Residents warned after second bird flu outbreak confirmed in Derbyshire

An outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed among a flock of poultry housed near a Derbyshire town – the second in the county within a month.
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Cases of the highly infectious H5N1 avian influenza virus have been detected at a premises near Ilkeston.

Derbyshire County Council said that a number of chickens, geeses, and ducks had been confirmed as carrying the strain, which can decimate poultry flocks.

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A 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place to around the infected premises and strict measures are in force to try to stop the disease spreading.

An outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed at a premises near Ilkeston, the second in Derbyshire within a month. 
Credit: Keith Evans / Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) Sign- Geograph / Licence: https://bit.ly/3MDyAfIAn outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed at a premises near Ilkeston, the second in Derbyshire within a month. 
Credit: Keith Evans / Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) Sign- Geograph / Licence: https://bit.ly/3MDyAfI
An outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed at a premises near Ilkeston, the second in Derbyshire within a month. Credit: Keith Evans / Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) Sign- Geograph / Licence: https://bit.ly/3MDyAfI

It comes after an outbreak was confirmed at Straw's Bridge Local Nature Reserve, known locally as Swan Lake, in West Hallam near Ilkeston.

A total of 13 swans and Canadian geese were found dead at the site in mid-March, with testing by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) showing they had been infected with the virus.

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Councillor Carol Hart, Derbyshire County Council's cabinet member for health and communities, said: “Unfortunately we have had another confirmed case of avian flu in Derbyshire and our trading standards officers, along with colleagues at Nottinghamshire are working closely with the relevant Government agencies to help reduce the spread of the disease.

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“It’s really important that they identify anyone who has birds and ensure they know about the restrictions and follow the rules to the letter. The risk to public health is low but people travelling into the 10km zone need to be aware of the outbreak. There will be roadside signs up in the area telling people when they are entering the zone.”

Government guidelines in place across the UK to protect poultry and captive birds – which were introduced to help stop the spread of bird flu – are set to be relaxed on Monday, May 2.

However, Derbyshire’s trading standards officers are reminding all bird keepers affected by the outbreak near Ilkeston in the 3km and 10km zones that it is a legal requirement to follow the strict guidelines in place in those areas until further notice and to remain vigilant for any signs of disease among their flock.

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