Three new avian flu cases in England

Three new avian flu cases have been recorded in England, including the first to be detected outside the disease prevention zone set up last month.

Restrictions are now in place around the sites in Lincolnshire, Sussex and East Yorkshire after details of the infections were confirmed.

There have now been 19 confirmed cases in England since the present outbreak began in November, plus one in Scotland.

A 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance area are now in force around the newly affected sites near Rye, East Sussex, Pocklington in East Yorkshire and Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire.

Update issued

The presence of the H5N1 virus strain was confirmed in an update issued through the APHA late on Friday night, 17 January. All poultry on the affected premises will be culled.

The Sussex case is well outside the existing prevention zone, which covers East Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk and where formal housing requirements have been in place since shortly before Christmas.

Bird keepers across Britain have again been warned to be vigilant against the virus, though there was no indication of the zone being extended in the new update.

Meanwhile, local restrictions have been eased around two sites in Norfolk where the virus has been detected in recent weeks.