The UK’s Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer declared a brand new Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) for Cornwall (together with the Isles of Scilly), Devon and components of Somerset on 31 August 2022.
The Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ)
Cornwall Council Buying and selling Requirements is reminding all keepers of poultry that they’re legally required to comply with strict biosecurity measures to assist defend their flocks, of no matter sort or dimension, to mitigate the danger of additional outbreaks of illness occurring.
The AIPZ now in drive throughout Devon, Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and components of Somerset doesn’t embody a requirement to deal with birds.
The general public are additionally reminded that they need to not contact or decide up any useless or visibly sick birds that you simply discover and comply with the steering on Defra’s recommendation to the general public web page. The UK Well being Safety Company proceed to advise that the danger to public well being from the virus may be very low and the Meals Requirements Company recommendation stays unchanged, that avian influenzas pose a really low meals security threat for UK customers. Correctly cooked poultry and poultry merchandise, together with eggs, are fit for human consumption.
Defra’s recommendation to the general public
The recommendation from Defra to all chook keepers within the new AIPZ affected areas means it’s essential to:
- Cleanse and disinfect clothes, footwear, gear and autos earlier than and after contact with poultry and captive birds – if sensible, use disposable protecting clothes
- cut back the motion of individuals, autos or gear to and from areas the place poultry and captive birds are stored, to minimise contamination from manure, slurry and different merchandise, and use efficient vermin management
- completely cleanse and disinfect housing on a steady foundation
- hold contemporary disinfectant on the proper focus in any respect farm and poultry housing entry and exit factors
- minimise direct and oblique contact between poultry and captive birds and wild birds, together with ensuring all feed and water will not be accessible to wild birds
- forestall entry by poultry to ponds and watercourses and be certain that birds are stored in fenced or enclosed areas
Keepers with greater than 500 birds might want to limit entry for non-essential folks on their websites, staff might want to change clothes and footwear earlier than coming into chook enclosures and web site autos will have to be cleaned and disinfected often to restrict the danger of the illness spreading.
The UK has confronted its largest ever outbreak of chook flu with over 130 circumstances confirmed throughout the nation since late October. The introduction of this regional AIPZ comes after the illness was detected in captive birds at 9 premises throughout the south-west area since final month, in addition to a number of circumstances in wild seabirds.
Jane Tomlinson Buying and selling Customary Supervisor overlaying Animal Well being and Welfare at Cornwall Buying and selling Requirements Service, stated: “Whether or not you retain just some birds or hundreds, poultry keepers are legally required to satisfy the improved biosecurity procedures to guard their birds from this extremely infectious virus.
“We’re accountable for enforcement of those authorized necessities and our officers are working laborious to assist and advise poultry keepers. We advocate all poultry keepers signal as much as the Defra poultry register and the illness alert service the place they’ll obtain common textual content updates.”
Defra has stated that the introduction of an AIPZ follows the latest improve in circumstances of chook flu in poultry and different captive birds within the space and elevated stories of mass mortality in wild birds.
They’ve indicated that the prevention zone shall be in place till additional discover and shall be stored beneath common assessment as a part of the federal government’s work to watch and handle the dangers of chook flu.
While the well being dangers to most people are low, Public Well being Cornwall can also be urging folks to not feed wild birds to additional cut back the danger and cease the virus spreading.
Brian O’Neill, Advisor in Public Well being at Cornwall Council, stated: “Chook flu is primarily a illness of birds and the danger to folks’s well being is low. However that’s to not say we shouldn’t be doing the whole lot we are able to to cease it spreading in order that threat turns into even decrease.
“In addition to not touching them, we’d additionally strongly urge folks to not feed wild birds at their native ponds, lakes and rivers as giant gatherings of birds make transmission of the virus extra probably.”
When you discover a sick or useless wild birds, don’t contact them and please report back to DEFRA on 03459 33 55 77 (choose possibility 7) for those who discover:
- a number of useless chook of prey or owl
- 3 or extra useless gulls or wild waterfowl (swans, geese and geese)
- 5 or extra useless birds of any species
Then
- whether it is on Council land, please tell us so we are able to take away it. You possibly can report it right here and pinpoint the situation. There’s an interactive map so you may see if it’s on Council land.
- if the useless chook is on personal land, please report it to the landowner.
- for those who discover a useless chook in your property, if DEFRA is unable to take away it, please comply with DEFRA’s steering on the best way to safely eliminate it
Poultry keepers ought to report suspicion of illness of their birds to APHA on 03000 200 301.
Report a useless animal
