POULTRY FARMERS and bird keepers have been urged to maintain good biosecurity following confirmation of avian influenza outbreaks in Kent and Cheshire.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs reported avian influenza of the H5N2 strain at a small commercial premises near Deal in Kent on Monday, November 2, with all 480 birds to be culled and a 1km restricted zone to be placed around the farm to limit the risk of the disease spreading.

On the same day, avian influenza of the H5N8 strain was confirmed at a premises near Frodsham in Cheshire – but Defra has maintained these cases are unrelated.

All 13,000 birds at the Cheshire farm are to be culled and 3km and 10km temporary control zones have been put in place around the infected site to limit the risk of the disease spreading.

Testing is underway to determine if it is a highly pathogenic strain and whether it is related to the virus currently circulating in Europe.

Read more - EU on alert for new avian influenza outbreaks this autumn

Chief Veterinary Officer, Christine Middlemiss, commented: “Public Health England has confirmed that the risk to public health is very low and the Food Standards Agency advises that bird flu poses a very low food safety risk for UK consumers.

“Bird keepers should remain alert for any signs of disease, report suspected disease immediately and ensure they are maintaining good biosecurity on their premises. We are urgently looking for any evidence of disease spread associated with this farm to control and eliminate it.

NFU Scotland policy manager for animal health and welfare, Penny Middleton, issued a reminder to bird keepers of good biosecurity practice: “All possible steps must be taken to ensure that poultry, and other captive birds, are protected against contact with wild birds. It is important to avoid the transfer of contamination into and between premises and to minimise the movement of people, vehicles and equipment to areas where captive birds are kept.

“Discourage wild birds from using free range areas through the use of wild bird-scarers, decoy predators, and/or netting smaller range areas. Inspect your areas regularly and remove any obvious contaminants from wild birds (such as faeces or feathers) in a biosecure manner,” she stressed.

“Keep good records of visitors and vehicles coming on the unit and regularly check the health status of your birds, observe them closely and report any signs of disease to your vet. Whether housing birds or not, all keepers should take all practical biosecurity steps to prevent infection.”

Northern Ireland’s Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots added: “Northern Ireland is currently free of avian influenza but these current cases being confirmed in Cheshire and Kent are timely reminders that it is a constant threat. As we are now entering the high risk period for the disease due to the winter wild bird migrating season, it is vitally important that all keepers of poultry, including game birds and pet birds, take action now to carefully consider and improve biosecurity to reduce the risk of transmission of disease to their flocks.

“If Avian Influenza were to enter any flock, including backyard or hobby flocks, it would have a devastating effect on the poultry industry and would significantly impact international trade.”