Confirmed cases of bird flu among Cornwall's wild birds, the council says
The local authority has repeated a warning not to touch dead or sick birds
Last updated 27th Aug 2022
Cornwall Council says cases of bird flu have been confirmed among wild birds in the Duchy.
Multiple dead sea birds have been discovered around west Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly since an outbreak was confirmed at a premises near Newlyn, around which a 3km Controlled Monitoring Zone remains in place.
The local authority says that while the risk to the public remains low, people should not pick up or touch dead sea birds.
Advice if you find dead birds in Cornwall
Cornwall Council said: "There are confirmed cases of Avian (bird) Flu amongst wild birds in Cornwall. The risk to public health is low but if you find a sick or dead wild bird, don't touch it and please report it to DEFRA on this number 03459 33 55 77.
"Once you have done so:
• If it is on Council land, please let us know so we can remove it. You can report it here and pinpoint the location. There is an interactive map so you can see if it’s on Council land.
• If the dead bird is on private land, please report it to the landowner.
• If you find a dead bird on your property, if DEFRA is unable to remove it, please follow DEFRA's guidance on how to safely dispose of it".
On Friday 19th August, an outbreak of bird flu was confirmed in west Cornwall at a premises near Newlyn.
On Saturday 20th August, Mousehole Wild Bird Hospital confirmed samples from its site had tested positive and it was forced to cull all of its birds.
On Wednesday 24th August, the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust revealed over 40 dead sea birds had been found around its shores in the space of a few weeks and that some were being sent for testing.
Brian O'Neill, Consultant in Public Health at Cornwall Council, said: "Bird flu is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to people’s health is low. But that's not to say we shouldn’t be doing everything we can to stop it spreading so that risk becomes even lower.
"As well as not touching them, we would also strongly urge people not to feed wild birds at their local ponds, lakes and rivers as large gatherings of birds make transmission of the virus more likely".
The council's Trading Standards has also issued a warning to all poultry owners within the Controlled Monitoring Zone near Newlyn to be on their guard.
Jane Tomlinson Trading Standard Manager covering Animal Health and Welfare at Cornwall Trading Standards Service, said: "Whether you keep just a few birds or thousands, poultry keepers are legally required to meet the enhanced biosecurity procedures to protect their birds from this highly infectious virus.
"We are responsible for enforcement of these legal requirements and our officers are working hard to help and advise poultry keepers. We recommend all poultry keepers sign up to the Defra poultry register and the disease alert service where they will receive regular text updates".