[ad_1]
British health chiefs on Thursday confirmed an outbreak of “highly contagious” bird flu in England as the government declared a national prevention zone, echoing similar drastic measures taken by other European countries.
The H5N8 strain of bird flu was found in breeding chickens on a farm near the town of Leominster in Herefordshire, west England, in what is the UK’s latest report on bird flu highly infectious.
It follows other cases of H5N8 in wild birds in Gloucestershire, Devon and Dorset in southern England and on a farm in Cheshire in the north of the country.
An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) has since been imposed on England, Scotland and Wales. Bird breeders are now legally required to feed birds in closed areas, minimize movement inside enclosures and disinfect shoes, among other health measures to stop its spread.
Also on rt.com
Netherlands to slaughter 48,000 chickens after ANOTHER bird flu outbreak
“Whether you keep just a few birds or thousands of birds, you are now legally bound to meet increased biosecurity requirements, and it is in your best interest to do so, in order to protect your birds from this highly infectious disease.” UK Chief Veterinarian Christine Middlemiss said.
The measures aim to prevent the spread of bird flu and come after orders issued by the Dutch government to slaughter more than 250,000 chickens after strains of the disease were detected in poultry and wild birds.
The Netherlands, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom all reported strains of bird flu last week, with Denmark also reporting cases in November and Russia in October.
Do you think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
[ad_2]
Source link