Bird keepers in Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex must now follow strict biosecurity measures to help protect flocks following a string of more avian influenza (bird flu) outbreaks.
Avian influenza has been detected in both poultry and wild birds across Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex and the deputy chief veterinary officer has declared prevention zones across the regions.
From midday today (Tuesday, September 27), it is a legal requirement for all bird keepers in the affected areas to follow biosecurity measures and they are advised to consult the interactive map to check if they are impacted.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), said that all keepers, including hobby and backyard poultry keepers and anyone who keeps chickens, ducks and geese as pets must take steps to limit the risk of the disease spreading to their animals.
Additionally, keepers with more than 500 birds will need to restrict access for non-essential people on their sites and workers will need to change clothing and footwear before entering bird enclosures.
There is also a mandatory requirement to keep records and to make them available on request.
The UK’s deputy chief veterinary officer, Richard Irvine, said: “Following an increased number of detections of avian influenza, we have decaled an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) across Suffolk, Norfolk and parts of Essex.
“This means that all bird keepers in the region must urgently take action now to both prevent disease getting into flocks and it spreading any further.”
The introduction of an AIPZ follows the recent increase in cases of bird flu in poultry and other captive birds in the area and increased reports of mass mortality in wild birds.
The AIPZ will be in place until further notice, and will be kept under regular review as part of the government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of bird flu.
