Bird flu confirmed at commercial poultry farm

Cases of bird flu have been confirmed in Devon and Somerset in the past week

Bird flu has been confirmed at a farm in Devon, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said.

Defra said the case had occurred at a commercial poultry business near Tiverton on Wednesday and that all birds at the site would be humanely culled.

It comes after the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) said 2,500 pheasant chicks would be culled at a site near Winsford on Exmoor after an outbreak of bird flu had been confirmed on Monday.

Poultry at a site near Minehead has also tested positive for bird flu and those birds would be culled, Defra said.

A 3km (1.9 mile) protection zone and 10km (6.2 mile) surveillance zone has been declared around the affected premises.

Anyone keeping poultry or other captive birds within the two zones must keep them housed and a record of all people who enter or leave the property, Defra said.

England, Scotland and Wales have been designated an avian influenza prevention zone (AIPZ) with mandatory biosecurity measures in place until further notice.

The AIPZ measures apply to all bird keepers whether they have pet or commercial birds.

Strict biosecurity is essential to protecting flocks from bird flu, Defra added.