Bird flu update: Report dead birds

Residents in the Welshpool area are being encouraged to report dead wild birds after the area was placed in the eye of a bird flu storm on Sunday night.

A 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone were declared around a premises just south of Welshpool after bird flu was detected.

The Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales has confirmed that highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, is present on the premises, which has not been named but is shown on official maps to be near Fron, by Forden.

Within this zone, bird movements and gatherings are restricted and all holdings that keep birds must be declared.

All bird keepers in Wales (whether they have pet birds, a commercial or a backyard flock) must continue to abide by the mandatory biosecurity measures and complete the mandatory biosecurity self-assessment checklist until further notice.

But we all have a role to play in ensuring it is contained with Powys County Council issuing advice this morning. This includes reporting dead wild waterfowl (swans, geese or ducks) or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77.

Welshpool county councillor, Richard Church, who is the Cabinet Member for a Safer Powys, said: “It is vital keepers of birds remain vigilant and ensure they have the very highest levels of biosecurity in place.

“It is also important people do not touch or pick up any sick or dead birds to avoid spreading the virus.

“Public health advice remains that the risk to human health from the virus is very low and food standards bodies advise that avian influenzas pose a very low food safety risk for UK consumers.”

Responsibilities of people who keep birds:

• All keepers of kept birds should be vigilant for signs of the disease such as increased mortality, respiratory distress and drops in food or water intake, or egg production.
• Consult your veterinary surgeon in the first instance if your birds are unwell.
• If you or your vet suspect that avian influenza could be causing illness in your birds, you must, by law, report this to the Animal and Plant Health Agency. This will trigger a disease investigation by APHA vets.

You must apply strict biosecurity measures to prevent any materials, equipment, vehicles, clothing, feed or bedding that could have been contaminated from wild birds coming onto your premises. 

For the latest updates on Avian influenza (bird flu) visithttps://gov.wales/avian-influenza-bird-flu-latest-update.