Yorkshire: Two further bird flu cases confirmed

Birds will be humanely culled at the two premises affected, Defra says

Two further cases of bird flu have been confirmed in Yorkshire, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The highly contagious H5N1 strain was identified in commercial poultry by Defra scientists on Thursday.

The birds at the businesses near Hornsea, in East Yorkshire, and near Pickering in North Yorkshire, would be humanely culled, Defra said.

A 1.7-mile (3km) protection zone had been placed around both premises.

Currently, England, Scotland and Wales are all within an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone, which requires bird owners and producers to follow strict biosecurity measures to try and prevent the spread of bird flu.

There have been 266 cases of H5N1 in England since the outbreak started in October 2021.

The UK Health Security Agency advised that the risk to public health from the virus was very low.

Meanwhile, the Food Standards Agency said avian influenzas posed a very low food safety risk for consumers.

Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, were safe to eat, it added.

Avian influenza spreads naturally in wild birds and can spread to poultry and other captive birds when they migrate.