A new case of highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed today in a backyard flock in Cheshire.
The outbreak was recorded in poultry and other captive birds at a premises near Crewe, Defra said on Friday (16 September).
A 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone have been put in place around the site.
Defra added that all affected birds on the infected premises would be humanely culled.
Since late October 2021, the UK has faced its largest ever outbreak of bird flu with over 140 cases confirmed across the country.
The recent uptick in cases forced the government to intervene in the South West of England, where a regional Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) is currently in place.
Defra said all bird keepers must keep a close watch on them for signs of disease and maintain good biosecurity at all times.
"You should register your poultry, even if only kept as pets, so we can contact you during an outbreak. This is a legal requirement if you have 50 or more birds.
"The risk of incursion in wild birds in Britain remains at medium. The risk of poultry exposure to HPAI H5 has been reduced to low where biosecurity is suboptimal and low where good biosecurity is applied," the department said.
