Avian flu control zones affecting Greater Manchester and north west mapped - and what they mean

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Bird flu control zones have been in effect across England throughout winter, in an effort to stop the illness from spreading.

The virus - also know as avian influenza - is infectious and spreads among birds via contaminated saliva, nasal secretions or faeces.

The current upsurge in the country has been described as the 'largest-ever,' with millions of birds culled in a bid to curb infections.

In some rare cases, the virus can be spread to humans and in January 2022, a person in south-west England became the first in the UK to contract bird flu. Read more:What is bird flu, how does it spread and is it harmful to humans?