Scotland's bird flu outbreak 'dramatically increases' as hundreds die

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The ongoing bird flu outbreak has “increased dramatically” over the last several days, Scotland’s chief vet has warned. It comes after Aberdeenshire Council reported that upwards of 300 dead birds have been found washed up on shores in the local authority’s beaches recently.Sheila Voas, the chief veterinary officer for Scotland, said the number of cases of avian influenza had not only increased in the last week, and that cases have been found “not just in Aberdeenshire but across the whole country”.She told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “The whole of the east coast of Great Britain is expecting problems, particularly with gulls, guillemots and terns.”Ms Voas also said “almost all” 32,000 chickens infected with the illness at an Aberdeenshire farm have been culled.

She added despite the high numbers, the risk factor remains low.Producers working with poultry should take appropriate security measures to minimise the chances of an outbreak, she said, and members of the public, including dog walkers, should stay away from dead birds.Ms Voas said there are measures that can be put in place if an outbreak becomes significant enough, such as prevention zones and the necessary housing of birds.

Asked if she is considering this, she said she is “keeping the situation under review”. She added: “At the moment, it’s not warranted but that’s something that could change on a daily or weekly basis.

To be honest, it’s unusual at this time of year. It’s generally a disease of winter when it’s brought back to the country by waterfowl migrating.”Elsewhere in the country, Fife Council confirmed they have not had any reported cases of the flu as of yet but have measures in place if necessary.The Royal Society for the