Scotland’s chief vet officer confirms chook flu outbreak in Angus

An outbreak of chook flu has occurred at a premises in Angus, Scotland’s chief veterinary officer has introduced. On Friday evening, Sheila Voas revealed it had applied a 3km safety zone across the space, situated in Kirriemuir, after extremely pathogenic avian influenza was reported. A 10km surveillance zone has additionally been declared. The premises, in keeping with the declaration printed on the Scottish Authorities’s web site, is Over Ascreavie Home, Kingoldrum, Kirriemuir. The restrictions put in place cease the motion of poultry, carcases, eggs, used poultry litter and manure to forestall any additional unfold of illness. A declaration printed on the Scottish Authorities’s web site, signed by Ms Voas, mentioned the announcement was made official at 8.15pm. It provides: “The Chief Veterinary Officer has shaped the opinion that extremely pathogenic avian influenza exists, or has within the earlier 56 days existed, on premises and has knowledgeable the Scottish Ministers of that conclusion.” It marks the primary case of the avian sickness within the nation because the summer season of 2023, when Ms Voas mentioned “virtually all” of the 32,000 contaminated chickens discovered on one Aberdeenshire farm needed to be culled in July. Aberdeen Metropolis Council mentioned it had collected round 100 useless birds from town’s seaside in a two-week interval over the identical timeframe, and Aberdeenshire Council reported that upwards of 300 useless birds have been discovered on its seashores concurrently. The Scottish Authorities famous the chance to the general public is “very low”, even for many who face extended publicity to contaminated birds. A spokesperson mentioned: “We will affirm a case of extremely pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected at a premises close to Kirriemuir, Angus. That is the primary case in Scotland since 2023. “A 3km Safety Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone have been positioned across the contaminated premises, that means the applying of motion restrictions inside these zones, equivalent to poultry, carcases, eggs, used poultry litter and manure, to forestall any additional unfold of illness. “Keepers of poultry and different captive birds in Scotland are suggested to stay vigilant for indicators of the illness and reminded they’ve a authorized requirement to right away report any suspicion of illness in Scotland to the native Animal and Plant Well being Company Area Providers Workplace. “The danger to most of the people’s well being from avian influenza continues to be very low and is taken into account low for folks with intensive publicity to contaminated birds. Meals Requirements Scotland advises that avian influenzas pose a really low meals security danger for customers.”