BIRD FLU OUTBREAK: Avian flu strain H5N8 detected in British farm
GETTY An outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed at a poultry farm in Suffolk
Restrictions had been put in place at the premises near Redgrave, which contains about 23,000 birds, after lab tests detected the avian flu strain H5N8. Further investigations into the virus have confirmed it is the “highly pathogenic strain” of the disease - which is deadly to birds.
The strain of avian flu has been found in wild and farmed birds in the UK since December 2016. A number of the birds at the poultry farm in mid-Suffolk have died and those remaining will be culled, Defra said. A 3km (1.8 mile) protection zone and 10km (6 mile) surveillance zone have been put in place to prevent the spread of the disease.
GETTY The strain of avian flu has been found in wild and farmed birds in the UK since December 2016.
GETTY Public Health England said the risk to public health from the virus was very low