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Suspected case of bird flu found at a Lancashire farm | Suspected case of bird flu found at a Lancashire farm |
(about 3 hours later) | |
A suspected case of bird flu has been found at a Lancashire poultry farm, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said. | |
All birds at the farm in Goosnargh, Preston, are due to be culled and animal movements have been restricted within a 10km "control zone". | |
Defra said the decision to cull was "based on the clinical symptoms and emerging laboratory findings". | |
The risk to public health was very low, a spokesman added. | |
"We have a strong track record of controlling and eliminating previous outbreaks of avian flu in the UK," he said. | |
"The outbreaks in Yorkshire last year and Hampshire in February were both successfully contained, allowing restrictions to be lifted at the earliest opportunity." | "The outbreaks in Yorkshire last year and Hampshire in February were both successfully contained, allowing restrictions to be lifted at the earliest opportunity." |
'No food safety risk' | |
Defra's chief vet Nigel Gibbens added: "We have taken swift precautionary action to limit the risk of the disease spreading. I would urge bird keepers to be vigilant for any signs of the disease." | |
The Food Standards Agency said there was "no food safety risk" for consumers. | |
There are two types of bird flu, the most serious of which - known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) - is often fatal in birds. | |
A less serious version - low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) - can cause mild breathing problems but affected birds do not always show clear signs of infection. | |
The NHS website says no humans have been infected with bird flu in the UK. |