Bird flu has been found in commercial poultry at a third farm close to a market town. The highly infectious strain of avian influenza, commonly referred to as bird flu, was verified today at a farm near Newark-on-Trent in the Newark and Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire. A government notice stated that a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone have been established around the premises, with all poultry on the farm to be humanely euthanized.
This discovery follows confirmed cases of bird flu at two other farms near Newark-on-Trent on December 26 and December 30, leading to the implementation of similar protection and surveillance zones and the culling of all poultry on those farms.
The declaration on the government’s website includes a map outlining the protection and surveillance zones for this latest incident, situated just north of Winthorpe and Langford, near North Muskham.
Notices concerning highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 cases are regularly released by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
HPAI is the severe form of bird flu, characterized by high mortality rates in birds. In contrast, low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) presents milder symptoms such as sneezing or decreased egg production but can evolve into the severe form. The H5N1 subtype is highly transmissible and has resulted in the deaths of millions of poultry globally.
The virus can be transmitted to humans through close contact and has the potential to be fatal, as stated by the NHS. However, human infections in the UK are uncommon, with most cases reported in parts of Asia and North Africa.
According to the NHS, humans can contract bird flu by being in close proximity to an infected bird or by coming into contact with the feces of an infected bird or a bird that perished from the disease.
Symptoms of bird flu in humans typically manifest four to six days after exposure to an infected bird and may include a range of mild to severe indications like fever, cough, sore throat, runny or congested nose, sneezing, shortness of breath, wheezing, and irritated eyes.