The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has confirmed there is avian influenza A(H5N1) in wild bird population in the Market Drayton area, on the border of Staffordshire and Shropshire.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is advising people in the area not to touch any sick or dead wild birds, after avian flu was confirmed in an owl. Pets should also be kept on a lead and away from any potentially infected birds.
The UKHSA, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and Staffordshire Country Council are working with APHA to manage the situation and protect public health and reduce the risk to other birds, wildlife and pets.
The A(H5N1) strain is highly pathogenic to other birds, but the risk to human health is considered low. It is vital that people do not touch sick live birds or bird carcasses, and infection control measures may be necessary if they do.
In areas where the infection has been confirmed or is suspected, anyone who has been in contact with sick or dead birds or their droppings while not wearing the correct PPE (personal protective equipment), should make sure any footwear is properly cleaned and thoroughly wash their hands in soap and water. They should then notify the UK Health Security Agency’s West Midlands Health Protection Team on 0344 225 3560 so that public health experts can determine if antiviral medication and surveillance of their condition is necessary. If someone handled infected birds while wearing adequate PPE, they must still undergo surveillance.
Following a number of detections of avian influenza (bird flu) in wild birds across Great Britain, the Chief Veterinary Officers from England, Scotland and Wales declared an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) across the whole of Great Britain in October 2022, to mitigate the risk of the disease spreading amongst poultry and captive birds.
Anyone who sees sick wild birds should contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.
Outside the Market Drayton area – call the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77 or go online to report dead wild birds online to Defra if you see:
1 or more dead birds of prey or owls
3 or more dead gulls or wild waterfowl (eg swans, geese and ducks)
5 or more dead birds of any species
For further advice see GOV.UK
