Bird Flu Case Confirmed Near Soham

Following a confirmed case of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) near Soham, a 3km captive bird (monitoring) controlled zone has been introduced to try to stop spread of the disease. 

The zone introduces housing requirements for all poultry and captive birds that fall within the zone. It also introduces requirements in relation to record keeping, biosecurity, and the cleansing and disinfection of vehicles. Bird gatherings and the release of game birds are also prohibited within the 3km zone. The full list of requirements for the local zones can be found in the Declaratory Order *AI - Protection Zone and Surveillance Zone - declaration (publishing.service.gov.uk), with further details available on Gov.uk Avian influenza (bird flu) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Bird keepers with 50 or more birds must register with the APHA, but APHA is actively encouraging all bird keepers to register, even if they have less than 50 birds, as it enables them to keep you up to date with Avian Influenza developments.  

Cambridgeshire County Council has a role in supporting DEFRA and the APHA as part of the national animal disease contingency plan, with its Trading Standards team responsible for identifying all captive birds within the Protection Zone. This will involve officers calling at homes within the zone next week to ascertain if birds are kept at that location. If they are, the information will be referred to the APHA for veterinary assessment to determine if a health check on the birds is required. Trading Standards is also responsible for enforcement of the rules within the Declaratory Order. These rules are there to protect not only livelihoods and valuable commercial bird stocks, but also much loved pets, and with such a virulent strain, it is vital bird keepers adhere to them. Anyone with concerns about breaches should report the information to Cambridgeshire County Council’s customer services team on 0345 0455206.