Suffolk: Fourth case of bird flu detected in Market Weston

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Published: 12:40 PM March 13, 2022

Updated: 3:18 PM March 13, 2022

A fourth case of bird flu has been identified in Suffolk in the space of a month.

Suffolk Trading Standards has confirmed that the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 is present in Market Weston.

This comes after an outbreak was confirmed at a location in Redgrave yesterday (March 12), a duck farm, also in Redgrave earlier this month which saw about 35,000 ducks humanely culled and a separate incident reported at a chicken farm near Elmswell in February.

Suffolk Trading Standards has confirmed that a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone has been put in place around the infected premises to limit the risk of the disease spreading.

A 3km Protection Zone and a 10km Surveillance Zone has been put in place around the infected premises to limit the risk of the disease spreading.

All poultry on the site will now be humanely culled. pic.twitter.com/Ydww1GC0yG

— Suffolk Trading Standards (@SuffolkTS) March 13, 2022

They also confirmed that all poultry on the site will now be humanely culled.

Trading Standards officers will be going door to door in the 3km protection zone this week to help establish where poultry are housed.

Bird keepers within the protection zone must clean and disinfect clothing, footwear, vehicles and equipment before and after contact with poultry and captive birds – if practical, use disposable protective clothing and minimise direct and indirect contact between poultry and captive birds and wild birds, including Making sure all feed and water is not accessible to wild birds.

A spokesman reminded poultry keepers to keep their birds housed and ensure that they follow strict biosecurity measures including:

Keeping birds undercover, away from wild birdsUsing dedicated footwear when entering birds’ housing in order to ensure the disease is not transferred in on your feetRemembering that anything that enters your birds’ housing could introduce disease, whether that’s a bag of bedding, your pet cat Walking in or rats and mice Storing bedding undercover and keeping other pets out of your birds’ housingControlling rats and mice and clearing up spilled feedPrioritizing mending any damage to birds housing

For more information on avian influenza and how to spot it visit the government’s website.

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