Three new cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu) have been confirmed in Scotland.
The disease was confirmed at a second and third premises near Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire yesterday (Monday, August 14).
The H5N1 strain of bird flu was also found at a site near Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway yesterday.
3km Protection Zones and 10km Surveillance Zones were declared around each of the affected premises shortly after 9:00p.m.
This means that movement restrictions are in place within these zones for poultry, carcasses, eggs, and poultry litter and manure.
This is to help prevent any further spread of the disease, the Scottish government said.
The Scottish government has urged birdkeepers to find out if their premises falls within these zones via the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) interactive map.
Bird flu in Scotland
The Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) across Scotland was lifted on July 4, 2023.
It followed a risk assessment, where the level of risk associated with bird flu to poultry and other captive birds was reduced to low.
On Friday (August 11), the Scottish government published a new response plan to deal with the issues posed by bird flu in wild birds.
The Scottish Wild Bird Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Response Plan sets out the multi-agency approach to monitoring and mitigating the spread of the disease.
The plan provides guidance to regulators, the public, those involved in animal rescue, researchers and environmental bodies on issues relating to bird flu in wild birds.
In the UK, there have been 194 confirmed cases of bird flu since October 1, 2022; 27 of these cases have been detected in Scotland.
158 were confirmed in England; eight were confirmed in Wales; and one case was confirmed in Northern Ireland.
There have been 292 cases of the H5N1 strain of the disease in England since the outbreak started in October 2021.
