Britain battles worst ever bird flu outbreak with 500,000 animals culled
Britain is in the grips of its worst ever avian flu outbreak a minister has said with 500,000 animals culled so far.
The outbreak has already reached 36 sites in the UK according to environment minister George Eustice who spoke about the crisis in parliament earlier today. It comes as a blow to the poultry industry which is already facing inflationary cost pressures and labour shortages due to Covid.
Speaking in the House of Commons Environment secretary George Eustice said that the UK has been hit particularly hard by the virus this year. “Each year, the UK faces a seasonal risk in incursion of avian influenza associated with migratory wild birds,” said Eustice, explaining that outbreaks tend to be seasonal.
“This year we are seeing the largest-ever outbreak of avian influenza in the UK,” he said.
In comments to BBC Radio 4 Britain’s Chief Vet Christine Middlemiss today said that around 500,000 birds had been culled as a result of the outbreaks.
The highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed at premises in North Yorkshire and South Suffolk on Wednesday following a string of outbreaks in different locations dating back to Oct. 27, when the strain was found at a rescue centre in Worcestershire. When an infection is found all birds on the premises are culled.
With cases spiralling a nationwide Avian Influenza Prevention Zone was declared in England on 03 November, ordering farms and bird keepers to toughen biosecurity measures. It was extended on 29 November with a legal requirement for all bird keepers to keep animals inside.