New cases of bird flu found.
Press Assoc. - 1 hour 2 minutes agoThree wild swans found dead in Dorset have tested positive for the H5N1 strain of bird flu, the Government confirmed.
The birds were found in the Chesil Beach area of the county during routine surveillance.
A control area has been set up in the area, within which bird owners must isolate their flocks from wild birds. No disease has been found in domestic birds, and a programme of surveillance of wild birds is to be carried out.
Defra said there were no plans to cull wild flocks as this may disperse birds further. The Government's acting chief veterinary officer, Fred Landeg, said: "While this is obviously unwelcome news, we have always said that Britain is at a constant low level of risk of introduction of avian influenza.
"Our message to all bird keepers, particularly those in the area, is that they must be vigilant, report any signs of disease immediately, and practice the highest levels of biosecurity."
John Houston, general manager at Abbotsbury Tourism Ltd, said the dead birds were found by a member of staff at Abbotsbury Swannery and Defra was notified as part of standard procedure.
Three mute swans from the Swannery have been identified as having the deadly H5N1 virus, he said in a statement.
"Our main concern is the welfare of the swans, our staff and the general public," Mr Houston said. "We are working closely with Defra to ensure that this outbreak is contained and that the number of swans affected is limited. We are also working with the Health Protection Agency to ensure that staff and public are fully protected."
The new discovery comes less than a month after restrictions on poultry movement were lifted in Norfolk and Suffolk. The restriction zone, which covered parts of the two counties, was imposed following an outbreak of H5N1 on a free range turkey farm in November, and only removed on December 19.
A spokesman for the National Farmers' Union (NFU) said they were monitoring the situation closely. "We are in contact with Defra, and have already had discussions with key Defra officials both at a national and regional level. Investigations are ongoing into the source of the infection and no-one yet knows its cause."
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