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Routine veterinary investigation at poultry premises in East Anglia

   

INFORMATION BULLETIN

Ref: 41/09
Date: 26 February 2009

A routine veterinary investigation is ongoing at two poultry premises in East Anglia into the possible presence of notifiable avian disease, Defra has confirmed today.

Animal Health began the investigation late on Tuesday evening (24 February). Laboratory tests are ongoing and there is no conclusion yet.  However, laboratory results so far have confirmed the presence of an avian influenza virus, and that it is neither H5 nor H7.

Restrictions remain in place on the premises while the investigation continues. No further precautionary restrictions are considered necessary in the area at present.

Routine veterinary investigations into notifiable diseases occur on a regular basis. It is a legal requirement to notify the Animal Health agency of the possibility of such diseases whenever these cannot be ruled out by a vet or an animal keeper as part of the diagnosis of illness in animals or birds.

Notes to editors

    1. Avian Influenza is a disease of birds. Whilst it can pass very rarely and with difficulty to humans, this requires extremely close contact with infected birds, particularly faeces.
    2. All avian influenzas (H1 to H16) can be low pathogenic but so far only H5 and H7 are known to have the potential to become highly pathogenic.
    3. For further information, please visit the avian influenza pages on the Defra website: www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/ai/index.htm
    4. AI has been found in Great Britain on the following occasions:
  • June 2008 – Highly pathogenic H7N7 found among chickens on a premises near Banbury in Oxfordshire. 
  • January/February 2008 – H5N1 Avian Influenza confirmed in 11 wild birds in the Chesil Beach area in Dorset.
  • November 2007 - H5N1 avian influenza on a turkey farm near Diss, Norfolk.
  • June 2007 - H7 Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza near St Helens, Merseyside, England.
  • May 2007 - H7N2 Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Corwen, Conwy, North Wales.
  • February 2007 - Second case in UK of H5N1 Avian Influenza in poultry, found in Upper Holton, Suffolk.
  • May 2006 - Low pathogenic H7N3 in chickens in Dereham, Norfolk.
  • April 2006 - Cellardyke (Fife, Scotland).
  • October 2005 - High Pathogenic H5N1 found in birds in quarantine in Essex (although that did not count as an outbreak as they were in quarantine).

End

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Page published: 26 February 2009