a premises near Leominster, in Herefordshire. A 3km (Area A) and 10km (Area B) Temporary Control Zone have been put in place around the infected premises.

etails of the measures that apply in the Temporary Control Zone can be found in the Declaration of a Temporary Control Zone (Avian Influenza) (PDF, 797KB, 14 pages).