A 10km surveillance zone has been set up in Cambridgeshire to prevent the spread of bird flu after a case was confirmed in the county.

The confirmed case of bird flu (bird flu) was found in a premises near Ely.

Now Cambridgeshire County Council’s trading standards team is working with DEFRA and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to identify all poultry and captive birds in the area.

Two disease control zones have been set up around the infected premises in an attempt to stop the spread of the disease – a 3km protection zone encompassing Pymoor and part of Little Downham, and a wider surveillance zone of 10 km which includes Ely, Littleport, Chatteris, Manea and Welney. A map of protection and surveillance zones is available at AI – Protection and surveillance zone – declaration (publishing.service.gov.uk).

All bird keepers in the country were already required to comply with the requirements of the National Avian Influenza Prevention Zone which were put in place in November 2021, which include extensive biosecurity measures and the obligation to house all poultry and captive birds. The protection zone and the surveillance zone introduce additional requirements, in particular extensive movement restrictions and a licensing regime.

All bird keepers, regardless of location or flock size, should familiarize themselves with the requirements. Full advice on all current requirements can be found at Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and Avian Influenza (Bird Flu): Cases and Disease Control Areas in England – GOV.UK ( www.gov.uk .United Kingdom). The full list of requirements for local areas can be found in the Declaring Order, which can be found at AI – Protection and Surveillance Area – declaration (publishing.service.gov.uk).

Cambridgeshire County Council has a role in supporting DEFRA and APHA in the National Animal Disease Contingency Plan, with its trading standards team tasked with identifying all captive birds in the protection zone .

Starting tomorrow (Tuesday April 12), Trading Standards Officers will be calling homes in the area to check if birds are being kept there. If so, the information will be forwarded to APHA for veterinary evaluation to determine if a bird health check is necessary. All officers will produce photo ID, will not enter your home, and will not need to see the birds.

Trading Standards is also responsible for enforcement if any of the National Avian Influenza Prevention Zone rules or the Declaratory Order are violated. These rules are there to protect not only the livelihoods and valuable stocks of commercial birds, but also highly valued pets, and with such a virulent strain, it is vital that birdwatchers adhere to them. Anyone concerned about breaches should report the information to Cambridgeshire County Council’s customer services team on 0345 045 5206.

Road signs reading ‘Animal Disease Control Area’ will also be erected by the council on behalf of APHA over the coming week to inform bird carriers that they are entering a disease control area. animal diseases. With the exception of certain transporters moving towards export, they continue to be able to pass through the zone, but in general they cannot stop in the zone.

Peter Gell, Deputy Director of Regulatory Services at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: ‘I would encourage all poultry farmers to familiarize themselves with any restrictions currently in place and do all they can to comply with them. We are a rural county, with a wide range of bird watchers. Their livelihoods and the health of their flocks depend on all bird keepers – large and small – doing their part to prevent the spread of this disease.

“Check your birds frequently for symptoms of bird flu – know the telltale signs and report any health concerns to your vet immediately. If you suspect bird flu you should contact the DEFRA Rural Services helpline on 03000 200,301.”

Bird keepers with 50 or more birds must register their flock with APHA, but all bird keepers are actively encouraged to register, even if they have fewer than 50 birds, as this allows the ‘APHA to keep you informed of developments in avian influenza. You can also subscribe to DEFRA’s animal disease text alert service. The APHA also encourages all bird keepers to watch their ‘Stop the Spread’ webinars available here ‘Stop the Spread’ Webinars – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Defra will also write to all households in the surveillance area reminding them of the risk to poultry and captive birds and asking them to voluntarily register their flocks. It is mandatory to undertake monitoring in these areas for at least three months.

If custodians are in one of these areas, they can be contacted at any time during this time to let them know they have been randomly selected for a monitoring visit, so APHA visits will continue even when disease control zones will have been lifted.

In terms of public health risk, the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) has said bird flu is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to human health is very low. However, the public are asked not to touch dead birds but to report them to DEFRA by calling 03459 33 55 77.

The Food Standards Agency also said that, based on current scientific evidence, bird flu poses a very low food safety risk to UK consumers. Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are still safe to eat.