26 Jun 2023
Officials renew plea for vigilance among bird keepers after a new outbreak was confirmed in Moray.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Image © Anton Dios / Adobe Stock
A renewed plea for vigilance has been issued to bird keepers following confirmation of a new case of avian influenza in Scotland.
Officials have confirmed the latest case of the H5N1 strain of the virus had been discovered at a site near Forres in Moray.
But an update posted on the Scottish Government’s website added: “This premises was deemed a special category premises due to its non-commercial nature.
“As a result of this and based on a veterinary risk assessment, no new disease control zones have been applied.”
Meanwhile, the APHA tweeted: “All bird keepers should remain vigilant and follow stringent biosecurity measures.”
The case is the first avian flu incident to be confirmed in Scotland since mandatory housing requirements were lifted in April and the first anywhere in the UK for a month. Two cases were reported at premises in North Lincolnshire during May.
The latest Defra assessments concluded the risk posed by the virus was high for wild birds, but low for poultry in locations with good biosecurity measures and medium at sites where “substantial” biosecurity breaches occur.
