A one-kilometer restriction zone was placed in Cheshire county in Northern England, affecting 300 homes due to an outbreak of the bird flu or avian flu.
Poultry workers in Tarporley village alerted authorities after observing that a number of their turkeys had fallen ill.
The restriction zone was immediately set up after a multi-agency response team initiated action.
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Authorities said the restriction zone would cover up to 300 properties. However, the movement of people would not be restricted.
4,500 Turkeys Isolated to Prevent Spread
Affected birds, numbering 4,500, are being gathered and isolated to prevent further spread of the virus, the BBC reported.
Test results show that the bird flu strain is low pathogenic, which means death would be unlikely. However, such cases would mean it is also difficult to diagnose at its early stages. Health officials in England asserted that the public health risk is low, and the outbreak has no links to the coronavirus.
Cheshire authorities are currently teaming up with the UK Department for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), and other partners to address the virus spread.
Officials will make door-to-door visits to update residents about the situation and to find out if they keep poultry in their properties.
Bird Flu Spread in Uttoxeter
APHA had also confirmed a similar low-pathogenic bird flu outbreak in a commercial broiler farm near Uttoxeter town in East Staffordshire, where an exclusion zone was also placed. Officials advised poultry keepers to contain their birds and closely monitor their health.
The avian flu has also swept through India from late 2020 to early 2021, covering 14 Indian states and territories, with highly pathogenic strains H5N1 and H5N8.
Bird flu or avian influenza is a highly infectious disease that affects wild and domestic birds. Prevalent worldwide, a variety of strains are more prevalent in certain areas of the world than others. "Natural reservoirs" of such Influenza A viruses, according to the World Organization for Animal Health, including geese, shorebirds, and wild ducks.
Check out more news and information on the Bird Flu on Science Times.
