UNITED KINGDOM, Suffolk. Low pathogenic avian flu of the H5 strain has been confirmed at a commercial chicken farm in Mid Suffolk on 10 December 2019. All the birds will now be humanely culled and DEFRA has put in place a 1km restriction zone around the infected farm to limit the risk of the disease spreading.
The advice from Public Health England (PHE) is that the risk to public health from the virus is very low and the Food Standards Agency has made clear that bird flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers. Thoroughly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.
Dr Gavin Dabrera, Public Health Consultant, Public Health England, said: „Avian flu (often called bird flu) is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public’s health is very low. As a precaution, we are offering public health advice and antivirals to those who had contact with the affected birds, as is standard practice. A detailed investigation is in progress to determine the most likely source of this outbreak.“