UK govt bans ‘bird gatherings’ as avian flu outbreak worsens

LONDON: The UK government announced on Friday an imminent ban in England on “bird gatherings” such as fairs, markets and shows, seeking to stop the spread of a highly contagious avian influenza.

From midday on Monday, “bird gatherings... are banned in England. This includes ducks, geese, swans, pheasants, partridge, quail, chickens, turkeys and guinea fowl,” the environment ministry said in a statement.

It said the move came in response to the spread of the virus across “multiple areas”.

The UK government classifies “bird gatherings” as bird fairs, markets, shows, sales, exhibitions and some premises used for dealing or internet sales.

Vehicles used to transport a collection of live birds from multiple premises are also considered gatherings.

To date there have been 27 confirmed cases of bird flu in England and one in Scotland during the latest outbreak.

Last week, affected poultry were discovered on a commercial property in Norfolk, eastern England, and the birds were destroyed.

The virus can spread through droppings and saliva or contaminated food and water.

Vaccinations against bird flu are currently not allowed in the UK, except in zoos.

But several farming organisations have urged the government to change the rules to allow inoculations.

So far, health authorities have only reported one rare case of bird flu in a human during the latest outbreak, and say “the risk to the general public´s health is very low”. But fears are rising among farmers that the disease may spread.