The UK’s chief veterinary officer has announced that the H5N8 virus was found in a small backyard flock of chickens near Thornton, Wyre, Lancashire, in northern England. Some of the chickens died and the others were culled.

The area is on the Irish Sea coast, directly across from Ireland and the Isle of Man.

This is the first case of avian influenza in the UK since February. Precautions, including compulsory housing of all flocks and restriction on bird movements, are in place in a 10km radius around the site of the latest outbreak.

The fresh contamination comes as higher temperatures were believed to have killed off the virus for this year.

The latest cases in Ireland were also found in February. Free-range poultry was allowed outside again on 16 March in Northern Ireland and on 25 April in the Republic.

However, DAERA decided last week to extend the protection zone covering Northern Ireland until the end of May. This includes measures such as preventing wild birds from accessing farmed birds’ feed and water, heightened biosecurity precautions when birds or farmers move between farms and separation of waterfowl from other birds.

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