Protection zone around British AI case lifted

The inner three kilometre protection zone around a farm in Preston, North-West England, were a case of H7N7 avian flu was confirmed on July 13, has been lifted. The Animal and Plant Health Agency has not found any further confirmed cases since cleansing and disinfection took place.

Surveillance zone restrictions continue to apply throughout the 10 kilometre surveillance zone around the infected farm, the APHA says. Within this zone, restrictions are in place on the movement of poultry, carcasses, eggs, used poultry litter and manure.

The discovery of H7N7 AI in England was the second this year in the country. In February, the same strain of the virus was discovered in chickens at a farm in Hamshire. In November last year, highly pathogenic AI H5N8 was found on ducks at premises in East Yorkshire. All movement restrictions following these outbreaks have been lifted earlier.