Bird flu confirmed at commercial poultry farm

A case of bird flu has been confirmed at a large commercial poultry farm near York.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 had been found at a site in the Elvington area on 24 December.

It said all the birds on the property would be culled, with a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone put in place around the farm.

All poultry and captive birds within the 3km zone must be housed and all poultry and eggs leaving or entering premises in the 10km zone must be recorded.

An outbreak of the same strain was found in Bedale in October, where the birds were also culled.

According to DEFRA there have been 63 confirmed cases of HPAI across England since 1 October.

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