Bird flu: New outbreak confirmed in Herefordshire

The confirmed outbreak near Ross-on-Wye means Herefordshire has two current avian flu protection zones in place

A second outbreak of avian flu has been confirmed in Herefordshire.

The outbreak was confirmed near Ross-on-Wye on Thursday by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which said all birds at the site would be humanely culled.

A 1.9-mile (3km) protection zone and a 6.2-mile (10km) surveillance zone have been established around the premises.

Another control zone is also in action in the county near Clifford after a confirmed outbreak in December.

There have been a large number of incidents and outbreaks of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in birds across the UK.

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It is rare for avian flu to pass from birds to humans, typically requiring close, prolonged contact and human-to-human transmission of bird flu is very rare.

Anyone who finds dead birds is advised not to touch them and to report it to Defra.

An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone is currently in place cross the whole of Great Britain to mitigate the risk of the disease spreading among poultry and captive birds.

This makes it a legal requirement for all bird keepers in the country to follow strict biosecurity measures to help protect their flocks.