Recent cases of bird flu have been verified at two commercial poultry farms in Lincolnshire, as reported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The impacted farms are situated in the southern part of county, one near Swineshead, Boston, and the second near Donington, South Holland. Consequent to this, Defra has established nearly two-mile (3km) protection zones, as well as eight-mile (10km) surveillance zones around the affected locations. In order to prevent further contagion, all birds at these sites will be culled humanely.
The primary case of the highly contagious avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 was detected on 31 October near Swineshead, with a subsequent case surfacing on 1 November near Donington. These zones enforce limitations on the movement of poultry, meat, and eggs in the surrounding regions. The virus is known to be spread through birds’ droppings, saliva, and via contaminated feed and water sources. Though the current risk to human health is assessed as being minimal, with instances of human transmission being infrequent, preventative steps have been enacted to further minimise any potential dangers.
In the previous week, a series of bird flu safeguards were set in motion in Lincolnshire, along with other eastern counties. All poultry owners have been mandated to house their flocks under carefully controlled lockdown conditions. The aim of these measures is to contain the present outbreak and to inhibit the proliferation of further cases within the region. Local residents are urged to remain up-to-date with relevant information and comply with any amended guidelines as they are put into effect.
The original report was sourced from www.bbc.com and was adapted for The Lincoln Post.
