HPAI H7N7 In Lancashire UK

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HPAI H7N7 confirmed In Lancashire UK

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Press release

Avian flu confirmed in Lancashire

 

From:

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

First published:

10 July 2015

Last updated:

13 July 2015 , see all updates

Part of:

Animal and plant health

A case of H7N7 avian flu has now been confirmed in Lancashire.

A case of H7N7 avian flu has now been confirmed in Lancashire.

A temporary control zone imposed on Friday at the affected farm has now been replaced by a 10 kilometre surveillance zone and an inner 3 kilometre protection zone. Restrictions remain in place and the humane culling of all birds at the farm is continuing.

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.

The restrictions mean that all poultry farms within the 10 kilometre control zone around the infected premises are not allowed to move poultry, captive birds or other mammals except under licence.

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.

Bird keepers should remain alert for any signs of disease, report suspect disease to their nearest APHA office immediately and ensure they are maintaining good biosecurity on their premises.

We have a strong track record of controlling and eliminating previous outbreaks of avian flu in the UK. The outbreaks in Yorkshire last year and Hampshire in February were both successfully contained, allowing restrictions to be lifted at the earliest opportunity.

An investigation into this case is ongoing.

Anyone suspecting avian flu (bird flu) should contact their nearest Animal and Plant and Health Agency (APHA) office immediately.

Further information

Avian influenza (bird flu) - guidance including the declaration of surveillance and protection zones for this case.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/suspect-case-of-avian-flu-bird-flu-at-lancashire-farm

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Bird flu confirmed at Lancashire poultry farm

Case of H7N7 bird flu that can infect humans confirmed as officials impose six-mile surveillance zone and continue 'humane culling' at farm

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Turkeys can catch bird flu and it may threaten supplies if the disease spreads Photo: Owen Humphreys/PA

 

By Agency

9:58AM BST 13 Jul 2015

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A case of "highly pathogenic" bird flu has been confirmed on a poultry farm in Lancashire, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said.

The strain of avian flu is H7N7, which can infect people, but Public Health England has said that the risk to public health from this strain was very low, while the Food Standards Agency said there was no food safety risk for consumers.

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A six mile surveillance zone and an inner 1.8 mile protection zone have been put in place around the farm in Goosnargh, to the north-east of Preston.

Culling of the 170,000 chickens at the farm began on Saturday, following detection of the suspected case on Friday, and was continuing on Monday, officials said.

The farm is owned by family business Staveley's Eggs, which produces and packages free range and colony cage eggs.

All poultry farms within the temporary control zone around the affected premises, which was put in place following the birds on the farm showing symptoms, are not allowed to move poultry or other animals as a result of the restrictions.

 

 

The strain is highly pathogenic, which means it is highly contagious in flocks and can cause deaths in birds.

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.

"Bird keepers should remain alert for any signs of disease, report suspect disease to their nearest APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency) office immediately and ensure they are maintaining good biosecurity on their premises."

Poultry farmers within the 10km zone around the infected premises are not allowed to move poultry, captive birds or other mammals except under licence as a result of the restrictions imposed on Friday when the outbreak was suspected.

In February, a low-severity version of the H7N7 strain of bird flu was confirmed in chickens at a farm in Hampshire.

The last highly pathogenic case of avian flu was an outbreak of H5N8 flu in Yorkshire last November, following outbreaks of the same strain on the continent.

Defra said an investigation into the latest outbreak was under way.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/agriculture/farming/11735606/Bird-flu-confirmed-at-Lancashire-poultry-farm.html