Thousands of birds to be culled at two separate farms in Kent & Cheshire after separate unrelated outbreaks were confirmed on the same day.
The H5N8 strain of bird flu was detected at a broiler breeders premises in Cheshire, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said. It said it was not related to the H5N2 strain found at a small farm near Deal in Kent earlier the same day.
Public Health England (PHE) said the risk to public health was “very low”. All birds at the farms in Cheshire & Kent, will be culled, said Defra. Further testing is under way to determine if it is a highly pathogenic strain and whether it is related to the virus currently circulating in Europe.
The UK’s chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss, said:
Immediate steps have been taken to limit the risk of the disease spreading. This includes 3km and 10km temporary control zones around the infected site. We are urgently looking for any evidence of disease spread associated with this farm to control and eliminate it.
Dr Gavin Dabrera from PHE said:
There have never been any confirmed cases of H5N8 in humans and the risk to public health is considered very low.
A Food Standards Agency spokesperson said:
On the basis of the current scientific evidence, avian influenzas pose a very low food safety risk for UK consumers. Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, remain safe to eat.
Source #1: Animal and Plant Health Agency
Source #2: Animal and Plant Health Agency
Source #3: BBC News
Source #4: BBC News