By Location of local bird flu outbreak revealed
North East Lincolnshire Council have released details regarding the location of a local poultry farm where a bird flu outbreak has been recorded.
This follows earlier reports that a poultry farm near Grimsby had been forced to cull all of the birds at its site.
The decision was made to prevent the spread of the virus.
The H5N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu rarely passes onto humans but could be dangerous to humans if caught – the risk to the general public is currently considered to be low.
England has recorded a spike in bird flu outbreaks recently, with 78 in the past few weeks.
Lincolnshire confirmed its first case on December 11, with a number of other outbreaks recorded in Louth, North Somercotes and East Lindsey.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs said “arrangements have been put in place to stop poultry or eggs from leaving the Grimsby farm.”
Now, in a statement released last night, North East Lincolnshire Council has confirmed that the farm in question is located in Laceby.
The council said: “A case of avian influenza (bird flu) has been confirmed at a farm in Laceby.
“Public health advice remains that the risk to human health from the virus is very low and food standards bodies advise that avian influenzas pose a very low food safety risk for UK consumers.
“Anyone that keeps poultry or captive birds (such as budgies / parrots etc) near to the outbreak needs to take additional precautions to keep their flock safe.
“This includes regularly cleaning and disinfecting equipment, clothing and vehicles when entering or exiting sites and limiting access to non-essential workers or visitors.
“All birds must be housed and they cannot be moved while the restrictions are in place.
“If you find any dead or sick birds, do not touch them. If you find dead swans, geese or ducks or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, you should report them to the DEFRA helpline on 03459 33 55 77.”
According to the council, road signs are being put in place to let people know that they are entering the animal disease zone.
Updates to follow.
