A bird flu outbreak has been confirmed at a commercial poultry farm in Lowdham, Nottinghamshire, marking the third such incident in the county. Nottinghamshire County Council has established a two-mile (3km) protection zone and a six-mile (10km) surveillance zone around the farm, restricting animal movements and visits.
The outbreak comes shortly after the government relaxed housing measures for poultry and captive birds earlier this month. The council emphasised that while the virus can be transmitted to humans, the risk remains low. Residents are advised not to touch dead or sick birds and to keep pets away from them.
Trading standards teams will visit properties within the protection zone to identify households with captive birds or poultry and inform them of the new restrictions. Road signs will also be placed to notify people entering the surveillance zone.
Councillor Mr Cotte, chairman of the county council's communities committee, expressed concern but stressed the low risk to humans. He urged local bird owners to adhere to the restrictions. The council added that bird flu cannot be caught through airborne particles and that properly cooked poultry products pose a very low food safety risk.
Anyone finding dead wild birds is asked to report them to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
