WARRINGTON council is urging residents who keep poultry or other captive birds to take steps to protect against avian flu.
The council’s public protection team is providing advice to local people, following the declaration by the Chief Veterinary Officer of an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone, to help protect against a strain of Avian Flu in Europe.
The prevention zone requires the immediate and compulsory housing of domestic chickens, hens, turkeys and ducks, or where this is not practical, their complete separation from contact with wild birds.
It also requires good standards of cleansing and disinfection for any person who comes into contact with poultry and other captive birds, to avoid the transfer of contamination.
For farmed geese, gamebirds and other captive birds, keepers should take practical steps to keep these birds separate from wild birds.
Outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N8) have been confirmed in poultry and wild birds in several countries across Europe.
No cases of H5N8 have been found in the UK and this order is a precautionary measure to help prevent potential infection from wild birds. Public Health England advises that the threat to human health remains very low.
The zone covers England and will remain in place for 30 days, until 2.30pm on 6 January 2016.
Copies of the declaration, as well as guidance on housing of and additional biosecurity measures for birds, can be found at www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu
