Bird Flu Is Back In UK

BIRD flu is back in the UK after a “highly pathogenic” case of the virus was confirmed on a poultry farm.

Officials said a six-mile surveillance zone and an inner three-kilometre protection zone have been put in place around the site in Lancashire. All birds at the farm are being culled.

The H7N7 strain of the disease can infect humans but Public Health England said the risk to the public is very low. The Food Standards Agency said there is no food safety risk.

The strain is highly contagious in flocks and can cause deaths in bird, but it is not the H5N1 strain which has led to hundreds of deaths in people worldwide.

Most types of bird flu are harmless to humans but two types - H5N1 and H7N9 - have caused serious concerns.

Other bird flu strains, including H7N7, have infected people, but these have been very rare or have only rarely caused severe illness, experts said.

Chief veterinary officer Nigel Gibbens said: “Final tests results have confirmed a case of avian flu at a farm in Lancashire. Restrictions put in place last week will continue and the humane culling of all birds at the site is progressing.

“These actions are part of our tried and tested approach to dealing with previous outbreaks.

“Public Health England has confirmed that the risk to public health from this strain is very low. The Food Standards Agency has said there is no food safety risk for consumers.”

TheSunUK