Nov 13th, 2020
3 mins
England, Scotland and Wales have been declared an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) after being identified as being at heightened risk from H5N8 highly pathogenic Avian Influenza. The risk level being raised from medium to high.
Keepers of poultry and captive birds – this includes game birds – kept commercially or as pets, have been instructed under biosecurity measures to protect against the risk of infection from wild birds.
These measures along with other information can be found using the below links:
Gov UK, Gov Scot and Gov Wales.
The declaration comes after a couple of cases of Avian Influenza were discovered in England with a further case of H5N8 found in captive birds in a broiler breeder farm in Herefordshire – there were also a small number of cases in the South West in wild birds.
Public Health England (PHE) advise that the risk to public health is very low and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) confirmed that the risk to food safety for UK consumers was also very low. Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.
There is no connection between the current Covid-19 pandemic, which is carried by SARS-CoV-2, and Avian Influenza.
To see full report – please click here.
