An outbreak of bird flu has impacted 64,000 turkeys on a farm in Norfolk, Defra has confirmed after the region was sent into an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ).
Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was detected on Tuesday evening (27 September) at a turkey farm in Attleborough.
All of the 64,000 turkeys will be humanely culled, Defra said. A 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone was declared around the premises.
Earlier on Tuesday, the government announced a regional AIPZ for Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex following an uptick in cases.
The UK's Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Richard Irvine declared the tough rules for the region to "mitigate the risk of further outbreaks of disease occurring".
He said a number of recent detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza had been recently confirmed in both poultry and wild birds across the East Anglia region.
"All bird keepers in the region must urgently take action now to both prevent disease getting in to flocks and it spreading any further," Mr Irvine said.
"Whether you keep just a few birds or thousands, you are now legally required to introduce stricter biosecurity standards on your farm or small holding.
"It is in your interests to do so in order to protect your birds from this highly infectious and devastating disease."
It comes after avian influenza was confirmed in commercial poultry on 24 September, at a premises near Hadleigh, Suffolk.
The disease was also recorded in King’s Lynn, Norfolk a day earlier, again on a commercial poultry farm.
The UK has faced its largest ever outbreak of bird flu with over 150 cases confirmed across the country since late October 2021.
