Bird flu detected in North East seaside village

A protection zone has been set up around a seaside village in Aberdeenshire after a confirmed case of bird flu.

It was found in a household flock of poultry in Collieston near Ellon.

The birds have now been humanely culled, while a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone have been established around the premises.

In these areas, there will be restrictions on the movement of poultry, carcasses, eggs, used poultry litter and manure.

It follows a case near Inverurie in January.

Other outbreaks of H5N1 were identified in Dumfries and Galloway as well as Arbroath towards the end of 2021.

The Scottish Government's Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: "In order to try to keep their birds safe and stop the spread of the disease, producers and bird keepers are reminded to comply with the housing order from last year.

"We ask that the public continue to remain vigilant and report any findings of dead wild birds to Defra's national telephone helpline.

"Do not touch or pick up any dead or sick birds that you find."

Scotland's Chief Veterinary Officer Sheila Voas urged all bird keepers to ensure their biosecurity measures were up to scratch.

She said: "The risk to the general public's health from avian influenza is very low.

"However, the risk to people with intensive exposure to infected birds is considered to be low.

"Food Standards Scotland advises that avian influenzas pose a very low food safety risk for consumers, and it does not affect the consumption of poultry products, including eggs."

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