Bird flu confirmed at Worcestershire wild bird centre

Bird flu has been confirmed at a wild bird rescue centre in Worcestershire.

The premises does not supply poultry, meat or eggs to the commercial food chain, says the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which has not named the site.

A six-mile (10km) control zone has been put in place around the site to limit the risk of any spread of the disease.

Birds there are to be humanely culled, it has been confirmed.

Wild birds migrating to the UK from mainland Europe during the winter can carry the disease which can lead to cases in poultry and other captive birds.

The risk to people is low, authorities say.

The UK's chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss said: "H5N1 avian influenza has been confirmed at a wild bird rescue centre in Worcestershire.

"We have taken swift action to limit the spread of the disease and any birds at risk of infection will now be humanely culled.

"UK Health Security Agency has confirmed that the risk to public health is very low and the Food Standards Agency has said that bird flu poses a very low risk to food safety for UK consumers."

As winter approached, bird keepers should be mindful of the disease and report any suspicions to their vets, she added.

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